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.
Moisturizers: Sephora and Dior
13 years ago
We all want to maintain a youthful look, right?? Then the best way to prevent premature fine lines is to start moisturizing your skin no matter how young you are and maintain the routine of cleansing, toning and moisturizing on a daily basis. With the exception of those nights one comes back too tipsy to care or remember.
Recently I’ve tried several moisturizing samples and these two have greatly impressed me.
Sephora’s Super Supreme Body Butter
Oh my goodness! The packaging mentions “lusty pleasure” and it is! The texture is very thick and silky and smooth, it gets absorbed by the skin almost immediately and leaves your body feeling and looking hydrated all day. It really is amazing!
Dior’s Skin Perfect Pore Refining Perfecting Moisturizer
I’ll be honest, this is a product I’ll probably not be buying because of the cost ($65 for 1.7 ounces), but it was so good to use the sample. It has a light clean smell, the consistency is silky and it left my face feeling so soft.
Of course, these moisturizers worked incredibly well on my skin, but every skin needs are different always ask for samples and try as many as you can before you select the one that makes your skin feel special!
Spring 2012 Nail Polish Trend: OPI’s Holland Collection
13 years ago
OPI recently unveiled the Holland Collection for Spring 2012. The colors are inspired by the “vivid tulips, windmill-dotted hillsides, and bustling canals” of The Netherlands. Our favorites include: A Roll in The Hague, Kiss Me On My Tulips, I Don’t Give A Rotterdam!, Gouda Gouda Two Shoes.
The Holland Collection will be available on February 8 at select salons, as well as online at stores like Drugstore.com.
Dr. Brandt Pores No More Hint of Tint Review
13 years ago
When it comes time to go out to the world, I like to show a nice face and concealing my pores in one of the steps I take that make a huge difference on my look. Now I have a new favorite: it’s Dr. Brandt Skincare Pores No More a pore refiner.
I’ve tried a sample of the product and I tried to make it last as long as I could and now I’m definitely going to buy the product. What I liked about the Pore No More is that it’s like putting make-up on. This is how I’ve been using it:
First, I use Cargo One Base Concealer + Foundation in One. Which does a great job with my dark circles and sunspots.
Second, I use Pores No More Hint of Tint in the areas where my pores need it the most.
Third, I use Nars Powder Foundation SPF 12 to give my face a matte look
And after the base is done, then I do the eyes, lips, etc and give myself one spritz of Murad Hydrating Toner, which hidrates the face after all that makeup while at the same time helps to set it and now you’re good to go.
I’ll be honest: I took a before and after pic so you could all see the huge difference, but then I didn’t have the guts to post the pics. My nose looks huge because of the camera angle and all my imperfections would be too visible….but trust me I look like I have almost flawless skin!!
Magnetic Polish by Nails, Inc
13 years ago
I have to hand it to Sephora, they did a good job building up the excitment for Nails, Inc new product, the Magnetic Polish.
I first saw the introduction video from the Sephora YouTube Channel and after that I started hounding the store with calls and popping in the store every time I was nearby. Finally the product arrived and I got it!
Right now the following two colors are available for purchase
Trafalgar Square (chrome)
Houses of Parliament (purple)
And the new color, soon to be available, Whitehall Teal (teal)
The whole excitement is because this is something new in nail polish, and the name says it all, it’s Magnetic, it uses a special magnet in order to create a ripple 3D type effect on the nails that cannot be replicated with a brush. This is really the easiest way to do nail art by yourself; no need of extra tools or even a steady hand. Just apply one coat, let it dry, apply a second coat, use the magnet and see the magic in seconds!
This video explains a little more how to apply it:
When applied with a base and top coat, the polish will remain without chipping for at least 5 days if not more. One thing is for sure, now that Nails, Inc is in my radar I’ll be trying their other polish and will tell you the results, one I’m particularly interested in is the Kensington Caviar Top Coat. And finally here’s a pic of my nails taken with my favorite model.
HerCut Styling Products
13 years ago
It’s in our nature to try to tame, control and make our hair do things it wasn’t meant to do. In my case, I let it do it’s thing especially in humid weather when there’s no chance in hell I’ll be able to keep it looking sleek and non-frizzy. So here comes HerCut, a line of styling products that works with your style, whatever it may be.
I’ve been using Curly Ponytail (a Sephora Exclusive)
This modern, gel formula smoothes and holds resistant strands, controls fly-aways, and imparts glossy shine. It keeps the curly ponytail soft and pliable, while the humectant-concentrated ingredients de-frizz and define curls. It also provides exceptional humidity control.
Now, from my personal experience, the styling balm has a pleasant slightly citrusy scent. It does make my curls look more defined without adding extra curl or frizz, it’s just my own hair, just looking better. The product promises softness, I found it heavy when I apply it and later on when I touch my ponytail I can definitely feel the balm. But at the same time it does not add weight or stiffness to my hair and it’s easy to wash off. So far I plan to keep using it and another exclusive for Sephora is the balm for a The Ponytail.
