Monday, June 6, 2011

Almost Back: Spring Beauty from Kate Somerville

Kate Somerville has some wonderful things going on this Spring…

Bright and Beautiful Spring Offers from Kate Somerville

Limited Edition Summer Essentials Kit: Here comes the sun. You’ll be ready for summer in just 3 easy steps. First, get velvety smooth by gently sloughing away dead cells. Then, develop a healthy-looking tan without exposure to damaging rays. And, finally, protect your skin with an incredibly lightweight daily serum that provides broad spectrum coverage

Ageless Correction Kit: This age defying product regimen aggressively fights lines and wrinkles with the most advanced ingredients available today. Kit includes: Deep Tissue Repair (0.5 oz ), Line Release Under Eye Cream (.5 oz ), HydraKate Line Release Face Serum (.33 oz), Total Vitamin Antioxidant Face Serum (.33 oz)

Free Samples: Now your order will include three complimentary samples!

Almost Back: Bigen Sweepstakes!

Wow – Spring is full of fab giveaways. Check out this one from Bigen…

Win a Trip to NYC with the “Bigen Big Apple” Sweepstakes

Start Spreading the News – Bigen, experts in brilliant, rich, salon quality hair color, are offering the chance to win big with the “Bigen Big Apple” sweepstakes! The lucky winner will choose one of the four fabulous NYC prize packages listed below including hotel and travel accommodations for two:

· Rock out with tickets to Broadway smash Rock of Ages
· Dance the night away at the hottest concert of the summer
· Cheer for one of New York’s baseball teams at their new stadium
· View world-class works of art on a museum tour

Simply “Like” Bigen on Facebook and follow the “Bigen Big Apple” sweepstakes instructions to enter – click
HERE to get started!

Sold in 70 countries worldwide, Bigen is the #1 selling permanent powder hair color. Regardless of natural color, texture, condition or length, Bigen produces optimum darkening results and offers gentle formula and salon quality color.

Almost Back: Julep and Summer Pedicures

One of my absolute favorite things about warm weather is…SANDALS! And pretty pedicures. Check out the fabulous products and tips to make your toes all pretty…

Show Your Stuff in The Hottest Summer Pedicure Colors

Julep’s new
Summer Collection consists of three vibrant colors all named after confident and inspiring women.

* Niecy is the perfect pink to bring out on a bright sunny day
* Blake screams buttery, delicious bliss (without the dreaded calories). Yellow is a sizzling summer color as Lady Gaga and Willow Smith were both recently spotted sporting the shade
* Jaime is an electrifying and sandal-wearing blue

Pair the new collection with
Julep's Essential Cuticle Oil and Nail Growth Revitalizing Serum and your pedicure instantly becomes a coveted Julep pedi-care!

Julep Founder Jane Park’s Summer Tip: “When you have to dash out the door, especially after a DIY pedicure, you can ‘set’ your polish by dunking your feet in ice water for 30 to 60 seconds. Then coat with cuticle oil (or olive oil works too in a pinch) to help protect your polish from chips and dings.”

Julep brings their mission of empowering girlfriends to life through
Powered by Girlfriends, an ongoing program that donates $1 from the sale of every Julep Nail Vernis to organizations that empower and support women. All Julep products feature 3-Free formulas and do not contain carcinogens such as formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP.

For additional tips, colors and product information including
Julep’s Spa Pedicure At-Home Party, visit www.julep.com.

Almost Back: Weleda Sweepstakes!

Check out (and like) Weleda’s Facebook page for a chance to win awesome skincare (and a grand prize of a year’s supply of Weleda skincare).

Weleda’s Celebrate Your Timeless Beauty Sweepstakes

For 30 days, Weleda is giving away its NEW Pomegranate Firming Facial Care to three winners DAILY! One grand prize winner will also win a year’s supply of Weleda natural skin care products*.

Here’s a link: http://www.facebook.com/Weleda?sk=app_206380686061431

Containing precious organic pomegranate seed oil, rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, Pomegranate Firming Facial Care is the ideal companion to your skin’s natural aging process. Featuring four beautifully formulated products including, Pomegranate Firming Day Cream, Firming Night Cream, Firming Eye Cream and Firming Serum, which aid your skin’s own ability to regenerate, reduce signs of aging, and protect from damaging free radicals.

*Only users who “Like” Weleda North America are eligible to enter.

Almost Back: Summer with LUSH

For some people, Memorial Day weekend was the unofficial beginning of Summer. If you’re feeling the Summer vibe a little bit early, check out some ideas from LUSH…

Kick Off The Summer With LUSH!

