Out of This World

A few weeks ago, I was at Macy’s with a justifiable excuse…I was shopping for work clothes. How responsible and grown-up of me. Well, before I even reached the pencil skirts and cardigans, I found myself perusing the cosmetic counters. I felt so mature when, after 10 minutes of “just looking”, I headed for the Petites department. That’s when it happened. I was just crossing the threshold into shoes when I saw some sparkles in my peripheral vision. I tried to ignore it, but the sparkles stopped me dead in my tracks and beckoned me back. My glittery nemesis turned out to be Myriade, a Chanel Glossimer from the new Galaxy Collection. “I hope this lipgloss looks hideous on me,” I silently prayed as I unscrewed the cap and tested it on my hand. Dagnabit! The sheer, shimmery fruit punch shade looked even better on my tanned skin than it did in the tube, if that was even possible. Immediately, I turned on my heel and hightailed it out of there – before Myriade could show me any more of her tricks.

I thought I’d done good…until Myriade started haunting my dreams. “You just got paid. You can afford me,” Myriade, the siren, would sing. The next night, Myriade didn’t even say anything…she just sparkled at me. In the last dream, a la “It’s a Wonderful Life”, she showed me how pathetic my existence would be if I didn’t go back to the store and scoop her up. Well that did it…because the next day, on my lunch break, I went to Douglas and wouldn’t leave until I had me some Myriade.

Myriade and I often kid about the great lengths she went to for a sale…she’s sooooo manipulative and melodramatic. But I’ll give her this - while my life wouldn’t have been pathetic without her, she definitely has made it a little more sparkly. And isn’t that all a girl really needs from her lipgloss?

The Glossimer Galaxy Collection includes Myriade and her seven sisters:

Astral*
Big Bang*
Constellation*
Eclipse
Equinoxe
Galactic
Myriade
Sideral*

* These limited edition colors are only available through September.

Making Faces

If you’re a beauty junkie like me, you realize that the tools are only half of the equation. You can buy the best makeup and brushes, but if you lack the technique, you might as well be finger painting with Wet ‘n’ Wild. When it comes to technique, no one comes near the technical prowess of the late, great Kevyn Aucoin. He wasn’t merely a make-up artist; he was a makeup maestro...a magician.

Before his untimely death in 2002, Aucoin wrote three books – The Art of Makeup in 1996, Making Faces in 1997, and Face Forward in 2000. These books may be oldies, but they are most certainly goodies – as good technique never goes out of style.

If you have never heard of Kevyn Aucoin, I have some advice for you - get thee to the nearest bookstore and buy these books. They contain unbeatable tips on the basics of makeup application. Aucoin shows readers how to use these fundamentals in interesting and unconventional ways, with step-by-step directions for dozens of different looks. The biggest treat is the gallery of jaw-dropping celebrity makeovers; transformations include Lisa Marie Presley as Marilyn Monroe, Isabella Rossellini as Barbara Streisand, Tina Turner as Cleopatra, Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis, Gina Gershon as Sophia Loren, and Calista Flockhart as Audrey Hepburn.

This looks like Veronica Lake – who, coincidentally, is the muse for many of the Fall ’07 beauty trends. Can you guess the celebrity behind the makeup?

PS - Kevyn Aucoin also has a line of makeup and brushes. Check them out at kevynaucoin.com.

Perfetto!

I am a huge Stila fan. With many cosmetics lines, I love their eye shadows, but I’m not so much a fan of their eyeliner. Or their lipgloss is to die for, but their powder, I can live without. In the case of Stila, I would pretty much recommend anything that they put out. In fact, many of their products are permanent staples in my beauty routine. But I’m not biased when I say that their new offering, aptly named the Perfect Face Kit, is a fall must-have.

Many kits and palettes are a hodge podge of throw-away products and colors that the manufacturer can’t wait to unload on the hapless consumer. Not so with Stila. The Perfect Face Kit includes a bevy of their best-sellers - everything you need to achieve gorgeous, classic beauty:

Eye Shadow in Kitten
Black Smudge Pot with Mini-Liner Brush
Multi-Effect Mascara
Convertible Color in Lillium
Lip Glaze in Brown Sugar

And, as if you needed another reason to log onto Sephora.com and pull out your credit card, the Perfect Face Kit (a $70 value) is only $45!

