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.
Top Four Mascaras for Great Eyelashes
13 years ago
During the holidays I bought a Sephora Gift Set that included 10 mascaras and since then I’ve been using them and rating them. I was blessed with my father’s eyelashes, which thanks to Lash Enhancement Products have increased in length, but not in manageability. They are still straight and difficult to keep curly; so even though the mascaras I used might work wonders with the lucky ones who have great lashes, I need the works.
So the following are my top four favorite mascaras. These all made a great job in staying on and helping my eyelashes stay curly for hours.
This one was not in the gift set, but I’m still impressed with the results. It’s Clinique’s High Length Mascara.
In Third Place is Make Up For Ever Professional.
A mascara that gives the lashes curl, volume, length, and intense pigment. This ultra-pigmented mascara was specially designed to give the lashes an exceptional volume-enhancing effect with infinite lengthening and immediate curling.
In Second Place is Smashbox Bionic Mascara.
Smashbox Bionic is the first ionic mascara—it will leave you with longer, stronger, and more voluminous lashes! The specially-engineered brush coats lashes with our revolutionary long-wearing, water-resistant formula for a dramatic full lash. Aloe, silk, and wheat protein strengthen and condition.
And in First Place with me loving it for ever and ever: Cargo Triple Action Mascara.
Unique styling polymers and a special brush separate and curl your lashes while thickening and lengthening, while 11 essential Amino Acids condition and fortify your lashes.
So there you have it. The other ones were very good as well, but only these made my cut. I had fun trying all these products and the only sad thing is that I can’t in good conscience buy new ones for the rest of the year…..OK, maybe just trial sizes.
Shatter and Shellac
13 years ago
First I want to give an update about Black Shatter from OPI. I bought the Serena Williams Glam Slam online and as soon as it arrived I tried it on.
The product works exactly as it should, it was very easy to apply and the effect came out immediately. Each nail had a different pattern and expect the polish to feel bumpy because of the shatter effect. As always I used a base and top coat and the polish lasted for about 5 days without chipping.
I tried Black Shatter with other polishes, even though it does work well, it looks better when you use the glittery polish underneath like the ones in the Katy Perry line.
And talking about unique nail polishes, I recently had a manicure at this really cool and tiny nail salon called The Nail Bar @6th in downtown San Diego where they specialize in natural mani/pedi. They used coffee to soak the hands and feet and sugar as a scrub, the results were great!
In this salon I was introduced to Shellac, a registered trademark of CND, sold only to licensed professionals so your best bet is to find a nail saloon that offers it. The unique thing about Shellac is that it a hybrid between gel and nail polish and lasts up to 14 days without chipping or fading.
The process of getting the Shellac can last up to 30 minutes since the manicurist applies coat after coat of the specialized polish and needs to let your nails cure in a UV lamp between each coat. Salons are encouraged to charge extra for this service, but for a busy woman, this can be worth it since you won’t have to worry for 2 weeks at least.
The end result will be nails with a very thick coat, which will actually protect your natural nail and encourage growth. To remove the Shellac it is encouraged to do it at the nail salon, but you can probably do it at home following these instructions I found on YouTube.
Personally I liked it, but its not my thing to have one color too long. I’m addicted to changing my nail polish colors at least twice a week and after one week I took the Shellac off. So I can’t really say if the 2 weeks on my hands is real, but I can say that I had the appointment 3 weeks ago and the Shellac on my toes still looks perfect.
I probably will use it again when I go on vacation or a business trip just so I don’t have to worry about the maintenance and can concentrate on the important stuff (fill in the blank as you wish).
Henna Tattoos Review
13 years ago
I have several tattoos and can’t wait to get a few more, but they’re all pretty much concealed for work purposes. Once in a while I wish I had a bold tattoo out in full view, but shrink away when I realize how permanent that would be. So in comes the Henna Tattoo, which can last up to two weeks and I can put it anywhere I want.
Henna tattoos are made from a paste applied directly in your body and its a natural way to apply pigment to it.
I got mine from a shop at the mall, if you see on the photos below when you leave the shop you will have a paste in your skin in the form of the tattoo design you selected. I noticed there are two pigment colors, I got the lighter one.
The instructions I received were to let it dry for an hour or so until it easily flaked off, apply oil to moisturize the skin and don’t let water touch it for at least 12 hours. When the Henna dried out I was disappointed because you could barely see it, yet I followed the instructions. Turns out it needs time for the pigment to oxidize and you can see the result below.
With that said, I realized it’s not that hard to get a simple design like the one I got. Even I can do it, since some imperfections actually add a charm to it. So I plan to buy a kit online and try it myself; I’ll let you know how it went.
