Latest Beauty Products
Staying up to date with the beauty industry whether it’s makeup, skincare or haircare can be a chore. Lucky for our readers, we have a staff of guest bloggers dedicated to discovering the latest trends and styles taking shape in the beauty industry.
Kendi Oil / Dry Oil Mist Review
13 years ago
My hair is frizzy and wavy, so it needs to be styled in order to be seen in public. My biggest problem when I style my hair are those pesky fly-away hairs that I yield into submission with lots of hair spray. Recently I learned about Kendi Oil Dry Oil Mist by Alterna , which is used for to control the fly-aways and gives the hair a nice shine.
This lightweight, instantly absorbing mist can be used as a treatment or a style primer to eliminate frizz, shield hair from heat styling tools, enhance shine and protect color while boosting your hair’s health.
In my case, I had mixed results, my hair is thicker so the product didn’t help me with the frizz. Whether I styled it with a flat iron or a clipless curling iron, the dry oil mist did not control the frizzyness. But it did give it a nice shine and I liked that it didn’t weigh my curls down.
I tried the product on a friend of mine who has fine, straight hair. I was so jealous, in her case Kendi Oil immediately made her hair look sleek and polished, it did control the fly-aways and later on she told me that effect lasted for hours; she loved the product.
But now that I had a chance to go over Alterna’s other collections and I’ll be sure to try some of their other products.
Bamboo. Strength * Flexibility * Sustainability
Pure Organic Bamboo Extract from our planet’s most resiliant botanical resource immediately boosts hair’s intrinsic strength and lays the foundation for healthier hair
Caviar. Anti-Aging
CAVIAR Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner are clinically proven to minimize the visible signs of aging. 100% of women showed visible improvement in shine, texture, softness and manageability after just one use.
Hemp with Organics
Sweet Orange Peel Extract, rich in anti-oxidant Vitamin C, protects against free-radical damage and gives dull, lackluster hair instant shine.
Life Solutions
LIFE Solutions blends the strength of easern extracts with innovative technologies to effectively nourish hair that has specialized needs, so it can function at its best. Lightweight formulas support hair’s internal balance, increasing vibrancy and protecting color.
Style Lab
A collective of Alterna’s Greatest Hits. Seasonal stories and trendsetting techniques brought to life in irresistible collections.
Ten
The perfect fusion of ten key elements from around the globe. Infused with African Cacao Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Caviar Age-Control Complex®, Color Hold® White Truffle Oil, Champagne Grape Seed Oil, Bulgarian Evening Primrose, Arabian Frankincense, Moroccan Quillaia Bark and Arnica Flower.
The Ombre Way
13 years ago
There was a time when showing one’s roots–those of hair–was condemned and tacky. It was obvious the girl with two-toned, uneven hair color was in desperate need of a hair appointment. But now, having two hair colors, conspicuously defined, has become one, if not the hair trend of the season. Celebs, models, and fashion icons are flocking to ombre hair, particularly brown roots and blond ends. While I was initially hesitant about this new trend, as I’ve always liked the idea of evenly colored hair, I’ve begun to like the look and have even considered it. For those of you interested, there are two ways to achieve this look. Firstly, if one prefers a natural approach, simply wear a hat in the sun, so that the roots are covered and the ends are exposed. This will obviously take time and sun, so one must be patient and in a sunny location. However, if one prefers to go the salon route, get the roots darkened–or if they are already dark, let them be–and lighten the tips with a golden or caramel brown hue. The benefit of the ombre hair look is that one can save money and time on hair, and don’t we all want that? No more regular trips to and credit card swipes at the salon.
Drew Barrymore ombre hair
Emily Blunt ombre hair
Alexa Chung ombre hair
Rachel Bilson ombre hair
Jessica Biel ombre hair
While I’m still on the fence, albeit close to the ombre hair color side, I am certainly excited at the prospect of an economical, low-maintenance approach to hair.
