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May 29, 2005
Lisa is not into complicated makeup
When it gets warmer, I am not into complicated makeup. Ohio is hot and humid, and any sort of "structured" makeup just melts into a murky mess - no thanks. I just want some easygoing color and glow to add a bit of polish. I also like to experiment with old and new formulas - mixing and matching to see what works in new and better ways.
Right now, I am lovin' a mixture of 3 parts Jergen's Soft Shimmer Body Lotion to 1 part Flamingo Fancy by Benefit Cosmetics. Mixing the two together creates just the right shade of burnished pinky-gold. Apply to freshly-exfoliated skin, and you will glow like the goddess you are. It works wonders everywhere, but is especially good at evening out skintone and covering little imperfections on legs.
Lipstick is one thing that is relatively easy to wear during the summer, so I am really enjoying the FYLO "Natural Girl" color set in the "Flowers" Cubicle. This set is a pretty collection of 4 lipstick "cubes," 2 pencils and a minibrush in neutrals that range from light to deep, so you can mix the colors until your heart's content. The lipsticks and pencils have super pigment and a creamy finish that keeps lips moisturized and soft. These shades are super-blendable, and will take you from office to dinner without looking like you're trying too hard. FYLO compacts also allow you to snap in and snap out the lipstick cubes with the greatest of ease, so you can mix and match all sorts of combinations depending on your mood. If you like lipcolor, these compacts will be a revelation to you.
I like a bit of color around my eyes, but as the mercury heads upwards, I keep it really simple. I tried Cle De Peau Eyeshadow recently, and must say that I've found my new favorite brand! Gossamer-light and translucent, these shadows are seriously top-notch. They are incredibly finely-milled, with a beautiful palette of color choices. I stick with peachy shades for day, and slightly deeper plums and bronzes for evening. These shadows also come as refills for a permanent palette, which makes it easy to put seasonal or tonal collections together in moments. At $17 dollars a pop, these aren't bargain brand, but are a truly splurge-worthy treat.
Summer is not a time for serious makeup - use fingers to apply veils of color that will still look pretty if they "shift" in the heat. Mix up your own boring palette with some brighter shades, and add a little glow!
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Posted by heather at 8:40 PM
May 24, 2005
Marissa lives it up at the newest at-home party
Last night, I went to my first The Body Shop at Home party...yes, the chain The Body Shop now has consultants that will come to your home and host a party for you and your friends. Last night the theme was facials...there were the 10 of us sitting around the table cleansing our faces at 9 PM! It was a hoot!
Our consultant had different products for us to try based on our skin type and then had a random sampling of The Body Shop's other products. I ended up buying the Warming Mineral Face Mask and a bar of the coconut soap. The mask was really warm when it went on your face and as you were taking it off it heated up again. I would have bought more, the Lip and Cheek Stain was the first stain that didn't look yucky on my lips, and the Skin Focus Lip Enhancer gave my lips a smooth foundation for lipstick, but I'm going to host a pedicure party and want to buy from my own party!
You can get more information about these parties by logging onto the website, thebodyshop.com.
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Posted by heather at 6:34 AM
Kristen refreshes her makeup bag
One of my favorite foundations is from Maybelline, so when I saw a new one from them, I picked it up immediately. Since I am getting a bit older (I passed my 29th birthday a few months ago), I gravitated toward their new Age Rewind foundation. This is the first time EVER that I have purchased a foundation aimed for the mature-skin set. While I've never bought into the hype of age-rewinding properties allegedly found in cosmetics that supposedly make you look like the air-brushed model in the advertisement, I simply wanted to try a foundation from a line in which I've had great success (and yes, maybe a small, minute part of me wanted to see some more youthful skin). Creamy Natural (Light 5) was a perfect match for my medium skin tone. It was a bit thicker than what I normally use, but it spread around without any problem with pretty nice coverage. I didn't find that it streaked or turn funny colors on my face and I had to pat once for a touch-up like I usually do otherwise. Additionally, it's got SPF 18 in it for sun protection, but I probably didn't have to tell you that because I think age-defying products MUST have SPF in them! It's available in 12 shades ranging from Porcelain Ivory to Cocoa, so a match is out there for you!
I also picked up the Age Rewind Concealer in Light. When I first squeezed it out of its little tube and applied it with my fingers, I squeezed too much. You only need a small (and I mean SMALL) dot for each eye. This is my favorite concealer right now. It applies quick and easy and is so lightweight; it's perfect for quick mornings and the upcoming hot summer. The shade I chose for myself looked a bit too light upon application, but it blended so nicely into my skin.
