Kristen, meet Renee

I was very excited to get a hold of some products from Renee Rouleau, the renowned skin care specialist to the stars AND to regular ‘ol folks like me. What I really like about Renee’s philosophy is that it shows in her line of products; that not all skin can be simply put into exclusive groups of dry, combination, oily, normal or sensitive. She has created a line of products for a multitude of skin “types.” According to Renee, there are 9 skin types, and mine fits mostly under Type 2, which is for oily/combination, anti-aging and occasional breakouts. Under each skin type, there is a laundry list of skin characteristics and I found that my skin mostly fits under this type. Breakouts, red marks that linger, oiliness, clogged pores – yep that’s me! I should be the poster child for that set! Renee also throws in products for other concerns like anti-aging. Just because I am too busy combating the oil and acne doesn’t mean I am not worried about the fact I will be 30 in a few months! For each skin type, Renee has formulated a set of products for morning and evening use. After having a personal consultation with Renee, she recommended the Type 2 line and sent them my way. I was quite concerned when I saw all the products I would be putting on my face. With a set for the morning and a set for evening, I kept thinking my skin is going to go nuts with all of this stuff! Well, I can admit when I am wrong and this is one of those times. So, please, read on to find out how nice these products are! I will start with my morning routine.

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Heather’s holiday hopefuls

I always feel kind of funny about asking for beauty products as a gift, because even though my family and friends know me, I still feel like what I use in the shower is pretty personal. This year I’ve decided to put things on my list that I enjoy for a variety of reasons, whether it’s something that smells nice, something that looks nice, or something that makes me look or smell nice.

Let’s start with looking nice. I like to look nice,and I like my vanity to look nice, and this gift covers both. Sephora’s Think Pink Vanity Brush Set
has six brushes in a pretty pink vanity case that has inside a spot for each brush to stand up, so the brushes don’t flop all over the place. I also like that the brushes are shapes and sizes that I would actually use – none of those useless (IMHO) sponge applicators. And did I mention it’s pink? Can’t go wrong with pink

No wish list for me can be complete without asking for anything from Suki’s Naturals. I just can’t get enough of these products. All natural – truly – amazing smelling, feels great on the skin. I could go on and on. My current favs from the line include the hair care and the vitamin C brightening products. The shampoo and conditioner are hands-down the most amazing I’ve ever used. Both are free from all the nasty chemical ingredients that make me want to cringe every time I think about how much of it I’ve put on my skin and hair over the years. The Clean Balance shampoo doesn’t strip your hair, suds really nicely with just a small amount, and rinses completely out in a snap. I love to use this on my kids because they don’t have to stand under the shower forever to get their hair rinsed. The Clean Balance conditioner is also fantastic, light but nicely detangling, and also rinses easily leaving just soft hair behind. Since I am also trying to eliminate scary plastic-filled, gummy styling products from my routine, I now use the Clean Balance hair treatment oil on towel-dried hair and it gives my hair a little shine and calms any frizzy bits, like a leave-in conditioner.

For my skin, I love Suki’s Complexion Brightening Cream with vitamin C, rose wax and shea butter. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now and have noticed that my skin looks fresher and less blotchy in the red-prone areas. The Bright Complexion Moisture Masque is also terrific. It goes on really fluid, like the moisturizers, but it dries and really seems to infuse the skin with moisture. My face looks more supple and hydrated after I use it.

Can you tell that I think that anything from Suki’s Naturals would make a great gift?

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Kristen sees White Nights in her future

What a wonderful time of year it is with the cool weather! To me, when the temperature drops, it’s time to get serious with makeup colors. Heavier colors and shadows look fabulous and mysterious in the winter, and let’s face it – you can’t exactly pile it all on during the sweltering summer heat (well, you can if you don’t care about looking too severe and it sliding right off). There’s so much out there to try; so many looks to create—my mind goes crazy with all the offerings. It’s nice to know that my indecisive mind can be at ease because Smashbox put it all together for me with their new White Nights Collection. There are multiple sets in the line, so I will break them down individually by sets.

