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In this issue of The Cosmetic Report, we have an extensive update on Tony & Tina from Vicky, 38, from Scottsdale, Arizona where the dry climate and high summer temperatures make taking care of your skin and melt-proofing your makeup a challenge! Vicky has dark brown curly hair, dark brown eyes, and a medium/light olive complexion. Her skin is normal-to-oily (t-zone) with large pores and occasional breakouts. Her hair is fine, highlighted, on the dry side, and Vicky regularly straightens it with a ceramic flat iron.

I had seen and heard about Tony & Tina makeup and I always got the impression that the makeup was just a little different than other lines. I thought it had a "new age" feeling to it, so I went to their website (tonytina.com) to see what they are all about. It is a fun website to navigate, very colorful, and it's informative as well. The company's focus is on how colortherapy, aromatherapy, herbs, and positive thoughts affect a person's energy system. Hmmm... new age, indeed! The website has different areas dedicated to explaining how colors affect your outlook and energy, how the herbal extracts that are used in their cosmetics are at "active levels" so they are truly effective, and how smells and fragrance can heal and uplift.

The products are infused with extracts, essential oils, and vitamins that in some way nourish or protect or prevent; but remember, we're talking about makeup, not skincare! For example, the Herbal Eye Base (a shadow base/concealer) has Apple Seed Extract to prevent and counteract fine lines. It does other things, too, but we'll get to that in a minute!

I decided to try out different makeup "looks" with all the Tony & Tina products I had to use. I will start out with "Preparing the Canvas", meaning foundation and powder, and then go into 3 different looks that cover most makeup situations: Bare, Natural, and Going Out. Finally, I cover Special Effects products and several of the Tony & Tina palettes. Let's have some fun!

Preparing the Canvas
The products I used to do this are the Herbal Eye Base in Dark Beige (which I mentioned before), Luna Essence Liquid Foundation in Moonlight, Luna Essence Pressed Mineral Powder in Moonlight, and Environmental Rescue Mattifying Loose Rice Powder.

The Herbal Eye Base is really a multi-purpose product that can be used as a shadow base, undereye concealer, spot concealer, and lipstick base. The consistency is creamy in the compact and then dries to a light powder finish. In addition to the apple seed extract, the formula contains lavender, chamomile, and cucumber extracts to soothe the skin around the eyes. On me it had a tendency to drag a little when I apply it, so I smooth on makeup primer first and it's easier to apply.

I love foundations that come in a pump bottle because usually a half-pump gives just enough foundation without overdoing it, plus there is less chance of bacteria getting into the formula. The Luna Essence in Moonlight, a medium beige shade, is great because it gives a very pretty luminous finish without the sparkles that other foundations of this type have. It gave a light coverage with a smooth, dewy finish, so if you have oily skin, you'll definitely want to follow it with the Loose Rice Powder. Luna Essence has vitamin C in the formula, which helps to combat free radicals.

The Pressed Mineral Powder in Moonlight comes in a beautiful silver compact with a good size mirror which has the words written on it: "you are beautiful". Talk about the effect of positive thoughts! I liked the smooth feel of the mineral powder (I applied it with a brush, although the compact does come with a sponge) and that it did not look cakey as the day wore on. These qualities are due to the aloe and vitamin E in the formula.

The Mattifying Loose Rice Powder is a really nice product. The absence of talc makes the powder go on smoothly and not look dry or chalky. The powder is also infused with vitamins A, C, and E to help shield the skin against free radicals. Obviously, the Mineral Powder and the Rice Powder don't need to be used together, but if you have more oily skin the Rice Powder does a good job of keeping oil under control.

Now let's build on this base with some color...

The Bare Look (you, but more polished)
For this basic but polished face, I chose three products: the Herbal Eye Base, the 3'n'1 Bronzer, and the Herbal Lip Stain in Nurturing.