Since I am a bit tanner now than I was when I bought the foundation, I always keep a bronzer handy. I don't tan my face and I am not necessarily a fan of liquid bronzers for the face, so a pressed powder bronzer is a must for me and it is a staple year round. To make my face glow and match the rest of my body, I apply bronzer all over my face, concentrating on the areas the sun would hit me naturally. I picked up Maybelline's Expert Wear Blush Bronzer in Salsa Sun, which is a perfect match for my getting-there tan. It applied streak free and no orange funny business. Fast forward a few weeks when my skin is really tanned and need more color on my face, Laura Mercier's Matte Bronzer to the rescue. It has very small golden flecks in it that are not disco ball, but soft luminosity. This is a more "potent" bronzer, so light application is required, but this bronzer is FABULOUS. I'd been using Laura Mercier's two-toned bronzer, but I really love this. I look so refreshed and I glow! No streaks, no fading, no nothing but soft and beautiful skin. People ask me frequently where I just got back from. I wish I could tell them the Caribbean, but it's Neiman Marcus (which can be just as fun!).
While at Laura Mercier's counter, I tested out the new Illuminating Sticks in Golden Rose and Golden Honey. The colors are pretty much as their respective names imply: Golden Rose is a beautiful flush of rose color for your cheeks with a slight hint of gold, while Golden Honey is more of a "honey" shade with more pronounced gold flecks. Looking at the colors online, I thought I'd like Golden Rose better than Golden Honey, but I was mistaken. I did like them both, but the honey shade is so pretty, especially with my tanned (thanks to bronzing powder) skin. Laura Mercier has the best cream blushes and cream bronzers and these are fabulous going on and stay put for hours.
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Posted by heather at 6:29 AM
May 20, 2005
Marissa discovers there's a new man in town...
He's Napoleon Perdis, exclusive to the US at Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks.com. I'm liking this Austrialian line, and it's not breaking my budget! His lipsticks are named after goddesses (but so far, no Marissa :) ) and the textures vary. Zoe is a clean plum that stays on forever and Hera is a beautiful sparkly rose. The lip glosses smell nice and after the shine wears off you still have color on your lips. Eye palettes come in a variety of mixes and they stay throughout the day. But, the best part of his line is the Loose Dust, which can be worn on eyes, lips and cheeks. I blended #7 which is a pink/gold with my lipgloss for added sparkle and then used full strength on my eyes! LOVE IT...
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Posted by heather at 7:53 AM
May 18, 2005
Cool deal from Beautysak.com - what would you pick?
I always like a good deal, especially on some cool beauty brands, so I would be remiss if I did not share with you this killer offer from beautysak.com.
All this month, when you spend $75 on some treats for yourself, you get a big bag o' freebies including goodies from Phyto Hair Care, Comodynes, Dr Brandt Skin Care, Dr Hauschka Skin Care, L'OCCITANE, LoLLIA by Margot Elena, Red Flower, DDF Skin Care, and a bunch more. Right on.
So what would I pick to spend my $75 on? Let's see... I could knock it out with one item, the June Jacobs Spa Sampler ($98.50) with travel sizes of all her awesome smelling lotions and skin care in a pretty travel bag. The cranberry scent is one of my favorites.
Or, maybe I'd rather get a bunch of little things to freshen up my makeup for spring and summer. I'd first pick a Walker cosmetic bag ($25), then fill it with an Urban Decay eye pencil in Alley Cat ($12), Lingerie & Galoshes for Lashes ($15), Urban Camouflage Concealer ($14), and DuWop Blush Therapy ($22). It's definitely time to change out some of my stale, old products for some perky new shades.
- Heather
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Posted by heather at 10:22 AM
May 11, 2005
While getting ready this morning...
I thought it would be fun to share with you what products I'm using right now, especially since the makeup side of it often changes. Maybe if you like this bit of sharing, you could email me what you are using. I think it's fun to compare notes, and I always get new ideas.
I have just finished up my Collective Wellbeing skincare (cleansing gel, honey buff (but still trying the cleansing paste, which is very cool), and day moisturizer) and even though I really like the products, I decided to pick up the full sizes of Suki's Naturals (after a great experience a few months ago with the trial kit). Now my skin care routine is the Lemongrass Cleanser in the shower, followed by the Shitake Facial Toner, Carrot Facial Serum, and Facial Creme. My skin looks and feels so awesome, I just want to touch it and stare at it all day.
