Category: Beauty

L’Occitane’s Newest Immortelle Brightening Products

Need to even skin tone and brighten your skin?  Well, L’Occitane has recently added three products to their Immortelle collection.

What is immortelle you ask?  The immortelle flower grows abundantly on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, has an exceptionally long life and retains its form and color when dried. L’Occitane has extracted a precious essential oil from the immortelle, which has anti-free radical and anti-wrinkle properties.

L’Occitane’s Immortelle collection offers a complete anti-aging solution for the face and hands. The three new products added to the Immortelle Brightening collection are enriched with a new extract, Garden Nasturtium, for boosted action to leave skin instantly dewy and youthfully radiant.

The additions include:

Brightening Essence ($56): A concentrated serum that optimizes penetration of active ingredients for dramatically brighter, more radiant skin.

Brightening Moisture Cream ($58): A daily moisturizer with an ultra-fresh gel-cream texture that helps correct wrinkles, even skin tone and brighten the complexion.

Brightening Hand Care SPF 15 ($30): A non-oily, protective hand lotion that smoothes the skin, evens skin tone and reduces the appearance of age spots.

What I think:  I have been using this collection day and night for a few weeks and have seen some results.  I think my skin is clearer in tone and a bit brighter.  I do not have a lot of age spots yet (knock on wood), but my skin can get dull.  I find that immediately after each application, my skin does look brighter.  I have combination skin, and this does not seem to make me break out, which is great!

As for the products themselves, they are heavily scented with a floral/green fragrance.  This is probably natural, but if you are fragrance sensitive, be aware.

The textures are nice.  The serum and creams are not greasy at all and seem to quickly absorb.

I would recommend these products to someone who would like to even skin tone and fade dark spots.  You can purchase them at usa.loccitane.com.

Enjoy!

Tarte Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to…  Debra!  She has won my tarte giveaway that includes an Amazonian clay 12-hour shimmering blush, an Amazonian clay waterproof cream eyeshadow, a maracuja divine shine lip gloss, and a Maracuja Blush & Glow.  She will have fun playing with the fun Spring colors!

I will be announcing another Spring makeup giveaway in a day or too…so good luck!

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 ANEW GENICS Eye Treatment

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!