I just wanted to let you all know I'm taking a week off from Blogging. Let's call it a stay-cation if you will. I just need a week to myself and actually a chance to go through all my products and organize them, so I can figure out what to write about!
Take care and I'll see you next week
On my recent weekend trip home to Seattle, I had a chance to try out a new set of shampoo and conditioner. Kiehl's sent me cute little lab samples that were perfect for the plane and exactly enough for 2 or 3 washes. The Sunflower Color Preserving Shampoo and Sunflower Color Preserving Conditioner lived up to all my hopes and reams, let me tell you. It smelled AMAZING (my number one requirement) and did an excellent job cleaning and detangling my hair. In these economic tiems, it can only be a good thing to use color preserving products so you don't have to go to the salon as often for touch ups. I haven't seen my stylist in WAY too long (almost 5 months... eck!). I haven't tried the Sunflower Color Preserving Deep Recovery Pak yet, but I think I will this weekend. It is supposed to give me extra shine and radiance. Yes please!
Even more exciting news, this is Kiehl’s first hair collection that’s Paraben-Free, Sulfate-Free, and Silicone-Free. They use Sunflower Seed Oil to preserve hair color, condition and moisturize. This is also Kiehl’s first collection formulated specifically to preserve and protect color vibrancy while helping to repair damage caused by chemical processing. Yay! Did I mentions is smells amazing?!?! Must be the apricot kernel oil and sunflower oil.
Sunflower Lovely!
While most guys are white bar o' soap kind of guys, you'd be surprised at how many get excited when given fancy (and free) soaps and lotions to try. Last night I brought a bunch of products to my guy friends' house for them to try. They were SUPER excited. Among the products was Kings & Queens King of Sumatra Pepper Bergamot Bar Soap
Fun Fact: Did you know Black Pepper was the most sought after spice from antiquity until the Middle Ages? One of the best peppers comes from Sumatra (in Indonesia), where legends about the constant struggle between local kings, colonialists and pirates are still told. Fortunately, today there is no need to fight for pepper… since we can enjoy it any time, and in a delectable combination with sultry Bergamot. It also is rich in antioxidants like Pomegranate, Blue Lotus and Malachite extracts to achieve "royal" skin. It smells very interesting, not your typical cheap overdone "man" smell, but really spicy and hearty.
It might be a little fancier that a plain bar or white soap, but I think the man in your life would love to try it out... you'll see.
Soap lovey!
LaLicious Body Butters are perfect for moisturizing your elbows and knees during the summer months. The Island Guava scent makes me feel like I'm on vacation in Hawaii. As with most body butters, this cream is Shea Butter based. Renowned for its therapeutic and healing properties, Shea Butter is the ideal moisturizing ingredient. The whipped consistency of this cream allows for intense hydration without leaving your skin feeling greasy. Aloe is added to help heal dry, damaged skin. I apply it right after I get out of the shower and then I have soft, silky legs and arms all day! It costs $24 for 8oz and can be found at countless spas and beauty stores across the country or on their website.
Butter Lovely!
Beauty Anonymous reviews Givenchy Mister Mat Matifying Foundation Primer.
StyleBell shows you how to straighten and make big curls with the Instyler, the first rotating barrel styling iron for your hair.
This summer, tarte channels Pucci with their eyeQuatic Waterproof Summer Essentials Set, and Raging Rouge explains how to use it!
Decorative Diva shows you a Fiery look from Aromaleigh's Hot in the City Collection!
Cybelesays.com is cleaning out the beauty closet and readers are winning the contents! Click here to enter.
A Touch of Blusher reviews Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Lipcolor.
Beauty Junkie in SF tries the mother of all mineral face powders and LOVES it. Hail to the Halo!
Link Lovely!
Benefit's newest powder is HOT HOT HOT... I guess. One Hot Minute is a good loose powder bronzer. Its meant to be lightly dusted all over, head to toe, for a subtle bronze and slight glow. I like it well enough, but be warned: too much is TOO much. I recommend using this with a fan brush like the one that comes with, or with a big loose powder brush that you swirl into the product and then tap, tap, tap off the excess. It is supposed to be a rose-tinted bronze, that works on all skin tones. I can't really vouch for that, but it compliments my fair, peachy pink complexion nicely. Try it yourself at a Sephora near you!
Bronze Lovely!
Summertime calls for travel. Travel calls for tiny versions of your favorite beauty products. KENZO has answered this call with their RYOKO 2009 collection of fragrances.
RYOKO is a pocket-sized, ultra-light fragrance pebble. Each smooth RYOKO, which means travel in Japanese, houses one of Kenzo’s beautiful scents in a series of five colorful, ergonomically-designed stones that fit into the palm of the hand and is TSA-friendly (less than 3 oz). The Ryoko pebbles are saturated in high-gloss color and are suspended in a see-through box, which is meant to signify the irony of modern travel: motion without movement.