Homemade Yogurt Exfoliating Scrub
13 years ago
Back in my days as a retail slave I worked down the hall from Lush Cosmetics. I loved their products but I dreaded entering the store every time. I am horribly sensitive to scents. Every visit to Lush resulted in an empty wallet and screaming bad headache. I still cannot make it through the perfume section of The Bay without feeling nauseous. I decided while in makeup school to bypass the whole skin care shopping experience and see what I could figure out on my own. I love to cook, so I began focusing on creating DIY skin care products that I could make out of the basic pantry items I had on hand in my kitchen.
It appeals to my crafty, pioneer-like nature.
Did anyone ever watch Pioneer Quest on PBS?
Aww! I miss history-centric reality television. So deliciously nerdy! Why on earth is Fear Factor making a comeback and not 1900 House?
Sorry… got sidetracked.
Anyway, without further ado here is the recipe for my favorite homemade exfoliant, complete with a refreshing, non-disgusting scent. This simple scrub takes a few pantry items to make and about ten minutes to mix. It contains plain yogurt, honey, lemon zest, and almond meal. Each component is beneficial to your complexion in its own way.
Yogurt is the ultimate skin remedy for this time of year. Yogurt is rich in zinc and lactic acid; these components help close pores, remove dead skin cells and prevent and reduce the appearance of fine lines and acne. You’d have to buy ten products at outrageous prices to do all that and I’m not done; yogurt is perfect for summer use, because it tones down freckles (thanks, once again, to our friend lactic acid) and eases sunburns. The perfect beachside companion.
Honey has been used in skin care since the Roman Empire. Honey contains natural humectants, which makes it the perfect moisturizer. Humectants have the ability to bind moisture to the skin, helping it stay hydrated. Honey is also a natural antioxidant, which helps reverse the signs of aging. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, so it is a potent acne fighter as well.
Almond meal acts as the exfoliant in this scrub. Be sure not to press too hard when scrubbing or you could scratch your skin. Almond meal replenishes the skin’s natural oils, which are often lost during the cleansing process, resulting in dry tight skin. Almonds also act as a natural toner. How awesome is that?
Lemon zest, like its friend yogurt, reduces the appearance of freckles and age spots. A little lemon juice can be used to lighten any skin discoloration on any part of your body (like your elbows). It removes dead skin cells and leaves behind soft even skin. To make the most out of the benefits of lemon juice add ½ a cup to your bath and soak for twenty minutes. Be aware that some skin types are sensitive to citrus acid. It’s best to try out a small, diluted amount of lemon juice on a patch of skin. Be sure to leave the sample to sit for fifteen minutes to ensure there is no reaction before proceeding.
Make sure to store the scrub in the fridge in a sealed container. The scrub should keep for approximately two weeks.
Yogurt scrub:
3.5 oz of plain yogurt (Greek yogurt works best)
Zest of half a lemon
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp ground almonds
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Apply to a damp face in circular motions working from the center of the face out.
Rinse with warm water and towel dry.
Murad Hydrating Toner
13 years ago
I’m in a tricky part of my skin development, slowly transitioning from combination to dry skin, it’s been hard to find a moisturizes that make my face feel nice. It’s like being in-between sizes, don’t you just hate that?
Anyway, the last few months I’ve been trying everything from Avon Anew to Estee Lauder until I fell in love with Philosophy Hope in a Jar and I’m so happy with it.
I already did a post on Hope in a Jar, so this time I want to talk about another moisturizing product that I recently discovered. It’s Murad’s Hydrating Toner.
This product’s original purpose is to cleanse and tone, to be used after cleansing and before the moisturizer.
Combats hormonal aging and concerns associated with dry imbalaced skin.
Among its ingredients its lecithin which locks in moisture and restores suppleness and it has a very light and clean smell that comes from chamomille and cucumber with a hint of peach, which helps soften the skin.
