fortyflirtyfabulous

Kenzo’s Unidentified Fragrance Object

KENZO, one of my favorite perfume companies, has come out with a warm and sensuous new fragrance that is great for the cooler temperatures of the fall.

But Unidentified Fragrance Object ($188.00 1.4 oz) is not your usual perfume. Kenzo has teamed with designer Ron Arad, having Arad design a unique bottle for the fragrance that is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Since each individual bottle is hand-polished, only 1000 units will be produced for the United States. It is only available at Bergdorf Goodman and kenzousa.com starting in August 2009.

The fragrance breaks with industry codes; rejecting the traditional olfactory pyramid and instead balancing between a powerful heart, “the marble accord” and four natural raw ingredients. The ingredients are Bulgarian Rose, Vanilla, Orange Blossom and Frankincense.

This is a very strong scent that would work well for going out. When I spray it on, all of the ingredients meld together to make a spicy and sweet scent. The Frankincense over-powers the other scents, but I can still pick out the Vanilla, Orange Blossom and even a bit of the Rose.

If you would like to purchase this unique scent in this work-of -art bottle, visit www.kenzousa.com. Enjoy!

It Cosmetics Fab Concealer — Bye Bye Under Eye

Bye Bye Under Eye Shades and Tube

IT Cosmetics are innovators when it comes to makeup that can make you look your best. They have kits to bring out your eyes, plump lips and make teeth look white at the same time, make your legs look smooth and defined as well as many other wonderful products.
So when I tried their new concealer, Bye Bye Under Eye, I knew it would be good. But I didn’t realize how good!

It Cosmetics worked with leading plastic surgeons in Brazil to create this full coverage, highly pigmented anti-aging concealer utilizing innovative technology and ingredients. Bye Bye Under Eye offers a waterproof, yet moisturizing formula that will stay put no matter what. The formula contains high concentrations of Vitamins K, A, C, E and Hydrolyzed Collagen – which is clinically proven to reduce under eye puffiness and discoloration while strengthening the delicate skin of the under eye area. Bye Bye Under Eye

Since it is so highly pigmented, I use just a little drop for each eye. I then pat n with my ring finger to blend it in. I also use it on the inner corners of my eyes for an instant brightness. This product does cover under eye circles very well. As it is thick, it really needs blending. Once it is blended well, the under eye area is very smooth and light.

Bye Bye Under Eye is available in four shades: Light, Neutral Medium, Tan and Deep. The light is very light, so I use Neutral Medium.

Visit the website at www.itcosmetics.com to learn more and to purchase these fab products.

White Sands Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner

As we become more eco-conscious, more companies are releasing natural, organic and even vegan products. Not only are these types of products great for the environment, they are healthy and nourishing for our bodies!

White Sands has recently created 100% vegan products, their Hydrating Shampoo ($12.00 7.6 oz) and Conditioner ($15.00 7.6 oz). These products are all natural, sulfate, silicone, and cruelty free. Both products contain wheat and silk amino acids to moisturize dry and damaged hair, while providing hair color protection.

The claim is, “by correcting the hair’s internal moisture balance, White Sands Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner create a guard against humidity, creating the foundation for the perfect frizz free style. To further the pairs’ amazing results, Wheat Amino Acids promote moisture when applying hot tools, while Silk Amino Acids’ cationic and anionic properties create a positive charge to damaged hair fibers in order to polish tresses for high shine.”

I like this hair care duo. The scent is sultry with a hint of musk– but its not too strong, which is good. It will be very nice for the fall and winter. The conditioner is my favorite because it is very rich. My hair needs a thick conditioner because it gets very dry and frizzy. And although it is a thick moisturizer, the conditioner doesn’t weigh my hair down. I have found my hair is less frizzy after use.

Visit the website at www.whitesandsproducts.com to learn more about these vegan products and the other products in their lines. Enjoy!

CosMedix Skincare

Looking for anti-aging products that are gentle on the skin? Try CosMedix. These skin care products claim to to be the answer to a healthy complexion without irritation. I have been testing the following products for the last few weeks and I have to say that I like the youthful glow that my skin now has. They products I have tried are:

Purity Clean Exfoliating Cleanser ($34.00 USD) — This exfoliating cleanser has peppermint essential oil to cool the skin and stimulate circulation. The claims are that it, “penetrates deep, eliminating cellular debris, decongesting pores and hydrating, to keep normal to oily skin healthy and glowing.” This does make my skin tingle, but it irritates my eyes so I keep it away from the eye area. I feel that it cleans without drying my skin out and my acne has been clearing up, which is great! This product can also be left on the face for 1-3 minutes and used as a mask.

Radiance Skin Management Serum ($92.00 USD) — This serum claims to “shield against harmful free radicals and glycation aging (hardening of the skin) while stimulating collagen to rejuvenate damaged, aging skin.” It contains antioxidants like spin trap and blueberry extract. I notice that after I use it my skin glows. Make sure that you do put on a moisturizer with sunscreen while using this product as it makes the skin sensitive to the sun.