Spider Club Color Palette and Brush Collection
This little palette is the coolest thing! It’s small, but it has so much stuff in it thanks to the design. You open the lid like a normal palette to reveal a mirror and 8 neutral eye shadows in bone, shimmery copper brown, charcoal brown with faint silver shimmer (my fave!), coffee brown with gold sparkle, matte pale pink, shimmery olive, shimmery green/gold, and shimmery pale green. Then, the bottom flips out with 2 lip colors in rosy red, and pink with golden shimmer and 2 cream eyeliners in black and gold. Whatever your fancy, there’s bound to be a color or look in here that you like, or at least you can learn to create. I love using all of the brown shades. With my hazel green eyes, these colors are very complimentary. I love smudging the 2 darker ones on my lower lash line. The green shade works well on my lid, with the olive shade blended in my crease. Again, these colors work well with my eye color. All of the shades have shimmer in them, so they soften up any look you are trying to achieve. The colors are definitely soft, easy to apply and blend and last for hours without creasing. Now for the bottom portion of the palette. The lip colors are some of the prettiest I’ve seen lately and they are soft with great longevity. They are perfect for the upcoming festive holidays. I really love them so much I am wearing them daily. They pretty much go with whatever look I am trying to achieve, whether it be a soft neutral look or as a muted compliment to smoky eyes. The caramel colored cream blush is another winner. It slides right on and stays put the whole day and doesn’t streak. The soft color gives a warm glow to my cheeks and I need all the help I can get now that summer is over. Now for the eyeliner; I must admit that I have not been a huge fan of the cream eyeliner since I have used it in the past, but for some reason I like it much better this time around. It’s been a few years since I’ve used it and remember that it was tacky and hard to apply, and now I am wondering if they reformulated it because it is a lot more smooth and easy to apply. Whatever it is—whether I am just plain crazy or it is different, it works better and I like it. I like to use the enclosed flat liner brush and pat it along my lash line and extend it out to make a cat-eye look for the evening. The black is very much so, and the gold is definitely a true gold. This little palette is little bitty, so it fits perfectly in an evening purse, or any purse for that matter. The set come in the neatest white faux leather clutch with a pocket to hold the palette on one side and the other side holds the three included brushes (flat eye liner for the cream liner, lip brush and concealer brush). There is no reason you have to suffer through an evening with naked lips or fading makeup with this palette. You have all you need right in the palm of your hand. While it is $48 and the palette is small, you do get a lot of products, 3 great mini-brushes and a cute clutch. Since I am on the subject of the cream liners, the next little set is The Derby, which is a trio of gold, green and black with a flat liner brush included. I love wearing black eyeliner, but I find that I really enjoy using the green shade because of my eye color.

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Dear Santa… Love, Marissa

Dear Santa,

I have been a very good girl this year… VERY VERY GOOD! And therefore, I would only like the following four beauty products under my tree this year.

First, if you please pick up the Hourglass Passage and Color Link I would be so appreciative. Such a beautiful leather case (they call it Passage) and the purple hues in this Vineyard palette (called Color Link) make it the must have for this season. Six eye shadows and two blushes seal the deal as a great buy. And, once you buy the case, you can pop the other palettes in and out. I won’t even be greedy and ask for more palettes… (I will buy the others with holiday cash!) The Color Ink palette is $55.00 and the Passage is $75.00. Check out the full line of Hourglass Cosmetics at hourglasscosmetics.com.

Secondly, Santa, I would LOVE the Bond No 9 Bon-Bon Box. This has all 18 Bond fragrances wrapped up like little chocolate candies. The best part is that the travel-size bottles are refillable! And the price is only $230.00. Normally, you can’t buy one of these perfumes for less than $100.00. This is truly a holiday miracle! Santa, go online and order it at Saks.com. (It’s on back order right now, but I know you can get it for me by Christmas!)

