Category: Beauty

Beauty product reviews and general chat about beauty!

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Forever Stay Eye Pencil

Forever Stay Eye Pencil

 Trusted cosmetic company and television makeup artist Carmindy have combined forces to creat the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty collection. I have only tried their Forever Stay Eye Pencil ($7.99 USD), but I really like it.  

The first great thing that I noticed about this eyeliner is that it glides smoothly across my lids, not tugging. This is especially important for aging skin, as pulling around the sensitive eye area only causes problems. Then second thing I noticed is that you don’t have much play time with this liner, because it dries quickly and stays on, well, forever (or at least all day)!  

 There are 5 fabulous, rich shades to complement any eye color and if you choose opposite shades to your eye color your eyes will really pop! The shades are:   

Pure Plum for Green Eyes
Chocolate Brown for Blue Eyes
Blue Indigo for Brown Eyes
Deep Jade for Hazel Eyes
Deep Black is versatile for all eye colors   

Some of Carmindy’s tips are: To use small connecting dashes across the upper lash line to create an easily lined eye, apply the pencil under your lower lashes for a thicker-looking lash line, apply one shade of liner on the top lash line and another smudged underneath for a modern look, and line the upper lash line and then trace over it with a cotton swab for a soft-looking smudge.   

Visit www.sallyhansennaturalbeauty.com to learn more about these products that are available at most drugstores.    

Get a Matte Pout with Smashbox Lip Tech

Lip Tech

I love to try different lipsticks and glosses, but recently I’ve been using a lip product that is like nothing that I have ever tried. It is called Lip Tech by Smashbox ($24.00 USD).  

This cool little pot of product is touted as “an innovation in lip color”.  It is a lightweight satin-matte formula that has Vitamin E and emollients to protect and make lips soft, but the finish is definitely matte.  

This is packaged in a a little mirrored compact with a silicone applicator that looks like a plastic eye shadow wand. I brush it across the lip color and it applies just enough product to my lips. The applicator is really pliable and is fun to use. Lip Tech is available in 4 shades: Nude (creamy nude), Peony (rosy pink), Sangria (berry fuchsia) and Maple (deep warm nude). I really love the Peony and the Nude. They are soft and pretty for spring. I also like the matte finish, it is so different from the shiny gloss that I usually wear. and gives me a whole new look!  

Visit www.smashbox.com or run into your nearest Sephora or Ulta and try it out. Enjoy!

Essie’s The Art of Spring Collection

The Art of Spring Collection

I love the mixture of soft and bright colors that are coming this spring. Inspired by the colors from the Art-deco era, Essie’s new Art of Spring Collection is ripe with 4 pretty pastels and 2 fun, bright colors.

The shades in this collection are:

Lilacism — satiny smooth lilac

Neo Whimsical — rose plum

Pop Art Pink — sheer chiffon pink

Red Nouveau — fiery hot red pepper

Tart Deco — creamy coral

Van D’Go — ripe melon

I think these colors are so pretty and are making me wish for warmer weather so I can paint my toenails Red Nouveau or Tart Deco. I have worn the colors on my finger nails and really love the Neo Whimsical and the Van D’Go. The colors are soft, but unusual which makes them fun and easy to wear.

Visit www.essieshop.com to learn more and to purchase these beautiful polishes.

Paint Your Face Beautiful Naturally, with Josie Maran Cosmetics.

I have been wanting to try and to review Josie Maran’s Natural makeup for a while, because it is glamorous as well as great for you and the environment. Josie Maran is a former top model who had a contract with Maybelline that lasted 10 years — which is amazing. She loved learning makeup trips from the artists, but decided to make a cosmetics line that complimented her natural and organic lifestyle. Thus Josie Maran Cosmetics was born!

I have tested ( and love ) the following products:   

Mascara ($22.00 USD) — First of all this is a great mascara. It lengthens and defines my lashes without clumping or smearing. Plus it is paraben and fragrance free and contains organic ingredients like Jojoba oil, Argan oil and Beeswax to condition and strengthen. I love the fact that my lashes are being treated as I am wearing one of my favorite types of beauty products (I never leave the house without mascara).  Available in Black and Brown.