I didn't want too much cover-up today (not with my skin so nice and glowy), so I dusted on some Colorflo mineral makeup powder (I wear the M3 shade), then a bit of Neutrogena Sheer Highlighting Blush and a swipe of Ecco Bella mascara. Not much, which surprises most people.
Stay tuned for what I choose tomorrow...
- Heather
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Posted by heather at 10:38 AM
May 1, 2005
Marissa goes shopping for spring
I love spring and the new colors it provides, both in flowers and in cosmetics! And this year is no exception to the beautiful colors the different cosmetic companies are showing. Here's a random sampling of some of the goodies (and not so goodies) I picked up.
At my local drugstore, Max Factor was on sale, so I picked up a few of their new lipsticks, the long-last gel lipsticks. I love the 280, Chianti, a light wine just like your lip color. I wear this when I'm in my natural mode :) The two other colors I bought from the shimmer collection are 420 Rose Shimmer, and 460 Cocoa Shimmer. Sometimes it's hard to wear a light shimmer with a color like rose because it looks too phony, and this is my problem with Rose Shimmer. It's okay to look like you have lipstick on, but not to have the color break up on your lips because of all the shimmer. It just doesn't flatter anyone's lips when this happens. Cocoa is okay because it's more neutral and you can wear this color over other lipsticks.
However, if you like shimmer, Vincent Longo has a new Wet Pearl Lipstick that I really like and wear a lot. I bought the Pearl Berry and Sugar Mauve. Pearl Berry gives you a wet shimmery look without too much color, and the Sugar Mauve is a brighter pinky rose that looks great for the evening.
Rimmel has a new lipstick out, too, venturing into the "plump up your lips" rage. I bought the volume lipstick in 080 Screamer and 150 Hello. I did scream after I put 080 on my lips - very strong red/fuchsia color that stays put on your lips. Perhaps it would look better if I used a lip brush, but this shade didn't suit my coloring at all. Shade 150 is a nice safe neutral tan/pink that I wear on weekends. I didn't notice any plumper lips, but the color is nice and it wears pretty well. I reapply after two cups of coffee.
My buddy Christopher at Saks called me with some product he put aside from the various spring collections and I must say, he did a FABULOUS job! From YSL, I bought the Rouge Pure Shine Sheer SPF 15 Lipstick in 9, which is PURPLE! Yep, I said purple. I think I looked at him like he was crazy, but it has gold shimmer throughout and it is just the most beautiful color. I wear it to work and get compliments on the color, and then when I show people what it is, no one believes me at first. It's was really a lesson to me: don't judge a color by its color!
I also picked up their new lip gloss Touche Brilliance Sparkling Touch for Lips in 4. It's a sheer berry with shimmer that looks nice by itself and beautiful over any lipstick that needs a punch. One tip: don't click too much or a big goop will come out (my trigger finger got itchy and kept clicking!).
To match my new look, I also bought the Long Lasting Nail Lacquer in 2. It looks weird at first because it separates, but Christopher told me that is how it is made and once you shake, it turns into a beautiful color. I am wearing it as I type and it's a great bright shimmery pink that lasted more than a week with no touch-up at all!
Chanel's new spring collection is labeled Sheer, Shiny and Sexy. Hmmm... maybe I should have bought the whole collection! Anyway, I bought the Sheer Genius Le Crayon Gloss Sheer Lipcoloring Pencil in Mandarine and the matching Cristalle Gloss in Melon. I like peachy colors and these both look nice with or without a tan. Not too orangey and not too peachy - just right! I did notice that I have to sharpen the pencil much more than I normally do for lip pencils and I'm guessing it is because it's a gloss pencil and I'm putting it all over my lips, not just outlining them. I also bought the Ombre d'eau fluid iridescent eye shadow in River, a pearly light violet. You have to shake this up to mix the formula/color, and for me I just can't get it to go on right. It's supposed to deliver a veil of iridescent color to your lids, but it always looks like one of my kids was playing dress up with me. It looked beautiful on my hand when I tested it, but doesn't do a thing for my lids.
DRUM ROLL PLEASE... my very best find of that day was Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanner for the Face and Decollete. I have never ever been a fan of Clarins self tanners because I always thought they smelled bad and I could always smell the self tanner even after it had dried. This Liquid Bronze Self Tanner doesn't have that smell, THANK YOU THANK YOU, and it delivers the most natural tan ever. I started applying the tanner every other day until I achieved the color I wanted and now I just reapply every three days. People ask if I've been out in the sun, or if we went away for school vacation week, and it's all due to this little self tanner! I find that I always feel better when I'm not pasty white, and this just gives me a great self confidence boost!
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Posted by heather at 7:57 AM
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