Reflect SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen ($44.00 USD) — This is the first titanium, non-chemical, spray-on sunscreen on the market. It offers broad spectrum SPF 30 protection in a non-irritating, oil-free formula. This is a great everyday sunscreen because it goes on dry and is absolutely not greasy. Yay! It is not waterproof, so I wouldn’t use this at the pool. I use it doing everyday activities because you never know when you will be exposed to the sun.

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

Neil George Hair Care

The Neil George salon in Beverly Hills was founded in April 2005 by hairstylists Amanda George and Neil Weisberg. Their line of hair care products were created to keep hair healthy and shiny, by using natural ingredients.

I was lucky to try three of these great products:

Intense Illuminating Shampoo ($22.00) — This shampoo is designed to hydrate dry, dehydrated and chemically treated hair. It contains Indian Gooseberry, a plant extract that has an antioxidant capacity higher than most fruits, which is touted to strengthen and repair the hair shaft from root to ends. The shampoo (and conditioner) are paraben free. I really enjoy the grapefruit sage scent and the fact that the shampoo is very moisturizing and does not strip my hair.

Intense Illuminating Conditioner ($24.00) — This conditioner claims to restore the brilliance to color treated and under-nourished hair. Indian Gooseberry helps to strengthen and repair the hair shaft and deeply moisturize the hair leaving it smooth, luxurious, and tangle free. I comb the conditioner through my hair and leave it in for a few minutes. The result is silky, shiny hair.

Indian G0oseberry Treatment Oil ($42.00) This treatment is touted to calm frizz and ease styling, leaving hair smooth and healthy. I comb this through damp hair and style as usual. I love the shine this gives and how healthy my hair looks after using all three of the products. I’m pretty much sold on the Indian Gooseberry as a hair care ingredient. This system is one of the best I’ve tried all summer that really keeps the frizzies at bay!

Visit the website at www.neilgeorgesalon.com to purchase the products and to learn more about them.

Cover Girl Exact Eyelights

: Exact Eyelights Eyeshadow

The CoverGirl Exact Eyelights collection was created to make all eyes looker brighter and the color of the eyes pop. I was excited to try the eyeshadow, as I have already tried — and love — the Exact Eyelights Mascara.

Exact Eyelights Eye Brightening Eyeshadow is a color-coordinated eyeshadow collection designed to bring out your blues, greens, browns and hazels, and define your eyes. The shades are Vibrant Browns, Radiant Blues,Vivid Greens, and Majestic Hazels and it comes with a soft bristle brush for easy application. I tried the Vibrant Browns for my brown eyes. The colors seemed a little ho-hum in the compact — beige, bronze, silver and black. But the combination on my eyes was a definite wow! You can wear it however you like, but I tried the instructions on the packet and really enjoyed the look. The beige is swept all over the lid, the bronze goes on the inner part of the lid, the silver is placed in the crease, and the black is used as eyeliner. This is a look that can be worn everyday, then maybe a little more added at night time.

I have already tried the Exact Eyelights Eye Brightening Mascara that contains light reflecting metallics and claims to brightens the eye by 4 times. This is a great mascara that defines lashes and doesn’t clump. Try the waterproof version if you are active. The shades are Black Pearl for brown eyes, Black Sapphire for blue eyes, Black Ruby for green eyes and Black Gold for hazel eyes.

Exact Eyelights Eye Brightening Eyeliner rounds out the Eyelights line. This pencil liner is available in Vibrant Pearl for brown eyes, Radiant Blue for blue eyes, Vivid Ruby for green eyes and Majestic Jade for hazel eyes. I have not tried this product, but the claims is that it defines eyes while highlighting the eye color.

CoverGirl is available in drugstores, Target, Walmart and many other great stores. Also, visit their website at www.covergirl.com. They have a fun tool that allows you to virtually try on the products before you buy!

Get Glowing With Skyn Iceland

Want your skin to glow? Skyn Iceland creates products that are free of harsh chemicals and they use pure ingredients like pristine glacial waters, powerful antioxidants, potent anti-inflammatory elements, skin-soothing moisturizers, medicinal herbs and purifying extracts. These ingredients are touted to help stressed skin regain its natural glow.

Skyn Iceland’s products do not include parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, petroleum, formaldehyde or paraffin, are allergy and sensitivity tested, and are cruelty-free. Another great plus is that the packaging is 90% recyclable.

This all sounds good, but how do the products work, you ask? Well, I tried two Skyn Iceland products that have been recently released, the Glacial Cleansing Cloths and the Arctic Brightening Serum, and I really like the gentle and soothing way that they treat my skin.

Glacial Cleansing Cloths($15.00 for 30) – These pre-moistened cloths are fantastic for nighttime, when I’m too tired to wash my face (which is often). They are infused with Icelandic glacial waters and natural extracts to remove makeup, dirt, oil and other impurities while refreshing and soothing the skin. The formulas is non drying and soothes the skin. This is also touted to help prevent breakouts, and since my skin does appear clearer, maybe it is helping! They do sting my eyes a bit, so I use a different eye makeup remover on my eyes and this one all over my face.

