cosmetics – Page 87 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

Feel Fresh and Pretty with Sole Beauty

Sole Beauty makes beautiful cosmetics that look great on everyone. Their soft, subtle colors are so lovely and the products feel great on.

Secret Serum ($28.00 USD) — This is an extremely silky primer to use after moisturizing, but before makeup to provide a solid matte base. It contains antioxidants, anti-aging benefits and jojoba to nourish and protect skin against the elements. You can use on the face, body, and even the hair for a smooth finish. It feels incredible on and really makes foundation go on so smoothly!

The Illuminator with Big Night Out Kabuki Brush ($36.00 USD) — Is a pretty shimmer powder in Angelic Peach that you can dust all over. I use it on my cheekbones, eyelids, forehead, nose — I basically brush it all over. It is also fun to use on the arms and decollete area — great for the upcoming warm weather! The Big Night Out Kabuki brush is also a winner. Its the perfect size to brush the shimmer (and face powder, too) all over!

Lip Crave Antioxidant Lip Plumper ($20.00 USD) — This plumper is packed with antioxidants. It gives a little tingle of mint as it plumps lips and makes them feel fresh with a bit of color. This is very moisturizing and comes in a soft neutral beige.

Check out www.solebeauty.com for these amazing products as well as a variety of skincare, fragrance and candles.

Yes to Carrots New Lip Tints and Lip Glosses

Yes to Carrots, creators of fabulous natural skin and hair products have just release lip tints and lip glosses. They are 95% organic and paraben and phthalate free, so you can feel guiltless about your pretty lip color!

C Me Blush Lip Tints (approx. $4.49 USD), are like a lip balm with a hint of color. They nourish and protect the lips with organic vegetable extracts, vitamin E, coconut, jojoba & sunflower oils, shea butter, and beeswax. Mineral pigments add color naturally. They are available in six fresh colors; Sunset Pink, Natural Smile, Cotton Candy, Coral Sunshine, Chocolate Kiss and Ready Red.

C Me Shine Lip Glosses (approx. $6.49 USD) are shiny, non-sticky glosses that are perfect for every day. They contain essentially the same good for you ingredients of the tints, but offer a more polished look. They also are available in six colors; Flirty Pink, Carrot Kiss, Cocoa Loco, Playful Nude, Rose Bliss and Red Hot.

Both the lip tints and glosses have a minty scent and feel a little tingly on. For the price, they are a very good buy! Visit the website at www.yestocarrots.com to learn more and find a retailer near you.

My 5 Top Finds in 2009 — So Far…

I am so excited, as this is my 100th blog post! I started my blog in September 2008. But since January, I have received lots of fantastic products from fab companies to sample and review. I have looked back and found my 5 very favorite products or companies. These items are so good, I would definitely purchase them!

1. Lipstick Queen Big Bang Illusion Gloss ($20.00 USD www.lipstickqueen.com) — is probably the best gloss I have tried. Its light reflecting particles create the illusion of fuller lips without irritating ingredients. And it is creamy, not sticky. FAB!

2. Anything from Kenzo (www.kenzousa.com)! From their fragrances to their skincare items, Kenzo is all about quality and just plain fabulosity! Their scents are very subtle and fresh, like the Eau de Fleur de The – Tea (1.7 oz , $55.00 USD).

3. EcoTools (www.parispresents.com/EcoTools_s/36.htm) Makes the most wonderful — and affordable — makeup brushes and tools and are created from recycled and sustainable materials. I’m really digging the Foundation Brush ($5.99 USD) and the Recycled Aluminum Retractable Kabuki Brush ($7.99 USD) right now, but their are so many to choose from!

4. Tigi Love, Peace & The Planet line is a really fantastic eco-friendly line for your hair. The Eco Awesome Cranberry Orange Mint Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner($19.95 each USD) smells out of this world! It’s not up on the TIGI Website yet, but it should be soon.

5. LUSH (www.lushusa.com) makes lovely fresh handmade bath and beauty items. I really love their bath bombs! What a fun treat. But they also make quality skincare and haircare.

These are just a few of my favorite products that I have tried. I have been so lucky to love almost everything that I have received. You are welcome to peruse my blog for other awesome items that you haven’t tried yet!

Announcing 100th Blog Post Giveaways!

Hi all! Tomorrow (April 27th) I am going to write my 100th blog post! I have been reviewing beauty products since September of last year and I am loving it more each day!

To commemorate the occasion, I am having 3 different giveaways. They are:

EcoTools Recycled Brow Grooming Kit ($11.99 USD) and Bamboo Powder Puffs ($1.99 USD). EcoTools makes great eco-conscious cosmetic tools. I reviewed the brand in a post on March 29th — http://tiny.cc/VMhLp

It Cosmetics Smokin’ Hot Legs Kit ($69.00 USD) and My Youthful Smile in Kiss Me Now ($32.00 USD) It Cosmetics knows how to make the best of any feature. Check out my review of their my sculpted face on March 23rd — http://tiny.cc/lVhRQ

Yes to Carrots new C Me Blush Lip Tint in Chocolate Kiss ($4.49 USD) and C Me Shine Lip Gloss in Flirty Pink ($6.49). These are brand new products that I have not reviewed yet, but will this week. Yes to carrots makes fantastic natural and organic products that are as good for you as they feel! Check out my reviews on some of their other products at http://tiny.cc/BTfq5 and http://tiny.cc/psr1R

So how do I win these fantastic products, you ask? SO easy! Just leave a comment on any of my posts past or present starting 4/26 (today, yes on this one, too!) through 5/2. I’m going to old-school it by writing all entries down and having each of my 3 lovely daughters pick a name from a bowl! I will then notify you by email and get your mailing address. Good Luck!