Henna Tattoos will normally be done in the same place where you can get your eyebrows done with threading, like in the Brows Shaping Salon. If you decide to have someone do it for you, I suggest you get a small and inexpensive one first so you can make sure you are satisfied with the results before committing your time and money on a more elaborate one. If you notice on the pictures above, my hand looked sloppy while the photo I found with the tattoo on the ankle looked much cleaner. Once you decide how and where to get it, go ahead and enjoy your cool new Tattoo!
OPI: Black Shatter for Katty Perry and Serena Williams
13 years ago
The latest from OPI are these awesome colors made celebrities Katty Perry and Serena Williams. Recently I read an article in Vogue “She’s got game” where the interviewer received a manicure from Serena Williams. She’s really into getting her degree and knowing everything there is to know about the industry.
Now in partnership with OPI she has the Glam Slam collection.The first from the collection is a green lacquer called Simply Smashing with Black Shatter to complete the duo.
The same effect can be achieved with the Katy Perry collection. With colors such as Teenage Dream, Not Like the Movies, Last Friday Night and The One that Got Away combined with Black Shatter.
This new look is hard to find. I checked on several beauty supply stores in San Diego who carry the OPI line and most didn’t have either of these collections. Finally I found one that did, but according to the beauty assistant, they sell out very quickly. They should get a new shipment next week and several people are already waiting for it. I’ll be sure to be there and get one for myself so I can tell you more about it. Stay tuned!
NARS Spring 2011 Collection
13 years ago
Even though I love the spring/summer weather and fashion, my favorite colors come with the autumn/winter collections. But looking at some of the upcoming Spring Collections, I’m starting to reconsider. NARS Cosmetics Spring collection is full of awesome colors, in his own words:
Spring 2011 is the epitome of minimalism, reaching a sensual peak with fresh, forward color. Jeweled earth tones are infused with a metallic finish that lends a subtly sleek finish. Cool compliments of sheer and sparkling lips pair with unexpected accents of parrot green and vivid blue.
And here is what part of the collection looks like, not sure if I can pull off Parrot Green on my eyelids, but I’m definitely going for the Golden Desperado Nail Polish and the Deep Purple Nana Lip Gloss.
Spring 2011: OPI and Orly Collections
13 years ago
Soon it will be time to put away those glorious dark nail polish colors we used during autumn and winter and give way for the new spring / summer collection from my favorite brands OPI and Orly. I collected the following information from the blogosphere and not in stores yet, this is a sneak preview of what will come in March / April time-frame.
Featuring:
- Pure Porcelain
- Gilded Coral
- Fancy Fuchsia
- Ancient Jade
- Sapphire Silk
- Royal Velvet
Featuring:
- Austin-tatious Turquoise
- Big Hair…Big Nails
- Do You Think I’m Tex-y
- Don’t Mess with OPI
- Guy Meets Gal-veston
- Houston We Have a Purple
- I Vant to be a A-Lone Star
- It’s Totally Fort Worth It
- San Tan-tonio
- Suzi Loves Cowboys
- Too Hot Pink to Hold’Em
- Y’all Come Back Ya Hear
The following are some of OPI’s separate collections and must admit I wasn’t too thrilled that GLEE and Justin Bieber are the faces behind the collections, but the colors actually look pretty cool and some will benefit a good cause.
Nicole By OPI
The One Less Lonely Girl Collection
This one has Justin Bieber behind it and supports the Pencils of Promise charity, which is dedicated to build schools and increase educational opportunities in the developing world.
Sephora by OPI
Each shade representing a character of the TV Show. Featuring:
- Diva-in-Training (Santana Lopez
- Slushied (Finn Hudson)
- Hell to the No (Mercedes Jones)
- Mash Up (Will Schuester)
- Who Let the Dorks Out (Sue Sylvester)
- Miss Bossy Pants (Rachel Berry)
- Gleek Out (Kurt Hummel)
I already saw several colors I just need! But in the meantime I’ll be stocking up on the awesome winter collection colors while they last.
Cosmetics Palettes: Smashbox, Sephora, Kat Von D
13 years ago
Maybe you might have noticed I write about all type of cosmetics, except for eyeshadows. There’s a very good reason for it, and it’s that I’m awful at putting on eye shadows. No matter how much I try or practice, it still seems like a 5-year-old did it. But recently I’ve seen several sets that are tempting me to keep on trying and master the art of applying eye shadow.
This one is my favorite from Smashbox, its called Master’s Class Style Files and its a set of three portable palettes for eyes, lips, and cheeks. The set contains:
- 8 eye shadow colors ranging from neutrals to dark jewel tones.
- 4 cream eye liners in golden beige, warm brown, gunmetal gray and deep purple.
- 2 pencil eye liners in black and brown.