Time to fire up the barbecue, break out the bikinis and get ready for fun in the sun! LUSH has all the beach-inspired goodies you’ll need to transport your beauty routine to a summertime state of mind. Check out these seaside staples that should be in every satchel this season:

Ocean Salt Facial & Body Scrub: This stimulating, exfoliating facial and body scrub vigorously polishes to detoxify and remove dead skin cells, leaving the skin glowing. Made with both coarse and fine sea salts, the granules of salt themselves contain minerals which are beneficial to the skin.

Seanik Solid Shampoo: This powerful shampoo bar is packed with sea salt which gives hair much needed volume as it nourishes, while Irish moss and Japanese nori seaweed work to soften hair. (Vegan)

BIG Shampoo: Combine shine-enhancing citrus juices with the beautifying, hair-buffing impact of sea salt and genuine sea water and you’ve got a BIG body-building regimen your fine hair won't sweat over. LUSH has added a massive 50% of sea salt crystals to counteract the effects of soft water, to pump up the volume. (Vegan)

Big Blue Bath Bomb: Bring the splendor of the sea straight to your bath tub with this blue wonder. Packed with detoxifying sea salt, vitamin-rich seaweed, relaxing lavender and fresh lemon, topped with a crust of coarse sea salt, this bright blue bath bomb gives you a deep turquoise bath with pieces of skin-softening arame seaweed floating around in the water. (Vegan)

Beside the Seaside: Beside the Seaside gift is all you need to recreate a beach getaway if you can’t get away. It also makes for the perfect hostess gift if you do go away and are staying at a friend’s beach house! Contains: Sandstone soap, Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds bubble bar, Big Blue bath bomb & Happy Hippy shower gel.





Almost Back: Schick and Katy Perry - Dare to be Spontaneous Sweepstakes!

Check out this cool giveaway going on right now through July 8! Visit the Schick Quattro for Women Facebook page for a chance to win a vacation!

Schick® Quattro For Women® Announces
The Dare To Be Spontaneous Summer 2011 Program And
Katy Perry Getaway Sweepstakes

Schick® Quattro for Women® razors, the official partner of the Katy Perry California Dreams tour, launches the Dare to be Spontaneous summer program encouraging women to embrace the freedom that comes from having legs so smooth you can skip a day or two.


To kick-off the Dare to be Spontaneous program, today through July 8th, Schick® Quattro for Women® fans eighteen years of age and older can enter the Dare to Be Spontaneous Katy Perry Getaway Sweepstakes on the Schick Quattro for Women Facebook page. One lucky winner will receive a spontaneous getaway vacation with three friends to an undisclosed, secret location in the United States. The trip will include hotel, airfare, tickets to a Katy Perry concert, and a chance to meet Katy in person!

Almost Back: Elke von Freudenberg and Perfect Wedding Brows

I had a wonderful, wonderful vacation, and I meant to start posting again last Tuesday. Unfortunately, The Universe had other plans. Plans that made my life a crazy, hectic kind of…thing. And in the meantime, more fabulous beauty news found its way into my inbox. So before I post my review, here’s some great info. Starting with a bit of brow advice…

Perfect Brows Can Make The Perfect Wedding Photo
From NYC Celebrity Brow Specialist Elke von Freudenberg

Top NYC Celebrity Makeup Artist and Eyebrow Specialist, Elke Von Freudenberg does more than just create the perfect brow for her bride. She also makes sure that on that special day, their brows are the perfect shape in their wedding photos.

"Brows are just as important to creating your perfect bridal look, as your hair and makeup. And uneven or badly shaped brows can create an unwanted look in your wedding photos is you're not careful." shares Elke Von Freudenberg. With photos being a concern for the bride, uneven, or badly shaped brows can ruin a wedding picture.

The most common brow mishaps that you can see in a photo are:

1. Uneven brows - where 1 brow is higher than the other: This can make you look like you're raising your eyebrow, or that the bone structure and facial shape is uneven. Let a brow pro reshape and even out the brows so that they are perfectly even. Brows are supposed to be exactly the same, not slightly different. A professional knows how to fix and correct the shape.

2. Too Thick/Thin brows - where the brows are very thick from beginning to arch and very thin from arch to ends: This can create an angry, hard look to the face, especially in photos because the focus of the brow is on the front of the brow, near the nose. To soften, thin out the brows slightly from beginning to arch, and pencil in the brows from arch to ends to create a better balance and a softer look. Avoid the severe trends in brow looks and focus on the best brow shape for you. "Too thin, light or super thick brows can date your look when you're looking back on your wedding photos years from now."