Pamper Yourself with Carol’s Daughter

I have begun the think about Mother’s Day (May 10th) and what I’m going to get for my mother and mother-in-law. Being a beauty blogger, I love giving products that I have tried and enjoyed. Great hint for your mom or other cool lady you love — Carol’s Daughter!

Talk about pampering! The products from this line are rich, luxurious and soothing and are made from natural ingredients. I recommend trying and giving some of these goodies:

Almond Cookie Shea Souffle ($13.00 – 30.00 USD) — This is a whipped body butter. If you love the scent of almonds, this is a good one! The fragrance is a combination of almonds blended with marzipan, sandalwood and musk. It goes on almond-y and dries down to a powdery scent that lingers all day. Even when I’m not wearing perfume, people comment that I smell so good! And it leaves my skin VERY soft.

If your looking for a highly pigmented lip gloss, try Candy Paint ($13.50 USD). – I like that this moisturizing gloss is not too sticky and that the color is well pigmented. It is infused with natural ingredients such as grapeseed oil, shea butter, aloe vera extract and vitamin E to hydrate, condition, protect and soothe your lips. The gloss comes in 15 shades, so their is a great selection. I really like the Bubbling Brown Sugar which is a shimmering bronze that is much darker in the tube then on. Very pretty!

Tui Hair Smoothie ($19.00 USD) — This is essentially a hair mask that you can leave on a few to about 15 minutes to get the conditioning that you need. It is rich in essential oils and Shea and Cocoa butters that provide moisture and protection. My hair gets very dry and frizzy in the Kansas City humidity and I find that this really helps. And like that its paraben-free and doesn’t include petroleum, mineral oil, or artificial color.Visit the website at www.carolsdaughter.com to check out these and other fantastic products. Enjoy!

Get Flawless Skin with Colorescience

Colorescience is known for “blending the line between colore and science”. They have some pretty amazing face products and sunscreen.

Colorescience Sunforgettable ($50.00 USD for the brush applicator) – is a mineral powder 30 SPF sunscreen with broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) protection. It comes in four different applicators; a brush, a roll-on a shaker can and a puff. You can purchase it in three shades; All Clear (transparent), Perfectly Clear (a light shade) and Almost Clear (a medium shade) and you can get matte or sparkle. This is a very innovative sunscreen. They suggest you apply it over your moisturizer, but I have been using the matte Almost Clear as a setting powder over my foundation and/or Line Tamer primer. It is very light (must be the minerals) and does not clog my pores.

Colorescience Line Tamer ($45.00 USD) — is one of the best primers I have tried. The website states (and I enthusiastically agree), “This beautiful yellow mousse smooths on like velvet and sets to absolute perfection. The yellow colore hides red discoloration while the active ingredients promote the actual reduction of redness in the skin.” This not only hides my redness, it smooths over my pores perfectly! I find that when I use it I don’t need a lot of foundation. I just use a little to cover my dark circles and blemishes. The ingredients include Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, oats and oat beta glucan to reduce the appearance of redness, blue algae extract feeds and tightens the skin, beta carotene and vitamin E to nourish the skin plus an antioxidant cocktail of green tea, lavender and tangerine.

Visit the website at www.colorescience.com, to check out these items as well as their fab mineral foundations, bronzers and other great products!

Hey All! Enter my 100th Blog Post Giveaways! I will be giving away products from It Cosmetics, Yes to Carrots and EcoTools! To enter, just leave a comment on ANY of my posts between 4/26 – 5/2. I will draw 3 names on Sunday 5/3/09 and notify the winners! To see exactly what I am giving away, check out my post http://tinyurl.com/dgnxda. Good Luck!

Redpoint Cosmetics

Being forty, flirty and fabulous, I enjoy trying anti-aging cosmetics. So I was very interested in Redpoint. The website states, “it’s a revolutionary line of color cosmetics infused with breakthrough anti-aging and skin transforming complexes, to make you look and feel better than you ever have.”

I tried a few products from this brand, but my three favorites are:

Transformative Duel Foundation ($42.00 USD) — Redpoint’s new foundation is packaged in a glamorous red compact. The website claims, “Get full coverage in a foundation so weightless, it’s almost like you have nothing on at all! Unique Liquacreme formula glides on like silk, and leaves your skin with a flawless matte finish. Elastimide Amino AC, a proven peptide blend and light diffusing pigments combine to help fill in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, so skin looks and feels more youthful.” Like it promises, this foundation gives a smooth, matte finish. It comes in 3 color combinations; Light, Medium and Dark with two shades in each compact. Right now I am using the lightest of my Light compact, but in the summer when I get a bit darker (in spite of my sunscreen), I can combine both of the shades or even use the the darker of the two.