Other products found on HerCut website are:
The Bob Catalyst
Long Layers Catalyst
The Shag Catalyst
The Blunt Catalyst
The Pixie Catalyst
Curly Bob Catalyst
Curly Long Layers Catalyst
Eyeshadow Primer Review
13 years ago
When I was in my early twenties, I remember my teen sister coming into my room at night asking me to decide which eyeshadow looked better, the one the left had “this”, the one of the right had “that”. Back then I didn’t even pluck my eyebrows, let alone notice a slight difference on eyeshadows, but I would pick one just to humor her. Not sure if she ever noticed I had no idea….well, now she knows!
To this day I’m hopeless when it comes to eyeshadows, so when it came time to review eyeshadow primers, my sister was the perfect person to do it. She tried three different brands: Sephora, Urban Decay and Benefit. She used the same brand of eyeshadow and the same brushes each time, and was able to use each primer three times. So here are the results:
Sephora Brand Eye Primer Pot provides the perfect eyeshadow base. Smooth on this must-have formula for a flawless, crease-less look that will last all day.
The consistency is creamy and easy to apply, though you need to wait for it to dry before applying the eyeshadow. It’s transparent and doesn’t interfere with the eyeshadow color, but compared to the other primers the colors won’t pop. The eyeshadow itself will last longer with the primer, but overall it was the one my sister liked the least.
Urban Decay – Eyeshadow Primer Potion Tube – Eden
Packaged in a new squeeze tube with a precise needle nose, this triple-duty product also works as a highlighter or eye shadow. Perfect for more mature customers or those who want to avoid shimmer, this versatile shade instantly brightens the eyes and provides the ultimate prep for creaseless, more vibrant shadow and all-day wear.
It glides on easily over the eyelid, you will need less amount of product to get the shade you want. The eyeshadow colors are more vivid, but in a matte tone; you can leave it as is, or add a bit of shimmer to brighten the eye. Even though she liked this primer, she didn’t see a difference in wear, the eyeshadow faded off as it would normally do without a primer.
Tell your eye makeup to stay, don’t stray! This dual-action primer works 360 degrees around the eyes to make concealers and eyeshadows REALLY stay put. Concealers never crease and eyeshadows stay vibrant and true…you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it!
Now this one was my sister’s favorite, the eyeshadows remained intact over twelve hours. The colors look vivid, but you might need to use additional shimmer. With this primer you need to know what you’re doing when applying the eyeshadow since it’s not easy to correct mistakes; you would need to take it all off and start again if you mess up. But overall she was very happy with this primer and I have a feeling she’ll be asking for it as compensation for doing the testing for me.
Thanks Sis!
Fall 2011 Nail Polish Colors
13 years ago
This season’s colors are all about bold jeweled tones, all inspired by fashion, designers and determined to make your nails pop, no matter the length, these colors will get them (and you) noticed.
OPI
Designer Series Collection
Ultimate Glamour. Extraordinary Brilliance.
DS Temptation, DS Bold, DS Radiance, DS Extravangance
DS Magic, DS Mystery, DS Reserve, DS Reflection
DS Opulence, DS Classic, DS Glow, DS Top Coat
Sephora by OPI
Garden of Good & Evil Collection
Inspired by the rich jewel-tones, exotic feather accessories, and cascading silk gowns featured on fall runways, SEPHORA by OPI’s Garden of Good & Evil collection is as high fashion and extravagant as the trends that inspired them.
Designer Fig Leaf (metallic olive green), My Personal Serpent (dark teal), What’s Your Poison (glittery cranberry red), Eve-y On the Eyes (metallic grape), Sin-cerely Violet (metallic lilac), Frankly I Don’t Give A-Dam (light gray), Tempted by Teal (metallic teal)
Orly
Birds of a Feather
Take flight with ORLY’s Birds of a Feather color collection. A rich collection of shimmering iridescents and deep cremes reminiscent of a beautiful flock of bird feathers.
Fowl Play, Lucky Duck, Nite Owl, Peachy Parrot, Sea Gurl, Sweet Peacock
Nails, Inc. London
Colour Collection – Autumn
A set of four professionally formulated, catwalk-inspired nail colors.
Charing Cross (classic red), Fenchurch Street (warm caramel), Paddington (dark smoky gray), St. Pancras (burgundy wine)
So fresh and so clean, clean!
13 years ago
Leaves may be dropping but as you step forward into fall…don’t you DARE drop your beauty regime…after brushing your teeth, tying up your hair, caping your contact lens case shut, peeling your false lashes off – do what I do…reach for a TUFF & TRUSTED makeup wipe like LA FRESH.
YEP, there are a million brands to choose from out there but not all wipes are created equal. These babies are packed with au natural goodies like: papaya, pineapple, cucumber, aloe, vitamin C & vitamin E, jojoba yet free of oil, dyes, sulfates, alcohol, petrochemicals, parabens and get this — their materials are 100% biodegradable.
Waterproof Performance!
Just think, rather than wasting water down the drain, you can conserve both energy and the ecology one wipe at a time;-)
And oooooh wee, you can buy the full size pouch for $9.99 or pack some singles for your overnight travels (wink wink)…!!!