Category: cosmetics

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…

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!

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!

 

 

Fun Valentine’s Day Beauty Ideas

This Valentine’s get ready for your hot date (here’s hoping for ya)!  Now, I have been married for 20 years, and I still like to get glam’d up for romance, even if it is just eating a romantic dinner at home with the family!

The following products can help you look, feel and smell fantastic for V-Day.  Enjoy!

L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Balm ($7.95 USD) This Valentine’s Day, get your lips kissably soft with L’Oréal Paris’ new tinted lip balm.  This silky smooth balm delivers care and comfort to lips while providing the shine and sheer color that women (and men!) crave. Thanks to its nurturing formula with Shea butter, Argan Oil, Vitamin E, Rose Canina Oil and SPF 15, Colour Riche Balm delivers eight hours of continuous hydration.  Lips feel soft and supple all day long and conditioned for up to 2.5 hours after the balm is removed. Available in eight wearable shades, Colour Riche Balm leaves lips with a healthy hint of beautiful color. Available at http://www.lorealparis.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers.

What I think:  I love this balm!  The color is subtle, but will help you look put together while making lips look and feel super soft!

bliss fabulips treatment kit ($45 USD) On Valentine’s Day, we all know your most important asset are those lovely lips.  Bliss gives some much needed TLC to your kisser with the only complete beauty regimen for your lips! Introducing the new bliss fabulips treatment kit- the only one-stop lip care shop that cleans, exfoliates, plumps and softens for a ‘spa’-tacular smooth every day- it’s a facial for your pout!  Available at bliss spas, www.blissworld.com, and Sephora.

What I think:  This 4 step kit is worth the time!  After the first use, I could see a big change in the texture of my lips.  If you use this, don’t forget to scrub the edges of your lips — this will help with lip line and bleeding lipstick.

Urban Decay Sparkling Lickable Body Powder ($20 USD) Like kryptonite to Superman, the Sparkling Lickable Body Powders render men powerless. Redesigned with your vanity in mind, our new, petite boxes swank-up any countertop or boudoir. Take your ensemble and your evening from sexy to scintillating, as a mere dust of this decadent beauty treat will make you the main course. Our new, petite Sparkling Lickable Body Powders feature sleek, more sophisticated, tassel-topped boxes each with its own signature pattern – complete with a deluxe purple puff.  Radiate so much beauty that he’ll be able to taste it…

Flavors:

·        Marshmallow – soft white pearl shimmer in a chic, purple foil, zebra print box

·        Honey –golden pearl shimmer in a seductive, bronze foil, leopard print box

Available at Sephora, ULTA, select Macy’s, www.sephora.com, www.ulta.com, www.macys.com, www.beauty.com and www.urbandecay.com.

What I think:  I haven’t tried this yet, but is sounds perfect for an amorous Valentine’s Day!

Pacifica Island Vanilla Body Butter Tube ($18 USD) Smell incredible with our nourishing and anti-oxidant rich ingredients.  Our body butter helps fight signs of aging while adding deep moisture and protection.  Made with nature’s best moisturizers – shea butter, almond oil and safflower oil – Pacifica’s paraben-free Body Butter is a skin must-have.  Now available in tubes in our best-selling fragrances, making them easy to take with you anywhere.  A warm blend of sultry fresh coconut, delicate creamy vanilla.  www.pacificaperfume.com.

What I thin:  This decadent body butter smells delicious and is has a thick and luxurious texture.  This is perfect after a shower to keep skin soft all day and night!

Valentine’s Day Fragrance Gift Guide Part 2

Here are some more ideas for great fragrance gift ideas for Valentines Days.  The following scents are all glamorous and very romantic.  My favorite is the Princess Night.  I love the glitzy bottle and the sweet, yet sexy scent.

Vera Wang Lovestruck ($78., 3.4 oz)  Inspired by a modern-day twist on Romeo & Juliet, Vera Wang Lovestruck is for the romantic modern-day girl looking for her prince charming.  The ad campaign features Leighton Meester, the star of Gossip Girl, whose character Blair is always searching for true love. The notes are:

Top: luscious pink guava, heavenly angelica flower, mandarin

Mid: delicate tuberose, lotus blossom

Base: precious woods, white musks

Available now at Ulta and www.ulta.com.

Vera Wang Princess Night  ($60., 1.7 oz)   Inspired by the sparkle of the city lights at night, Princess Night is for the edgy girl who loves to have fun. The bottle is covered in deep purple glitter, capturing her bewitching essence, part mischievous and all sparkle. The notes include:

Top: Wild Berries, Watermelon, Sweet Raspberry

Mid: Velvety Jasmine petals, Spicy Orange Blossom, Passion Rose

Base: Crushed Sugar, Sensual Musk, Vanilla

 

Calvin Klein forbidden euphoria ($80 3.4 oz) A playful interpretation of the iconic euphoria fragrance, forbidden euphoria is modern and sexy, perfect for the girl who wants to be noticed. This fruity floriental’s bottle has been exposed to reveal its outer layers and seductive curves.