For her:
FlowerbyKenzo eau de parfum nomad spray
KenzoAmour eau de parfum nomad spray
L’eauparKenzo eau de parfum nomad spray
For him:
L’eauparKenzo pour homme nomad spray
Kenzo Homme nomad spray
I tried the L'eauparKenze scent, a watery floral scent. Its surprisingly fresh and yet heavy at the same time. A fun change from my fruity florals, so I'm adding it to the rotation. And in my little ziplock bag, it didn't spill or leak on the plane. Sold!
Spritz Lovely!
Washing your face with something natural just makes sense, right? Well The Yes to family has another great product I absolutely love, from their Tomato line. The Yes to Tomatoes Trouble Free Facial Wash is an awesome simple face wash that just does it right. It smells really nice and very expensive! The slightly pink gel-like soap lathers very well and removes eye makeup like a breeze. The wash contains organic watermelon extract that removes excess oils and other impurities, and no yucky paraben or anything harsh. It also has purifying Dead Sea Minerals and the powerful anti-oxidant Lycopene straight from organic tomatoes which maintain your skin's pH balance. I am going to run through this stuff rather fast though, since it comes out of the tube quickly and I usually get more than enough in my hand.
Tomato Lovely!
Forever on the quest to find the perfect foundation powder, I finally got to try Smashbox's Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder. At $59 it is not a cheap option, but it is now my current favorite! And actually compared to the popular BE Bare Minerals which is $29 for .3oz, Halo is a better deal at $59 for .75oz.
The Halo container is awesome. You spin the sifter and powder slowly shaves off into the top, so there is no mess and no wasted product! I used a BE Kabuki brush to apply (the one that comes with Halo is rather small) and it goes on like a dream. It is very light weight and the Light shade matches my skin tone perfectly, not too peachy or orange at all. The powder is supposed to be both hydrating and fight the signs of aging with amino acids, minerals and real gold. Not to mention Halo is Oil-free, Talc-free, and Paraben-free. All I know so far is it evens out my skin tone and makes my face look fresh and clean.
I am happy I finally got to try Halo and I think you should too. Only thing that might hold you back is the limited shades available. Hopefully Smashbox will work on having darker shades in the future, so everyone can try this awesome foundation.
Powder Lovely!
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I had a really fun weekend, despite having little to no plans going into it. Both Friday and Saturday night I rocked a fun eye look, which I got many compliments on. I used Sonia Kashuk's new Dramatically Defining Long Wear Gel Eye Liner for a Bridget Bordot-esq cat eye of sorts. I drew a thick black line on my upper lids, making it slightly thicker at the outer edge. Then, because I am not perfect when it comes to gel liners with a brush, I smudged it a bit with my finger. The result was a messy cat eyes that was dramatic and fun.The liner lasted all night with no smudging. It even lasted the whole next day and even didn't run when I spent 20 minutes in a steam room on Sunday (great way to end the weekend)! Crazy awesome stuff, this eyeliner!
Line Lovely!
Elke shares her summer beauty must haves.
A Touch of Blusher previews Paul & Joe's fall 2009 collection.
Beauty Anonymous brings you Jill Stuart fall 2009 makeup collection.
Decorative Diva has the exclusive on Aromaleigh's newest LE collection, Hot in the City! Find out her thoughts on it!
Head on over to The Makeup Divas and enter to win a 2fl oz bottle of Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator, valued at $120!
Beauty Junkie in SF found her favorite way to exfoliate this summer and stay on budget: St Ives In-Shower Body Polish.
The girls over at Beauty in Real Life have another fab giveaway this week! Click here to enter to win a month's supply of NutriSystem!
Felicia from ThisThatBeauty finds a recessionista deal.Three great eye creams all under $20.
One girl can never have too many lip glosses right?! I think so! Well, I've found yet another one to add to my arsenal. Best part is I can find it in a local drugstore. Yes to Carrots/Tomatoes/Cucumbers is actually a local company, based here in San Francisco, that specializes in Paraben-Free beauty and skin care products that combine the fresh, unadulterated goodness of organic fruits and vegetables with the purifying and moisturizing properties of minerals harvested from the Dead Sea.
Yes to Carrots C Me Shine Lip Gloss provides both shine and hydration along with a minty sensation. It feels like a soft lip balm, but gives a nice amount of color (depending on the shade) and lots of shine! I love the squeeze tube since its not messy and you can get exactly the amount of color you need. My only complaint on the packaging is the label is stuck on the tube, and after only one day, one corner at the bottom is coming off. So maybe they will improve the labeling, or maybe mine was just slightly defective. I really like the shade Carrot Shine for a neutral look, and Rose Shine for a more frosty pink look. The are made of 95% organic ingredients and I can actually understand each thing in them. Very comforting since I am sure I eat a lot of gloss throughout the day.