Arctic Brightening Serum ($65.00 1 oz) — I love this serum! The claim is that it helps, “reverse the progression of stress-related damage to restore luminosity and improve texture. Arctic Brightening Serum helps protect against premature aging” Ingredients in the serum include arctic root, Siberian ginseng, and maral root, which is touted to “delay cell aging by bolstering skin’s cellular defenses and resistance to stress. While your skin is being fortified, kombucha goes to work to brighten skin and bring back the glow you left behind. A gentle retinol derivative helps reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Arctic Brightening Serum helps restore the skin’s immune system to optimum levels so skin looks and more importantly, acts younger than ever.”

I apply this serum every morning and evening before moisturizer. I have been using it for a few weeks and my skin is noticabley brighter and smoother. I swear I look younger! It also feels so good when I apply it, it is cooling and soothing. I really recommend the Arctic Brightening Serum and think it is worth the price!

Visit www.skyniceland.com to learn more and to purchase these great products!

New Milani Eye Liners for Fall

Summer makeup is so easy. You don’t need a lot for a fresh look that is perfect for the season. But fall makeup is a different story. When the weather turns cooler, and the fashions become more bold, the bright colors come out of the makeup cases and on to our faces!

Milani has introduced two new eye liners that are perfect for fall. Eye Tech Liquid Eye Liner and Infinite Liquid Eye Liner offer bold lines and bright colors, and even though it is not quite fall yet, I have already begun having fun experimenting with them.

Eye Tech Liquid Eye Liner ($6.99) puts the control in your hands. This pen-style liner boasts a water-based formula that has a “flow thru system” and a felt-tip applicator for a steady line in one stroke. It goes on incredibly smoothly and you can get more than one look from it. The first time I tried it I was going out with friends, so I did a thick cats-eye line on my top lashes. I have also drawn a very fine line at the base of my lashes to for a more natural look. It is available in black, brown and charcoal.

Infinite Liquid Eye Liner ($5.99) is a long wearing liner that boasts a waterproof formula that lasts up to 24 hours. This comes with a very thin brush that you dip into the product and apply. Once you apply it, you have just a few seconds until it dries to correct any mistakes, because it STAYS ON!!! My daughter applied the blue liner (Infinite) on her friend and it took a lot of makeup remover to get it off! You know that if you put this on in the morning it will stay on all day! It is available in 5 dramatic shades: Infinite (the metallic electric blue), Endless (metallic purple), Eternal (golden green), Forever (golden bronze) and Everlast (black). My favorite is the Forever, it is so pretty and wearable for day.

Visit www.milanicosmetics.com to learn more about these and all of their fab products!

Nick Chavez Beverly Hills

Hairstylist Nick Chavez is known for creating products to make hair it’s most glamorous. His products are a blend of herbal and organic traditions with modern technology. I tried the following products:

Volumizing Shampoo 8 fl oz ($18.00) — touts to give body, lift and volume to thinning hair. It contains Vitamins A and E to condition the outside hair shaft and Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), which penetrates inside to increase hair diameter. These products all smell wonderful. The shampoo cleans without stripping the hair and hasn’t faded my color.

Volumizing Conditioner 8 fl oz ($20.00) — claims to give shimmering bounce and voluminous texture without over-conditioning or disturbing the hair’s natural moisture balance. This is very moisturizing. After using both the shampoo and conditioner, I noticed that my hair did have a lot of bounce.

Angel Wings Ultra Light Styling Paste ($24.00 4 oz) — this is a light paste to shape, define & texturize. What I found using this product is that it didn’t leave my hair crunchy and it imparted a nice shine. My hair was also less shimmery than usual. One thing I didn’t care for was that using this product deflated some of my volume from the shampoo and conditioner.

All in all, I had a very positive experience with the Nick Chavez products. Check out his website at http://www.nickchavezbeverlyhills.com to learn more about these products.

THEFACESHOP — Cool Korean Beauty Products

THEFACESHOP is Korean skincare and cosmetic brand that has arrived in the United States in the last few years. The brand is inspired by nature and many of their products reflect this.

There is a vast array of skincare products by THEFACESHOP. One of my favorites in their Mask Sheets. This is a sheet made from natural pulp that you apply to the face to do such things as revitalize, soften, firm, or tone the skin. I really like the Fresh Fruit Aloe Mask Sheet, because it is very cooling on stressed out or sun-burnt skin. I also like the Pomegranate Mask Sheet, because it smells great and the Ceramide Mask Sheet because it is so moisturizing. At $2.00 each, they are a steal! As wonderful as the masks are, it is a little disconcerting to see yourself with it on (have you ever seen Halloween?)! A very fun product to give to friends!

I also love their Herb Day Cleansers — especially the Purifying Lemon and the Green Leaf Bubble Foam Cleansers. They both are very light and refreshing and do not strip the skin and dry it out.

You can purchase the products at Walgreens, but THEFACESHOP launched their online US store on August 15th. Visit www.thefaceshop.com to shop the brand’s extensive collections. For orders over $25, you’ll receive a free Mask Sheet and for orders over $50, you’ll get free shipping and a Nature Garden Cleansing Bar for Face & Body.