3. Too Dark Brows - where the brows look too extreme: Avoid harsh trends for your wedding photos. Go for a more classic look on your wedding day. Use brow shadows and pencils to create a soft brow that compliments your hair color and works great with the style of your wedding dress. Too dark brows can make the face look heavy and pulls the attention away from the eyes. "For your big day you the focus to be on your hair, makeup, and eyes." To keep a more natural looking brow, choose brow pencil or shadow that's 2/3 shades lighter than your brow color. "We use our Blonde Day Brow Shadow a lot in dark brunette or brown brows. It fills in the brow without making the brow darker."

Shown top to bottom: Day Brow Shadow in Ash Brown, Dark Brunette, Auburn and Blonde

4. Too Light Brows - where the brows disappear: Use brow shadows and pencils to softly create a brow shape. A photo with a missing or too pale brow takes away the expression of your face and creates a lifeless image. If your hair is very light, you can keep it light, but make sure the dimension is there so that you see the brow framing the eye.

5. Avoid a very frosted or glittery brow highlight for those wedding photos. Flash photography can create a glare effect in the photos, and while it looks pretty in person, apply a brow highlight that has more of a soft shimmer, than a strong frost to compliment and bring out the brow shape. The highlight "Glowstick" is a perfect soft cream with soft gold highlights that compliment a wide array of skin tones. "This color is so beautiful, that we actually call this our 'Bridal Highlight'. Looks gorgeous on the skin, and can also be used on tops of cheekbones, collarbones and along tops of hands (to bring attention to that wedding ring.)"

Shown; Hi-Light Shadow in Sugar, White Star, Canary, Cyber Glow.


To get Elke’s highly acclaimed brow shaping services in NYC, visit her website at themodelbrow.com.

Her signature brow collection can also be ordered online at
www.thebrowcollection.com.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

While I’m Away: Merle Norman Summer 2011 Color Collection

Wowee! I’m so excited about this brand! I remember my mom going to Merle Norman and getting a make up lesson while my sister and I watched in complete fascination. I guess this is how beauty junkies are created.

Anyway…Merle Norman is celebrating 80 years of beauty. They’ve given a modern twist to their image and brought out some great new products just in time for Summer…

Merle Norman Cosmetics Celebrates 80 Years!

Fresh and New Products for Summer!

Summer 2011 Color Collection

Colorful watercolor effects reflect a happy warm-weather mood.

This season’s collection highlights vivid combinations of violet, green, and coral with metallic gold and bronze accents, bold pops of fuchsia for cheeks and bright pinks and coral for lips.

Lip Polish: A creamy, long-wearing lip gloss that packs 100 watts of shine! Soft, velvety formula with a subtle vanilla scent glides on smoothly with a brush applicator. Available in 8 fun shades.

Makeup Artristry Brush Collection: Complete line of top quality brushes designed for professional-looking makeup application. Available with natural goat hair and synthetic bristles.

Lip Exfoliator: Gentle micro-dermabrasion lip treatment immediately retexturizes skin to reveal incredibly soft and smooth lips. Allows lip color to glide on smoothly and keeps it from caking. Easy-to-use stick formula

Lip Conditioner (SPF15): Nourishing lip conditioner with effective sun protection. Packed with humectants and emollients to smooth, soothe and seal in moisture.

How It All Began: Since 1931, when Merle Norman opened the first Studio in Santa Monica, her company has provided women across the country the opportunity to be successful entrepreneurs. A woman ahead of her times, she created business ownership opportunities for women and set an unmatched standard of quality service, education and American-made beauty products.

While I’m Away: LUSH Graduation Gifts & NEW Dirty Collection

Oh LUSH! How you tempt me with your…tempting…temptations!

Ahem. Okay, just check out the gorgeous stuff…

Graduation Gifts from LUSH!

Shower Me With LUSH: College dorms do not come equipped with baths, so give her this beautiful reusable hat box (great for storage when empty) filled with 10 shower power products.

Celebrate: Celebrate is a bright 'n bouncy bunch of reviving body treats to help her celebrate whatever needs celebrating and recover afterwards. It's got an uplifting grapefruit shower gel, zesty soaps to perk her up and a massage bar to give her a really good boost of vitamins (and a bit of sunshine).

Happy Gift: Get happy with a septuplet of cheery products embedded with good mood potential - scented of grapefruit, mandarin, lemon and bergamot which are all shown to improve mood naturally. If she’s feeling down about the big changes ahead, this will wash her cares away!