Gloss Lovely!
I get stuck in makeup ruts all the time. Even though I have countless (literally, not worth counting how many) products to choose from, I end up using the same 4 things over and over. To mix it up a little, I spent an extra 5 minutes this morning on my eyes. I used Smashbox's Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner in Navy Blue just on my upper eyelids to create a fun cat eye type look. I drew the line fairly thick and used a neutral powder shadow as a base, making the liner the main attraction. The blue (the picture is actually the Midnight Purple, which is also very pretty) is a fun change from your basic black, it REALLY makes my blue eyes pop. It may take a few more minutes than my usual dash of shimmery pink shadow, but it is way more fun. Best part is this stuff lasts and lasts. It doesn't smudge or travel to the top of my eyelid in the middle of the day.
Line Lovely!
Borghese is a high end skin and body care line inspired by the minerals and heritage of the Tuscan countryside. At this point, I have no hope of hoping over to Italy anytime soon, so using these products is the closest I can get. Normally their products are super expensive, but my friends at BeautyTicket.com have this whole set for only $29.99!!!
The Living Water Spa Set includes:
* Active Mud for Face & Body (6.0 oz)
* Moisturizing Body Creme (6.0 oz)
* Gentle Foaming Gel for Bath & Shower (8.4 oz)
* Curaforte Moisture Intensifier (1.0 oz)
* Cura Da Vita Protettivo SPF 15 (1.0 oz)
* Splendide Mani Smoothing Hand Creme (2.5 oz)
* Acqua di Vita "Living Water" Complex
* Sea Sponge
While moisturizing is key to maintaining sexy summer skin, exfoliating is just as vital. A good in-shower scrub is both time effective and easy to add to your routine. St. Ives also has one that is also cost effective!
Their Smoothing In-Shower Exfoliating Body Polish comes in a tub, which stores well in the shower. It has the consistency of paste or peanut butter. It is full of oils and sugar, making it a luscious scrub. I scope out a handful and kind of make a ball in my hand. Then I rub it all over, concentrating on my feet, knees, and elbows. Instead of instantly getting rinsed off, it slowly melts on my skin. When it does get rinsed off, it leaves a bit of a an oily residue, so my skin feels moisturized and softer. Be aware, if you leave it for awhile, it may look a little dried out, but a tiny bit of moisture in the shower revives it right away. For the price and results, this is my favorite scrub all summer.
Scrub lovely!
I spent the 4th of July weekend in sunny southern California. Because of the silly TSA rules against liquids, I didn't get to bring my new favorite shaving cream on the plane and boy did I need it. It was sundress weather all weekend long! Pure Silk Moisturizing Shave Cream is available in six supper yummy fun-scented formulas that contain skin conditioners and emollients to protect skin from the razor’s edge. Your legs will thank you for making them smooth and oh so touchable. Pure Silk Shave Cream Formulas include:
* Pure Silk Raspberry Mist
* Pure Silk Citrus Zest
* Pure Silk Melon Splash
* Pure Silk Plumeria (my current fav)
* Pure Silk Coconut & Oat Flour
* Pure Silk Peaches & Cream
Grab your beach bag, sundress and cocktail dress, because it doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you put your best leg forward! Pure Silk Moisturizing Shave Cream is available in drugstores and mass merchandise stores for a suggested retail price of $1.79- 9.5 oz can.Can't beat that! And it does come in a travel size of 2.5oz, so I need to find that before my next getaway trip...
Shave Lovely!
Elke's gotten lazy, but she doesn't mind, thanks to Ponds.
A Touch of Blusher reviews Lancôme's fall 2009 collection.
Beauty Anonymous brings you Nars fall 2009 makeup collection.
Beauty Junkie in SF reviews the TeenSpa Blemished Skin line from Pevonia Botanica. Its not just for teens!
The Makeup Divas reviews tarte Celebutante Moisturizing Dry Oil Shimmer Spray.
Enter for a chance to win Clear Remedy Acne System worth $165 at Beauty and Personal Grooming.
My new favorite everyday mascara was a bit of a shock to be. I'll be the first to admit that packaging is very important to me. I have used other Tarte products in the past, and my biggest complaint was this funny faux patent leather quilted material! This mascara tube is twice as big as it would be without it and kind of ackward. But packaging aside, Lights, Camera, Lashes! 4-in-1 Natural Mascara is a great mascara! It goes on slightly dry (so it doesn't get everywhere and smudge) with a slight texture. It coats my lashes completely and really does all 4: lengthen, curl, volumize, and condition. It doesn't smudge off during the day (BIG for me) and comes off with just a little face wash and water, no crazy amounts of rubbing. Also, they use natural ingredients like carnauba wax, olive esters, and rice bran wax. So despite the fact that the packaging turned me off, I'm glad I finally tried this mascara out. It is definitely going in my regular pile.
Lash Lovely!