The Eye Base was applied as undereye concealer and as a spot concealer where needed. Then I applied the Bronzer where the sun would naturally hit my face: bridge of nose, temples, and chin, for a healthy glow. The compact contains three different stripes of bronzer color: a light bronze, a deep bronze, and a light gold color. There are no big sparkles here, just pretty, light, shimmery color. The brush is a very soft-bristled half-moon brush that does a good job of applying the bronzer. The extracts in this formula are soybean, algae, and vitamin E to moisturize the skin and make it look luminous.

I love the staying power of the Herbal Lip Stain. I have never tried anything like it! It is a liquid lip stain in a clicker pen applicator with a sponge tip. All you need is one click each to cover both top and bottom lips. The color I chose, Nurturing, deepens the natural color of my lips just enough to make them look naturally rosy all day - I mean, this color does not move once you apply it! I usually apply a balm or a gloss over it to embellish, but once that fades away the Lip Stain is still there. The formula has ginseng to add vitality, aloe to moisturize, and vitamin A to improve texture. Great product!

The Natural Look (for work and casual times)
Starting with the eyes, apply a little Herbal Eye Stain in Friendship on the lid. I like the beautiful bronzy tone of this cream eyeshadow. It is very easy to apply and a little goes a long way. I like the way you can build up the color to any intensity you like. It does have a tendency to crease if you have oily lids, so you definitely want to apply the Herbal Eye Base first. The Eye Stain has Orchid extract which acts as an antioxidant, and Chamomile to soothe the skin.

For adding a little definition to the eye, I applied Char'kohl pencil in Connection, a slightly iridescent plum-brown color. I liked the consistency of the pencil, there was no tugging or dragging; it literally glided over my lids. The only drawback I noticed after 4 or 5 hours was that the liner began to fade. I really like the herbal extracts in this eye pencil: chickweed, almond oil and camphor to relax your eyes while promoting the growth of luxurious lashes, plus trifala, which is a blend of Indian botanicals used in Ayurvedic medicine to rejuvenate the eyes, and vitamin E to moisturize.

Next on to the Herbal Lip Pencil. I like these pencils because they are thin and self-sharpening, and the colors are very natural and pretty. I like the Imagine and Pretend shades, both are a neutral nude/brown tone, but Imagine is darker and cool-toned, and Pretend is lighter and warm-toned. Like the Char'kohl, these lip pencils just glide on so easily, thanks to the aloe, jojoba oil, and vitamin e which moisturize. After filling in my lips with the pencil, I applied the Herbal Aroma Lipgloss in Pani, a light golden bronze. The gloss comes in a tube with a sponge-tip applicator. It has a medium consistency, but the color is sheer, so it doesn't look gloppy. Its delicate scent comes from essential oils of bergamot and geranium. It also has carrot oil in it to moisturize the lips.

Lastly, I dusted on my cheeks a product that is called simply Cosmetic. It's kind of a multi-purpose shimmer powder that can be used on the cheeks, eyelids, or mixed with lipgloss. I used the color Apricot to give my cheeks a bit of a glow without overdoing it on the color. Very sheer and smooth, it looks more like satin on your skin. The formula contains bismuth oxychloride, a natural mineral, that doesn't make the powder look chalky.

The Going-Out Face (for a night on the town!)
Since we are being a little more adventurous for special occasions, I chose the Color Frequency Eyeshadows in Manifestation (a matte, plum-brown) and Cosmic Understanding (a violet-opal shimmer). These formulas are very silky and blendable, but I did experience some creasing after several hours. Even so, with the addition of roman chamomile to prevent tired eyes and ease puffiness, plus the soothing, rejuvenating and antioxidant properties of vitamins A, C and E, these shadows are almost like eye treatments!