Top: mandarin, passion fruit and touches of iced raspberry

Mid: hypnotic bouquet of tiger orchid and jasmine

Base: addictive patchouli with a sophisticated blend of musks and cashmere woods

Available now at Macys and www.macys.com.  Enjoy!

 

 

Winter Makeup Ideas and Tips From Laura Geller!

“Seasonal changes often require that modifications be made to one’s makeup regimen to ensure long-wearing, weather-proof results,” advises makeup artist and product developer Laura Geller.  “To keep skin looking even toned and healthier in the colder months, opt for creamy, nourishing formulas that will keep the complexion looking fresh and aptly hydrated.”

It finally rained in Kansas City for a few minutes today, after days of cold, dry air.  I know that my skin needs hydration.  I am taking care of it by exfoliating and using serums and creams — but I bristle thinking of using powdered blushes and other products on my skin.  So I am trying to use cream and liquid formulas.  Here are some perfect ideas from Laura:

Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under-Makeup Primer in Bronze ($25 USD) — “Oil-free and enriched with hydrating, yet lightweight ingredients such as Aloe Vera, Centella Asiatica and White Tea Extracts, this primer soothes, helps reduce redness and adds some healthy color to skin,” says Laura.  I think a little bronzer in perfect in the winter, especially if you are pale like me.

Achieve a lovely flush of color with Laura’s Air Whipped Blush ($26 USD) — This blush glides on smoothly and blends in well for a sheer wash of color.  This blush also features a smoothing topical Dermal Filler to help restore skin’s plumpness and refine its texture.  It is available in two shades, Whisper Berry and Whisper Rose.

Signs of the cold are most often seen in dry, cracked lips.  Quench a parched pout with the Laura Geller Lively Lip SPF 15 Brightening Lip Gloss ($22 USD).  “I love that this lip gloss can instantly transform any lip color, while simultaneously nourishing and conditioning the area,” Laura confides.  “Plus, never forget that SPF protection is as important on the slopes as it is on the beach!”

You can purchase these at http://www.qvc.com.

Beauty.com’s New Gift With Purchase Featuring Marchesa

 

Demi Lovato and Lea Michele looked stunning in Marchesa at the People’s Choice Awards this year, and now, thanks to its collaboration withBeauty.com, everyone can own a gorgeous creation from the celebrated Marchesa designers.

Currently, the latest installment in the beauty retailer’s designer bag series will be available at http://www.Beauty.com/marchesa with any Beauty.com purchase of $150 or more –an exclusive gift valued at $185. Elegant and portable, the feather-light lace and satin pouch is perfectly sized to accommodate beauty essentials when stepping out for the evening.

“For February 2012, we wanted to create a makeup bag that was both demure and romantic. The nude and black lace design adds a delicate tone while the soft case makes it easy to pack and store. It’s the perfect go everywhere beauty bag for the season,” said Marchesa co-founders Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig.

Kathleen McNeill, President of Beauty.com, said, “This is our third collaboration with Marchesa, and we always see their gorgeous designs as a fun way for Beauty.com shoppers to kick off red carpet season. Plus, the diverse product assortment allows customers to sample across multiple categories, from fragrance to accessories.”

Each Marchesa gift bag is complete with the 16 prestige beauty samples listed below, as well as a card for $10 toward future purchases at Beauty.com and a voucher for $20 off the purchase of sunglasses from the Sunglass Hut® Store on Beauty.com.

1. bareMinerals® Purely Nourishing Moisturizer: Combination Skin

2. NUXE™ Reve de Miel Ultra Comfortable Face Cream – Day

3. Urban Decay® All Nighter™ Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray

4. Boscia® Green Tea Blotting Linens

5. Amika® Obliphica Oil Treatment

6. DDF® Amplifying Elixir

7. dr. brandt® Dark Circles Away

8. Arcona® Night Worker, Repair PM

9. Taylor Swift™ Wonderstruck® Eau de Parfum

10. Jouer® Luminizing Moisture Tint: Pearl, Golden and Bronzed

11. Murad® Acne Clarifying Cleanser

12. Alterna® UV+ Color Protection Fade-Proof Fluide

13. tarte® Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eye Liner: Navy

14. Laura Geller® Spackle Under Makeup Primer: Bronze

15. Braza® Clothing Adhesives

16. bliss® Lemon+Sage Body Butter

This GWP is so much fun!  The bag is gorgeous — probably the prettiest makeup bag I’ve seen.  It is sturdy, like a makeup bag should be, but the lace over the satin look is sexy and elegant at the same time.  The samples are fab, too.  Enjoy!