Since I was such a good girl, if you could stop at Sephora and pick up the Bliss Wishing For Bliss, I would be in heaven. This kit has Bliss’s most popular scrubs, soaps and lotions: Lemon & Sage body scrub and Soapy Sap (my favorite scent), Vanilla & Bergamot Body Butter and Bubbling Bath and Shower Gel, High Intensity Hand Cream, and a mini Herb and Jungle Exfoliating Soap. All for only $45.00. My winter skin will be smooth and silky for the holidays with this gift! Check out Bliss at Sephora.com.

Also at Sephora (see Santa, I’m trying to make it easy on you), if you drop a Bourjois Fabulous Flirtini into your sleigh, I won’t complain! The trio of products includes Multi Shimmer Loose Shadow in Rose Or 03, Effet 3D Lip Gloss in Emblematic 4 and Pump Up the Volume mascara in Black. Plus a Flirtini recipe! It makes a great stocking stuffer… hint, hint, hint! Only $28.00 – such a bargain! So if you want, you can pick me up the Bella Bellini and the Mojito Mischief, too!

Thank you, Santa, and have a wonderful holiday season full of good cheer and great beauty products!

Marissa

Kristen’s Christmas Wish List – the ultimate gifts

Oh, how I love this time of year! The Holiday Season brings about cooler temperatures, family and friends, the spirit of the season, lots of food… and the best freakin’ beauty goodies you can find! Most people find this time of year stressful. Not me! I love buying for people and I love to buy for me, too! Sounds selfish, but my husband and I do not really exchange gifts. We may buy something small for each other, but we just go together to the Houston Galleria and buy stuff we want, within reason of course. I am gearing up for my goody list and here it is!

I have been dying to get a hold of the new T3 Tourmaline Ionic Hair Dryer. Yes, it is $200 and I may be crazy for wanting it, but hey, I am quite the logical person. I can justify its purchase by thinking about what I spend in a year on hair products that have claims of grandeur as high as I am tall (and I am pretty tall at 5′10″), and they don’t work. If that hairdryer did what it says it does, I wouldn’t feel the need to buy all these products that are taking over my bathroom. I’d tell you what I spend in a year on hair products, particularly pre-straightener, but I fear my husband may come across this, so I can’t tell you. I can tell you that I’d be much better off by buying the dryer. With claims to dry your hair up to 60% faster while making it shinier and healthier and frizz free, I am hoping it’s true since I decided to go ahead and order it because we won’t be making our Houston trip for another couple of weeks. I’ll let you all know how it works since a fellow panelist just loves it. The T3 can be found at Sephora.com, Beautysak.com and Diamondbeauty.com.

Another item that I want is the Chantecaille Stress Repair Concentrate. After Marissa’s review, I think I want it really bad. Again, I cannot see spending $170 on skincare, but I use the same justification as the hairdryer. If it works and lasts a while, I am better off in the long run instead of buying other expensive stuff that doesn’t work. Puffy under eyes are a gift from my mom since she has them (as do my older siblings), and it doesn’t help that I don’t sleep but maybe 5 hours a night. I’ve heard this stuff is the best with its host of goodies like caffeine, green tea and bilberry extracts (just to name a few) to minimize fine lines and eradicate puffies. And hey, I am not getting any younger. I wouldn’t even get offended if my husband did buy it. It’s not a treadmill, so I’m good. Chantecaille can be found at Neimanmarcus.com and Bergdorgoodman.com.

Chantecaille has made it on my “most wanted” list because I also want their Holiday Palette. Again, it’s a little pricey for what I would normally buy (which is why I don’t have it… yet), and since I can’t think of a logical reason why I should have it, I haven’t bought it. I mean, it’s not like I need more makeup! But hey, give me what I want, not need! It’s a dazzling trio of champagne and grey blue eye shadows and a sparkly red lip gloss housed in a chic silver case that is signature Chantecaille. I do love Chantecaille’s lip glosses and compact powder and have been wanting to try out the rest of the line because not only what I’ve tried has been good, but I just adore the packaging. I’ve wanted this thing for over a year now. I think I will bump my head, lose all sense of reasoning and buy the darned thing anyway just because! Those colors are just too pretty.