I like to use natural products on my skin, so mini-spritzer bottle of home-brewed chamomile tea is always on my refrigerator ready to give me a quick refresher. And I’ve been using Witch Hazel as a toner and cleanser for years. But Murad has combined all these ingredients in one bottle and it’s great.
Another tip I got from the gals in Sephora is to spritz lightly after makeup has been applied. It will help it get settled and stay on longer. And I can attest to that.
So to recap: Murad’s Hydrating Toner can be used to:
- Cleanse and Tone
- Give the skin a quick moisturizing
- Set your make-up
This is one multi-tasking toner, a new must in my make-up case.
5 No-Fail Eyebrow Tips from Robert Sweet William
13 years ago
Barney’s Blog, thewindow.barneys.com is chalked full with great articles about, well lets face it…everything you need to know.
I’m a huge fan of full eyebrows. I’ve actually been trying to grow mine in forever (5 years) with little success. I was thrilled to come across this well written post about 5 no-fail eyebrow tips from no other than industry expert himself, Robert Sweet William. Here are the tips:
- Be Prepared: Start with the right tools: a good pair of tweezers, scissors, and brow powder or pencil are essentials.
- Beware Of Trends: Bushy eyebrows may look great on the runway, but for real life, choose a classic shape that will stand the test of time.
- Go Straight Ahead: The eyebrow hair should lay nice and flat to the skin, but do not round them. Instead, keep the thickness even and straight.
- Step Away From The Tweezers: Don’t over-tweeze! A defined shape is crucial, but going overboard with tweezers can lead to barely-there brows. If you think you’ve overdone it, step away and make an appointment with a brow specialist ASAP.
- Guy-Brows Need Grooming Too: Many men are unnecessarily tweezer-shy. Just clean up your brows and trim the long hairs. Go with the natural shape of the brow—no forced arches.
Here are a couple must have items:
Beauty Is Life Tweezers in Gold $28.50
Tweezerman Brow Shaping Scissors and Brush $19.00
Laura Mercier Brow Powder Duo $24.00
Give your “makeup bag” a healthy check up!
13 years ago
Jumping right in…”beauty products do go bad, Yep —– they expire like dairy”. At best, they stop performing; at worst, they can cause irritations or infections so hoarding is not the way to go ladies! Sure, if unopened and kept at room temperature you can add a couple of years but once they are unsealed, watch out…the clock begins to tick-tock!
Let’s break this down between the obvious and the not-so-obvious:
Obvious:
mascara – (3 MONTHS) thee number one item that dries up in a blink of eye so toss it from your cosmetic bag or makeup drawer if appears DRY or if you’ve kept track of its use ( trust me, this baby won’t perform beyond 90 DAYS) the wand is suppose to be dark/wet not DRY & FRIED; a perfect culprit for clumpy lashes or worst STY’s. Caution: never pump the wand — that only pushes air into the tube, causing it to dry out faster. Instead, slowly draw out and twist the brush to scrape the tube’s interior and pick up product.
face makeup – (6 MONTHS) if you see separation or it has a rancid smell, guess what honey – time to toss! realllllllllllly, did you think it would last forever in constant contact with dirty sponges, dirty fingers and dirty brushes; actually its just sure bet for breeding bacterial growth. Good news! your purse compact won’t die on you so early – their shelf life can extend up to 2yrs. (excluding the sponges).
lipshades – (2 YRS) both gloss or sticks are safe up to two-years, the guide for lips is that (if your lipstick doesn’t glide on in a creamy fashion then get rid of it)! I mean lipstick can already look dry so why encourage the beast.
Unobvious:
lipliners – Pencils get constantly grinded away removing the old surface and sharpening for perfection – these babies last beyond 2 yrs. (Just be sure to regularly sanitize your sharpener with rubbing alcohol.)
Powder shadows are less prone to contamination because they lack water (if you’re like most and you wet your brush to deepen the pigment toss after 6 months) truth be told these water techniques ultimately effect this product. A tale tale sign; when your shadows don’t give you the same color pay-off – time to toss!