Sweet & Dreamy: Our Sweet and Dreamy Gift has a plethora of the creamiest and dreamiest of bath treats, soaps, moisturizers and massage bars to soak, scrub, slather and stroke her anxiety away with blends of calming lavender, honey, chamomile and vanilla.

You’re a Star: Everyone from Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie to Lindsay Lohan and Madonna has admitted to loving LUSH! Every item in the box has been selected by an A-list celebrity, You're A Star box is a collection of their choices to help her feel like the star she is!

LUSH Legends: Show her your pride by giving her this shiny gold hat box filled with LUSH’s best-selling products. Face, feet, hands and everything in between, this gift will have her beauty needs covered from head to toe.

Get Dirty with LUSH!

For people who care about their appearance but can’t be bothered with too much paraphernalia in the mornings, the NEW “Dirty” collection is a no-nonsense fragrance that hits you with intensely crisp spearmint, thyme and tarragon, and the subtle smell of calm seas.

Dirty takes the common idea of ‘layering’ with beauty products a little bit further. Normally, grooming products will all have a different scent. However, this new concept of layering means you can shower in invigorating spearmint and thyme, shave with soothing lavender and sandalwood, and style hair with tarragon and oak moss. Once all of these products with their individual fragrances have been used, the combined scent will be that of Dirty, and can be topped off with the body spray, which contains all those main notes.

Dirty Spring Wash Shower: Don’t be a dirty rotten scoundrel. Recreate your very own mountain spring and wash with this tingly, softening, minty shower gel that contains spearmint, thyme, and sea salt.

Dirty Shaving Cream: Shave it all off using our ultra-softening oats and benzoin shaving cream. There’s also lavender and sandalwood in there to soothe any irritations.

Dirty Hair Gel: Refresh your coif with our conditioning and softening, firm hold styling product. Made with fair trade coconut oil, linseed gel and balm herb infusion for the perfect just-got-out-of bed style.

Dirty Body Spray: If you don’t have the time for a full-on Dirty routine in the morning, take a quickie instead and spritz yourself liberally with this body spray before you head out the door. No one will ever know.

While I’m Away: PCA Recommendations for Skin Cancer Awareness Month

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. And that doesn’t mean we stop being aware during the other 11 months. Make sure you’re ready for the sun. And check out some recommendations from PCA…

Skin Cancer Awareness Month

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and PCA Skin wants to remind you to keep your skin safe this spring and summer! Check out these facts from PCA and The Skin Cancer Foundation:

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends both adults and children use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Each of PCA Skin’s five new sunscreens is formulated with an SPF 30 or above and contains both UVA and UVB protection in alignment with the new Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation requirements.

Researchers found that the daily application of sunscreen to the head, neck, arms, and hands reduced melanoma incidence by half in study participants. PCA SKIN Protecting Hydrator SPF 30, Perfecting Protection SPF 30, Hydrator Plus SPF 30 and Weightless Protection SPF 45 are all considered “Daily Use” products, and are intended to protect consumers from incidental sun exposure.

The easiest way to know if a sunscreen provides proper protection is to look for The Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation on the label and following the FDA guidelines. PCA Skin Active Very Water/Sweat Resistant SPF 45 features the FDA approval of a "very water resistant" product, meaning it maintains SPF after 80 minutes of water immersion. The typical water resistant sunscreen only lasts for 40 minutes.

While I’m Away: A Perfect Prom Look From essence

I think my prom days are behind me; but I’m still loving what I’m seeing so far from this brand. And now that you’re older and wiser; check out their suggestions and make them your own…

Perfect Your Prom Look

You’ve picked out the dress, the jewelry and the date (hopefully!), now all you need is your final makeup look for the big night! Whether you want to go movie star glam with tight waves and a bold lip or simply sweet with pastels and nail polish, essence cosmetics has everything you need to achieve your signature prom look! Take a look at the below products that we are sure will win you the Prom Queen crown!

Bold Lip – Use the essence stays with me lipgloss in kiss kiss kiss for a dramatic look!

Winged Eyeliner – Pair your red bold lip with classic winged black eyeliner using essence gel eyeliner in black with the essence gel eyeliner contoured brush, heads will be sure to turn!

Pastel Eyes – Keep your look simple and sweet with essence mono eyeshadow in ultra violet!

Porcelain Skin – Avoid those annoying shiny photos with the essence mattifying powder, it will keep your skin radiantly under control all night long!

Final Touch – Add a fun pop of unexpected color with the essence colour & go nail polish in this lovely teal color, perfect for spring!