Eye Shadow ($20.00 USD) — This is  beautiful, velvety eye color that glides on and blends so easy. The ingredients are natural plus paraben and fragrance free — and even cooler is the fact that each shade comes in a state-of-the-art biodegradable compact.  You can apply the shadows dry, or wet for more intensity.  Available in 27 shades. I have Beach (shimmery pale sand), Embrace (shimmery coppery brown), and Divine (matte medium brown). All three shades work together seamlessly to make a natural look or a pretty smoky eye.  

Lip Gloss ($18.00 USD) — I love a good, non-sticky lip gloss — and I have found a great one here! Full of natural and organic ingredients, this gloss contains no parabens. Available in 6 shades. I have Confession, which is a coppery gold. It looked very shimmery in the tube and I thought it might be too coppery for me. But it goes on sheer and very pretty.

Visit www.josiemarancosmetics.com to learn more and to purchase these fab natural products.

Lashes Lacking? Try Imju Fiberwig Paint-On False Eyelashes Mascara

Fiberwig Paint-On False Eyelashes

I love trying new mascara — especially one that gives length and volume and makes your lashes look fake! That’s what Fiberwig Paint-On False Eyelashes ($24.00 USD) mascara claims to do. 

Fiberwig is the top-selling mascara in Japan, and it is easy to see why. It contains  micro-fine interconnecting fibers which creates a long-lasting film coat around your natural lashes. This is what gives the false eyelash look. 

I have noticed that not only does it make my lashes long and lush, it is water-resistant and clump-free. I hate the spider-eyes look, and this gives great separation. And it is very easy to remove. A little warm water removes the fibers from your lashes.      

You can learn more about the mascara at www.fiberwig.com and can purchase through www.sephora.com and www.amazon.com. Enjoy your lashes!

Japonesque Ergo-Grip Eyelash Curler

Ergo-Grip Eyelash Curler

I am a regular user of eyelash curlers. I have to use them or no one will see my short stubbly lashes — even with mascara. 

I was excited to try the Japonesque Ergo-Grip Eyelash Curler ($13.50 USD) because up to this point, I have only used drugstore brands. Also, I love trying new beauty tools. 

The Japonesque website describes the curler as: 

“Designed with the professional makeup artist in mind, the JAPONESQUE® Ergo-Grip Eyelash Curler creates a sweeping, eye opening curl with ease. The unique handle is designed to be gripped in a variety of ways for control and comfort. The smooth grip action and ergonomic handle makes the curler comfortable in hand, even for extended use. The longer curl surface and rounded silicone pad produces a true, soft curl. The grip-locking device maintains tension while curler is not in use.”

This curler is different than others I have used in that the opening is not very wide. I have had to practice to get a good curl, but I have figured it out. And I do like the handle, it is very  comfortable.  I’m okay with my drugstore curler, but if you want to try something different, check this one out! 

Visit www.japonesque.com to learn more about this curler and more products by Japonesque.

Achieve Flawless Skin From NP Set by Napoleon Perdis

“NP Set is my spirited new makeup collection for glamour on-the-go. Think rich colors, cool trends and fix-it products that are easy to use. Are you ready to get Set?”
– Napoleon Perdis

Napoleon Perdis is an Australian makeup artist who launched this more affordable line of cosmetics in the United States at Target stores in August 2008. What’s cool is that you can try these on at the store to see if the colors and formulas work for you. I love the following two face powders products because they help me achieve a flawless face.

Pasarella Powder Foundation ($30.00 USD) — Contains pomegranate extract, shea butter and vitamins A & C and is paraben free.   This gives minimum to maximum coverage and sets liquid foundation well. The double layered compact contains a mirror and a sponge applicator which makes it easy to travel with and touch up during the day. I really like this powder foundation. I use it over concealer and it give me good coverage plus a natural look.   Available in 7 shades to match most skin tones.

Baked Powder ($20.00 USD) This compact includes a  blusher (or bronzer) and highlighter and is baked so it can be used wet or dry. Ingredients includes vitamins A, C and E, jojoba oil, acai oil, Omega 3, Omega 6, and Omega 9, and safflower & sunflower Oil and paraben free. Available in 4 shades: Bronze Set, Blush Set, Peach Set and English Pink Set. I have the Bronze set. It is nice to have a two toned bronzer and can wear the shades mixed together or one shade at a time. Really well-pigmented, but looks natural, too.