Blush – same guidelines for your powder compacts, 2 year rule.
Liquid eyeliners (3 MONTHS) ; again watch the wet Willy’s!
Cream eye shadows – (6 MONTHS) point blank!
C’mon, summer is coming give your makeup bag a proper check-up and toss out what’s probably already expired…
Weapons of Mass Seduction
13 years ago
There’s a relatively newcomer to the fragance world, a line called Juliette Has a Gun launched in 2006, but the creator is certainly not new in the perfume industry. Romano Ricci, great-grandson of Nina Ricci, was initiated into perfumery by his grandfather Robert (creator of L’air du Temps). After years of apprenticeship he launched his new project at Colette in Paris.
Ricci’s philosophy approaches perfumery as an inspired art, drawing inspiration from the popular Shakespearian heroine, Juliette. Juliette goes wild as she is transposed into the 21st Century, armed…with a gun (the gun being a metaphor for the perfume). Juliette intrigues the world with her captivating and seductive scents – symbolizing the liberation of women from men and sometimes with a taste of revenge.
This romantic collection includes five original scents:
- Not a Perfume
- Miss Charming
- Lady Vengeance
- Citizen Queen
- Calamity J.
- Midnight Oud
Rechargeable purse fragrance in the shape of a bullet; filled with a special oil you can apply in your pulse points.
Scented Candles with an aproximate burning time of 50 hours, in the following scents:
- Mary Jane
- Lucifer
- Marilyn
You can find the perfumes in very select locations in the U.S. and you can also order them online through Juliette Has a Gun site.
My Perfect Red Lipstick by Illamasqua
13 years ago
I’m not sure how it happened, but lately my party wardrobe is very 50’s style oriented. Wait! I do know how it happened, it’s all Style Bust’s fault! I read an interview with Kimo of Effie’s Heart, checked out their website and ended up buying the Dolce Vita dress (click here to see interview). After that I bought another dress in a similar style, then another and tomorrow I’ll be picking up a custom-made one. It just snowballed.
I already have the black hair going for me and in order to get those curls that look like waves I’ve been using a clipless curling iron. To complete the look I just needed the perfect red lipstick. This is one of the most difficult colors to shop for, I currently own 8 different red lipsticks I don’t use because they were just not right. Too dark, too light, too orange, too pink, too glossy, etc.
I got all dressed up, hair, makeup, the works except for the lipstick. Went to Sephora and put myself in their hands. It didn’t take too long to find a lipstick that was perfect for me, but it was fun to try several of them. Here are the ones that I liked, but didn’t make the cut.
Illamasqua – Maneater (matte classic red)
Bite – Zivoli (brick red)
NARS – Shanghai Express (semi matte warm brick red)
The ultimate winner was a lipstick by Illamasqua.
Known for their intense colors and dramatic makeup, Illamasqua is your go-to brand for nighttime makeup—whether it’s an evening out at the opera or the dance club. Conceived amidst the dark drama of Berlin in the 20s, Illamasqua was developed by professional makeup artists and launched in 2008 in the U.K. Embraced by celebs and alternative cultures alike, their colors allow you to express your most daring, boldest, and most intense sides with professional nighttime makeup that’s richly pigmented and long lasting.
It glided on very smoothly and since I was already dressed up I met some friends at an Irish Pub, where I had two beers, one glass of water and later one coffee without having to re-apply the lipstick and without feeling the lipstick dry or flaky. My red color is called Box.
Because this color has blue undertones it also brightens my face and teeth. I adore it! This is the perfect red lipstick for me. Here’s a pic of me wearing the color, didn’t do a close up of the lips, but you can still see the effect.
Don’t loose hope, your perfect red lipstick is out there waiting for you to discover it! Have fun looking!
Here’s an update to this post. A week after I bought the lipstick I did a photo shoot just for fun using my cute dresses and lipstick and wouldn’t you know it, my photographer took a close up of my lips.