While I’m Away: Celeb Memorial Day Must Haves

Check out the great ideas for your long weekend, and your wonderful long summer…

Stock Up For Memorial Day Weekend With Celeb Summer Beauty Must-Haves

Memorial Day weekend is here – marking the unofficial start of summer. Before you hit the beach – or even just the beach house, stock up on these summer beauty must-haves …

Notice-Me Nails: Summer is the perfect time to play with color – whether it’s neon, pastels or a funky fuchsia like Fergie, a bold, bright nail look is the accessory to any summer style. Try POP Beauty Nail Glam in Violetta for notice-me nails. Available at Ulta.com.

Sweat-Proof Makeup: There’s nothing worse than adding a touch of color to your cheeks, only to find it moments later streaking down your face. Make sure your bronzer stays in place with sweat-proof, water-proof makeup. For a natural, bronze glow like Blake Lively, try Per-fekt Cheek Perfection Gel in Bronze. The mousse-like formula will stay put and deliver sun-kissed color. Available at Sephora.com.

All-In-One: Moisturizer & Sun Protection: It’s alright to have fun in the sun, once you’ve lathered up with a healthy dose of sunscreen. Make sure your beach body stays moisturized and protected with an all-in-one mineral sunblock like the Coola Mineral Body Moisturizer with SPF 30. Celebs like Malin Akerman love Coola’s organic formulation. Available at CoolaSuncare.com.

Hair Moisturizer: It’s easy to neglect your hair but unless you moisturize and protect your strands the way you do your skin – you’re sure to wind up with damaged, dull summer hair. For healthy looking beachy waves like Leighton Meester, infuse hair with Rusk’s Deepshine Lustre. Not only will you get the shine and separation needed for flirty, summer waves – this formula will also protect your hair from UV rays. Available at Stylesource.com

While I’m Away: Samy Fat Foam Wins a CEW Beauty Award!

I love this hair color! After trying it once, I switched over, and I’ve been glad ever since. I’m not one bit surprised it won a CEW Award.

Samy Fat Foam Wins a CEW Beauty Award!


While I’m Away: skyn ICELAND Summer Giveaway!

The giveaway is taking place all next week; anyone who “likes” skyn ICLEAND on Facebook will automatically be entered for a chance to win a free package filled with skyn ICELAND goodies. Here’s your chance to win some fabulous, fabulous products from Skyn Iceland – check it out!

skyn ICELAND Summer Lovin Giveaway!


While I’m Away: SkinMedica and Skin Cancer Research

Protect your skin and help in the fight against skin cancer. For every tube of UV ProPlex sold, SkinMedica will donate $1 to skin cancer research…

Summer-Proof Skincare from SkinMedica

It’s hard to believe but Memorial Day weekend is here so it’s time to stock up on your summer skincare necessities!!

SkinMedica’s Environmental Defense Sunscreen SPF 50+ is definitely one to toss in your beach bag. This oil and fragrance-free formula provides ultimate water-resistant protection. The proprietary UV ProPlex technology evenly distributes UV filters to skin to guarantee all-day coverage. It’s also packed with antioxidants such as green tea, caffeine, and vitamin E to prevent pre-mature aging and help strengthen skin’s natural ability to fight off free radicals and better defend itself. In addition, for every tube sold, SkinMedica donates $1 to Skin Cancer research!

Although we all work hard to prevent sun damage and redness, SkinMedica’s latest launch, Redness Relief CalmPlex is also great to have on hand for summer—just in case. It’s clinically proven to soothe and reduce UV induced redness and is ideal for people with sensitive skin or rosacea which can both be inflamed by sun exposure.

While I’m Away: New! Lierac Multi-Use Sensorielle Oil

Check out the newest launch from Lierac Paris. A new multi-use oil for hair, face and body…

A Memorial Day Must-Have!
New! Multi-Use Sensorielle Oil With Gardenia, Jasmine, Camellia

As we gear up for the long weekend, there's only one new product we're packing in our tote bag! New! Lierac Paris Sensorielle Oil is formulated with gardenia, jasmine and camellia PLUS 4 botanical oils: argan, sweet almond oil, grapeseed and hazelnut. This multi-use oil may be used on the hair, face and body. Apply it anytime for 24-HOUR hydration.

Lierac Tip!
Apply oil to the body before taking a bath for added protection. OR add to bath water to create a delicious, aromatic bath water.

Available now at
http://www.lierac-usa.com, Select Healthy Skincare Centers at: CVS/pharmacy, and Look Boutiques at Duane Reade pharmacy. Also available online at http://www.beauty.com, and http://www.skinstore.com.