DermaLift Foundation ($42.00 USD) — If you would like a dewier look, this liquid foundation could be right for you. “Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with this sheer, all-in-one foundation, enriched with a proven combination of powerful peptides and moisturizers. The lightweight blend is easily layered, and contains unique light diffusing pigments that create the illusion of younger looking skin. The mineral oil-free, stay put blend is perfect for all skin types.” This is also available in Light, Medium and Dark. It may be lightweight, but it does have great coverage. My skin looks luminous with it on, but for daytime a little powder over if creates a natural, office-appropriate look.

StayPut Eyeliner ($21.00 USD) — “StayPut Eyeliner has a long-wearing, water-resistant, never-smudge formula that features our anti-aging TriPeptide complex to help your eye area appear firmer, smoother and more hydrated.” I LOVE this liner. It goes on extremely smoothly and stays on all day. One end has a sponge on it to use for a smudgey, smokey look. It comes in one color, Conga, which is a lovely, shimmery bronze. It is a beautiful color, but I would love it if they would make more shades!

I definitely recommend this brand to ladies of all ages who wants a little youthful magic in their make up. Visit the website at www.redpointbeauty.com.

Everyday Minerals

I enjoy trying mineral makeup because it is so good for your skin. Mineral foundation can make you look like your not wearing makeup while covering flaws.

Everyday Minerals has one of the biggest shade selection I have seen. They have six color categories; warm, golden, cool, beige, buff and olive. Each category has at least six shades to choose from. I like the fairly light from the buff category. It matches my skin tone and covers imperfections.

You can purchase the base in 3 sizes — Sample $2.50 USD, Mini $5.00 USD and Big $12.00. The base also comes in four finishes; Semi Matte, Matte, Intensive, and Original Glow.

Visit the website at www.everydayminerals.com to peruse the many varieties of base, bronzers, blushes and eye shadows. Have fun!

Clinique – Classic Cosmetics With a Twist

I was recently sent some classic and new Clinique cosmetics to sample. This is one of the first brands that introduced me to fine cosmetics in my twenties. Before Clinique, I was only wearing drugstore brands. Applying higher-end products made me feel that I was somehow growing up.

So imagine my delight when I opened the package to find Almost Lipstick in Black Honey ($14.00 USD)! This is a product that I haven’t used since the 90’s. It somehow dressed up my grunge-wear back then and now it still gives me a hint of deep color and a lot of moisture. This is a great product for someone who wants to look polished but not heavily made-up.

I also tried a new product from Clinique called Quick Blush ($21.50 USD) in Pronto Pink. I have been using this everyday and I love it. The pigment is in the cap. To use, I swivel the brush just a little and place the cap back on it to pick up the color, then I take it off and use. Its a very nice brush that applies just the right amount of color. I also love the shade, it is pretty on my light skin and I believe it would look fab on most skin tones.

The third product I tried was High Impact Mascara ($14.00 USD). Another classic product, this claims to produce “Instant drama. Volumizes and lengthens lashes for a lusher, plusher, bolder look. Pure, deep colour adds impact.” I agree that it volumizes and lengthens and give a very nice look. The only problem I had is that it smears quite easily. When I wear it, I have to check all day to make sure I don’t have smudges around my eyes.

All-in-all, Clinique is just as innovative and classy as it has always been. You may visit their website at www.clinique.com to browse and purchase products. They are also at most fine department stores.

EcoTools — Fabulous Earth-Friendly Beauty Tools

EcoTools is one of my new favorite brands. This is because the are incredibly earth-friendly and they work fantastically well! And bonus — they are very affordable.

The brushes are made with cruelty free synthetic taklon bristles, recycled aluminum ferules (the piece that connects the bristles to the handle), and highly sustainable bamboo handles.

Some of my top picks are:

Bamboo 6 Piece Brush Set ($12.99 USD) : Are you kidding me with this price? Wow! This fab set includes a blush brush, an eyeshading brush, an eyeliner brush, a concealer brush and a lash and brow groomer. The brushes are SO soft and apply products very evenly. The set also includes a natural cotton & hemp brush roll.

Recycled Aluminum Retractable Kabuki Brush ($7.99 USD) : This is a great brush for applying powders. I use it to either apply mineral makeup or powder over my foundation. Just swirl in powder, tap off access and apply. It gives you a very smooth canvas for your bronzer and/or blush.

Eco-Foam Cleasing Sponges ($2.99 USD for 12) : Made with natural soybean oil and 100% cotton, which are sustainable materials. I LOVE these sponges! You apply your cleanser to the soft side and it removes every trace of make-up and gunk from the face.

There are other great brushes and tools available as well such as a Recycled Brow Grooming Kit ($9.99 USD), Foundation Brush ($5.99 USD) and Bamboo Mini Brushes ($3.99 USD for a set of 6). I highly recommend these fabulous beauty tools! Visit the site at http://www.parispresents.com/EcoTools_s/36.htm.