Next, I lined my eyes with the Herbal Glitter Pencil in Dark Purple/Silver. The color complemented the eyeshadows and the glitter was not overkill. I decided to finish off the eyes with several coats of Herbal Eye Mascara. It's pretty much a mascara like any other, but the herbal ingredients in it are just amazing: grapefruit seed, known for its antibacterial properties, jojoba oil and macadamia nut oil to soften and smooth, shea butter and vitamin E to nourish and protect, hydrolyzed keratin and silk condition and strengthen your lashes. A final dusting of Cosmetic in Nude gives my skin a nice glow.

For the lips I chose the Auralights Lip Gloss. I have to say I have never seen a lip gloss quite like Auralights: they are holographic! The company describes it as a "plumping lip gloss with liquid crystals". The gloss comes in a clear clicker tube with a nylon brush tip. The shade I used was Intuition, which is basically clear with a pink/green tint (I know, it doesn't sound very promising). When I applied it I was really surprised at how the colors changed as I moved my lips, just like a holograph! It really wasn't too bad, just different. The formula itself was really nice - it felt smooth and comfortable on my lips.

Special Effects
Tony & Tina has a couple of products that are really unusual, and that I had fun trying!

The Lash Dew in blue is a different concept in mascara altogether. It is a blue gel that is actually supposed to create the effect of wet eyelashes, kind of like when you get caught in the rain and your lashes stick together in little clumps. You can even create little "dew drops" at the tips of your lashes if you work the wand just right! Even though the mascara was blue in the tube, I didn't really see any blue tint to my lashes. A fun product, but definitely not an everyday item.

The next product, Herbal Face Dew, I thought I would not like at all but it turned out to be a really nice surprise. It is a clear, vaseline-like substance that is meant to give a dewy sheen to skin. It comes in a silver compact with a sponge, and can be worn over bare skin or over foundation. After putting on my foundation one day, I noticed the area around my eyes looked a bit dry, so I thought of the Face Dew and patted a very thin film around the undereye area near the top of the cheekbones. Nice, very nice. It did not look greasy at all but smooth and luminous! Another time I tried it on my upper eyelids (very sparingly!) and it looked really pretty. You didn't notice makeup, per se, but just a pretty effect. I was pleased with the product because of the beautiful effect it could create. Wheatgerm oil and avocado oil in the formula make it very hydrating to the skin.

Palettes
All the Tony & Tina palettes come in a silver compact with large mirrors. Written on the mirror are the words: "smile, you're beautiful".

The Color Goddess Lip Gloss Palette is a pretty combination of 7 gloss colors, all shimmery. There is one orange color, two violet/lavender colors, a hot pink color, a red shimmer, and a plum/pink shimmer. All the colors except the orange were great for layering. The gloss is a creamy formula that stays nicely put on your lips. As you may have guessed by now, the glosses contain oils and shea butter to hydrate the lips, plus vitamins A, C, and E.

The Universal Kisses Lip Gloss Palette is one of my favorites because the colors are so versatile. There is a sparkly plum, a light bronze, a nude, a very light pink, a clear blue-red, and a clear lip conditioner. The formula is soothing and very high-shine. I found myself reaching for these colors again and again because they look so natural and made my lips feel good.

The Spring Nymph Eye Palette made my smile when I opened it: the green eyeshadow colors really made me think of spring! The colors make for such a pretty palette. The first color is a shimmery lime green, followed by a celery green, and then a lemon yellow color. Instead of being shocking on the eyelid, they look soft and pretty. An all-pastel eye can make me look a little washed out, so I anchored it with the char'kohl pencil in brown. The palette also comes with the Herbal Eye Base and small brush applicator.

I think Tony & Tina sum up their philosophy when they say "Feeling Beautiful = Looking Beautiful." Their products help you feel beautiful through the use of color, herbal extracts, and thoughts that make you FEEL good which in turn make you LOOK good, and when you look good, you feel good... and so it continues.

Tony & Tina products can be purchased at Ulta stores and ULTA.com, Sephora stores and Sephora.com, and through the company's own website, tonytina.com.

We hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report!