Since I am a Laura Mercier fan and have been for years now, this list wouldn’t be complete without something of hers. The Custom Portfolio is the ultimate-chic, zippered makeup case that holds makeup essentials and tools in a flat panel board that you customize with your favorite things. It holds up to 8 eye shadows, 2 eye liners, 1 brow powder duo, 2 cheek shades, and 2 pressed powders. It’s not cheap as it costs $308 to fill it up, which is the most expensive palette I can think of, but it holds a lot of stuff and it comes with the faux lizard makeup case. I can see buying this soon since I wear mostly Laura Mercier, unless I am wanting to have a jazzy evening and spice things up with glitter and rhinestones. I think the only reason I haven’t bought it is because I cannot think of any products that go it in that I don’t already have. I am trying to be practical and not buy the same exact stuff I am using… but soon… very soon. I actually showed it to my husband and he actually said to get it if I didn’t have so much of it already because he’s tired of all my stuff piled on the bathroom counter! You can check out Laura’s products at Lauramercier.com, Neimanmarcus.com, and Saksfifthavenue.com. I’d go check out her own website because I think it’s more comprehensive.

Well, the list could go on and on and on, but alas it has to end. I am hoping that I was a good enough girl this year for Santa or my husband to deem me worthy enough for such pricey gifts. I think I’ve been good all year in that I haven’’ bought any of them, except for the recent purchase of the T3 dryer, so that should be sufficient justification as to why I should get them now.

Merry Christmas!

New coupon from ULTA!

Yipee! New coupons from ULTA.com. Get going and pick up some cool stuff!

Coupon Code 42556
- Offer: Receive $3.50 off a $10.00 purchase*
- No limit on the number of times the coupon can be used
- Valid Dates: 12/10/05 – 12/24/05

And now for the fine print
*Coupon offer valid on all regular price, sale and clearance merchandise. Excludes fragrance, prestige cosmetics, prestige skincare, colonial candles. Cannot be redeemed for cash or gift cards. This offer may not be combined with any other coupon offer. Not valid on prior purchases. “Limit one per purchase”.

Heather has a plan for winter dryness

Winter, why do you have to make my skin so unhappy? I like everything else about you, but your skin-chapping wind really does a number on my coplexion. Well, I’ve decided to fight back! For starters, I’ve discovered Olay’s new Regenerist Micodermabrasion & Peel System ($26.99 at drugstores). I have not really experimented with at-home “microdermabrasion” because I think most are just glorified scrubs, but this system is a little different. The first step is the scrub mask, which you massage into dry skin for about a minute. It is gritty but not overly scratchy. The magic happens at the second step: a lactic acid serum that dissolves the scrubs and turns the whole thing into a mini-peel. When you rub this clear serum into the mask, it warms and turns white and a little foamy. You keep massaging for another minute, then rinse it off. I like to use a warm washcloth followed by a couple of splashes of water. My face is rosy, smooth and fresh looking, and all in under 5 minutes! I love that. I can say goodbye to dry, flaky patches.

My next step in the fight against winter-worn skin is power-packed moisture, and I’ve found a great combination of products from Suki’s Naturals. After misting with Concentrated Facial Toner with shitake, I smooth on one pump of Intensive Complexion Brightening Creme, then one pump of Facial Moisture Serum with carrot, and finally top the whole thing with two pumps of Velvet Facial Creme. I let that soak in for a minute or two, then I apply a light layer of Juice Beauty SPF 30 Tinted Moisturizer before dusting on a light application of Colorflo mineral powder foundation. My skin stays supple and glowing all day.

One last area that can’t be ignored are lips, and I have found a lip balm that I not only love using, but I can actually feel good about using: io herbal alchemy lip butter. This fantastic product is made right here in Portland with amazing herbs and oils selected by the company’s delightful founder, Jewelie Randall, who I had the pleasure of meeting at Portland’s recent Crave Party.

So take that, winter dryness!

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