- 2 lip gloss in coral and nude champagne.
- 2 cheek shades in peachy pink and suntan beige
- Bonus: Photo Finish Lid Primer Packet
And last for the reason this one is my pick, an instructional step-by-step guide for five different looks that range from a clean daytime look to a complete vamp. Maybe even I can learn to use them.
I bought Sephora Color Play – 5 in 1 II – Fashion Edition for my sister over the holidays and she loves it, then again, she knows what she’s doing. The cool thing about this one is not only the huge amount of cosmetics you get, but they are also portable. The set comes with an empty case so you can pick one of the sub-palettes and take it with you.
Stories for the five sub-palettes:
- Boho Bombshell: dark blues, warm taupes, warm golds
- Classics Never Die: brown smoky eyes
- Angelic Boudoir: nudes and sands, with a touch of bright blue and fuchsia
- Black Is The New Black: black smoky eyes
- A Nod To Mod: bright blues, greens, pink, purples
Each of the five sub-palettes includes:
- 10 eye-shadows
- 2 lip colors
- 1 blush
Of course when it comes to eye makeup, I yield the floor to the amazing Kat Von D.
“This is dedicated to those who are self-created, self-reliant, self made, and independent.” —Kat Von D
Unlike the other sets the Tattoo Chronicles Palette concentrates only on the eyes. This set is dedicated to make your eyes look like a rock-star, the set itself looks very cool and has a secret compartment with a double-ended rollerball fragrance sinner and saint.
This set contains:
- 1 pair False Eyelashes
- 12 Eye shadows in Tijuana, Taxidermy, Hollywood, Peanut, Redemption, Solitude, Heartkiller, Baudelaire, Monastary, Poe Blue, Nite Owl, Lemmy
- 3 High Voltage Primers in Skin, Stellar, Smoky
- 2 Double-Ended Saint/Sinner Roller-ball
Affordable Cruelty-Free Cosmetics
13 years ago
During the Holidays whether you indulged in extra eating, extra drinking, non-existing exercise, or if you’re like me, extra spending. January is normally the month to get back on track, eat less, exercise more and be kinder to our wallets. Suddenly $18 for a eyeliner is not that appealing, no matter how awesome it might be.
The other challenge is to keep purchasing cruelty-free products at a reasonable price. While doing research for this article, I noticed that leapingbunny.org and peta.com don’t have the same companies on their list, for example Almay is in Peta’s list but not on Leaping Bunny. You can look at the lists and decide for yourself on which companies to buy from. This article will focus on the ones I found on the Peta list, that I would also find at a grocery or drugstore.
Almay
Combining the names of the founders, Alfred and Fanny May, Almay was established in 1931 and began to manufacture their new, gentler cosmetics for women everywhere.Since then, Almay has been the first hypoallergenic cosmetics brand, the first brand to make 100% fragrance-free products and to disclose all ingredients used, the first brand to perform safety testing for allergy and irritation, the first brand to formulate for contact lens wearers and, you guessed it, the first brand to create cosmetic regimens for specific skin types.
With cosmetics priced from $5 to $15, Almay has a great line of cosmetics, although it is limited in the color choice. Some of my favorite Almay products are the concealer, a eyeshadow trio that intensifies my brown eyes and eyeliners.
Revlon
Revlon was founded in 1932, by Charles Revson and his brother Joseph, along with a chemist, Charles Lachman, who contributed the “L” in the REVLON name. Starting with a single product – a nail enamel unlike any before it – the three founders pooled their meager resources and developed a unique manufacturing process.
Since then Revlon is a major contender in the cosmetics markets with commercials and celebrity endorsements like Halle Berry and Jessica Alba. With prices ranging from $3.50 to $12.50 Revlon offers many more color choices as well as constant product introductions. This is a very innovative company with great products.
Wet n Wild
With pretty much all products under $6 dollars, Wet n Wild is the most affordable brand out there. In this case, I can’t say I have too much experience with the brand, but that’s just the snob in me. I’ll try some of its products and if I see something worthwhile, I’ll tell you about it.
Avon
Even though Avon is not found in your local store, it is very accessible since I’m sure everyone knows someone who sells Avon. In my case, I buy online from my cousin who lives in Phoenix, AZ. I have a special place in my heart for this company since my Mom used to sell it when I was a kid. Loved to see all the little samples and the goodies people bought and I still get a thrill when I see the catalog. I use their Anew line and I really love it, as for their makeup line it has some hits and misses, for example, their nail polish does not compare to the quality I’m used to with OPI. But the rest of the cosmetics are great for the prices, which range from $0.99 to $20.00 . My personal favorites are the plumping lipsticks. With constant innovation and choices, you’ll find something and at those prices will probably end up with more products than you originally intended.