Visit www.npsetcosmetics.com to learn more and you can also purchase at Target. Enjoy!

SpaRitual Nail Polish’s Forbidden Collection

SpaRitual Forbidden Collection

 

Want fashion-forward, but healthy nail polish? Try SpaRitual ($10.00 USD). Their nail laquers are vegan and do not contain DBP, Formaldehyde and Toluene. 

These polishes are available in great colors and are very chip resistant. I wore a pretty dark purple (Regal) all last week and they only started chipping toward the end of the week. 

The Forbidden Collection contains the following shades: 

Regal — dark purple creme 

Intrigue — tomato red creme, lots of orange in it 

Mystic — mushroom,  taupey creme 

Inner Sanctum –light peach brown creme 

Hush — warm chocolate creme 

Hypnotic — warm charcoal frost  

This is their Fall 2009 collection, but the colors are cool enough to wear all year round. I love dark colors for everyday wear. 

Visit www.sparitual.com to learn more about the products and to find out where to purchase.

A Bevy of Cool Products From Soap and Glory

Do you love Target as much as I do? Then you have seen the retro cool Soap & Glory skincare, bath and body and makeup products there. These creatively packaged beauty items are the brain child of Marcia, the genius who founded the Bliss spa and beauty product lines.

I love so many of these products that it was hard for me to narrow it down to my usual 3 to review. So I have a couple in each category: skincare, makeup and bath and body.

Make Yourself Youthful Super Rejuvenating Face Serum ($19.99) — This is an interesting serum as it is more of a light cream than the usual liquid that make up most serums. It has a light citrusy scent that I love and soaks in so quickly. According to user trial reports, this product gives re-energized, smoother, healthier, firmer and younger looking skin.I use this before moisturizer on my face, neck and (don’t forget) the back of my hands. Soft and glowy skin is the result. 

I follow the serum with the Catch a Wrinkle in Time Age Avoiding Day Moisturiser ($15.99 USD). This makes my skin GLOW! The anti-aging complex “blends natural sun filters, high performance hydrators and clinically proven collagen stimulating tri-peptides, to smooth away wrinkles, rejuvenate, firm and protect your skin”, states the website. I love that after I use it my skin is soft and glowy and ready for makeup, since its sinks right in and doesn’t leave a greasy residue. The only thing I wish this had it is an SPF.  

Eye Maintenence Moisturizing Eye Gel ($12.99 USD) — The first thing I noticed about this eye gel is that it smells (and almost feels) like lemon merengue.  It claims to instantly firm and depuff (keep it cool in the fridge) the eye area. The website claims that , “by deploying our exclusive SWIFTLIFT™ technology, it reduces visible wrinkles almost immediately and fights fine lines long-term too.”  Cool,

Sexy Mother Pucker XL Extreme-Plump Collagen Lip Shine ($10.99 USD) — I think I am a masochist because I love this tingly, prickly lip plumper! I apply it and notice how great my lips look with the shimmery, shiny gloss. Then the tingles start and my lips plump up! It contains these ingredients: Lipswell™: natural plant oil infusion, Superfill®: Nanovectors and Visivolume™: immediate effect lip filler. I don’t know what all of that means, but I do know that I really love this gloss! 

Arch De Triumph Shaping And Highlighting Brow Crayon ($9.99 USD) — My favorite part of this product is the highlighter it is soft and blendable and I love to apply it in my inner corner of my eye, under my brows and especially used as a liner on the inside of my lower lid. It makes me look AWAKE! The brow pencil is nice, too, but a little hard at first. I warm it on my skin to get it soft enough to work.  

The Daily Smoothe Dry Skin Formula Body Butter ($14.99) — This skin-softening body butter is perfect for my dry, winter skin. It contains Rosehip Seed Oil and Cocoa Butter to soothe. It is scented with Mist You Madly’s™ notes of Bergamot, Blackcurrant, Magnolia, Freesia, Vanilla and Musk. It smells soft and fabulous!

Clean, Girls Skin Softening Creamy Body Wash ($9.99 USD) is also scented with Mist You Madly. It is pearly and very moisturizing. It works great for shaving, too. 

You can learn more about these products at www.soapandglory.com and purchase them at Target in the United States.