Beauty in 3D

Two dimesions is so last season. For Fall 2007, lips are in 3D.

MAC 3D Glass is a limited-edition lipcolor that fuses a wet-look finish with balm-style emolliency and conditioning. It delivers 3D-style dimension to the lips through an innovative combo-blend of extreme pearl and multi-reflective shine. Non-sticky (so your hair won't get stuck to your glossy pout), 3D Glass is moisturizing and comfortable to wear. The unique mirror finish lasts for hours. Available in 12 colors.

You're Blushing!

What is Bobbi Brown’s advice for looking younger instantly? “Use color to bring out your cheeks. Everyone should have a beautiful pink blush. As soon as you put it on, you won’t notice anything else. Playing up your features will draw attention away from lines.”

To apply blush, dust on the apples of cheeks. Then sweep on up towards hairline, then downwards to blend and soften color.

Some of my most beloved pink blushes include:

Bobbi Brown Blush in Nectar and Peony

Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush in Breathless Berry

Giorgio Armani Sheer Bronzer in #2

Laura Mercier Face Tint in Blushing

MAC Powder Blush in Pinch Me

Stila Convertible Color in Poppy

It's So Easy Being Green

Just because I love makeup doesn't mean that I can't love the environment too, right? It used to be that eco-friendly cosmetics were few and far between, had an extremely short shelf-life, and were as couture as a hemp bracelet. But recently, a number of companies have jumped on the natural beauty bandwagon - giving us good reason to go green.

Makeup



Cargo's PlantLove Botanical Lipstick contains no mineral oils or petroleums. In their place, the formula contains meadowfoam seed oil, jojoba and shea butter as well as their trademarked Orchid Complex. The packaging is what makes this lipstick truly special. It’s made entirely out of corn (which by it’s nature, is completely bio-degradable). In addition, the outer carton is made of flower paper, embedded with real flower seeds. So plant the packaging and see how your garden grows. In addition, Cargo is donating two dollars from the sale of every shade of lipstick to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Natural rose and jojoba waxes in Dr. Hauschka Mascara Intermezzo help strengthen lashes. It also has a silky, plant extract-rich formula that's great for contact-lens wearers and those with sensitive eyes. Jennifer Aniston is a fan.
















Smashbox Palettes for PETA are limited-edition, 100% vegan eye shadows formulated for superb blendability that have never been tested on animals. Pick up a palette and help smashbox support cruelty-free, kind living. IPalette includes a double-ended brush for blending, lining and smudging.

Face

Epicuren Citrus Herbal Cleanser is an all natural liquid cleanser for normal, combination or sensitive skin. Infused with apricot, walnut, and cucumber extracts, it is a superior aromatherapy cleanser.















Angelina Jolie loves Shea Terra Organics Lip Butter, made from shea butter, beeswax, and virgin coconut crème oil. And unlike most balms, their ultra moisturizing lip butters are petroleum-free and naturally sweetened, so chances are you will be licking your lips!

Stella McCartney Care 5 Benefits Moisturizing Cream improves skin's moisture, nourishes, helps to protect the skin from exposure to the environment, and leaves skin firm, fresh, and radiant.

Hair

John Masters Organics Bouron Vanilla & Tangerine Hair Texturizer is an extra-strength texturizer that's perfect for shaping hair into any style, from spiky to smooth. It adds amazing texture and creates a soft, shiny, non-greasy finish.

Lauren Conrad uses It’s All Good Rosemary Mint Shampoo, which cools and revitalizes your scalp leaving hair feeling soft, silky, and smooth.

Skin

What's so special about Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme? Honey, where do I begin? It offers intense moisturization to even the roughest of feet and callused skin. With coconut oil, olive oil and vitamin E it will pamper and nourish your feet leaving them soft and beautiful. Peppermint oil provides a cooling and refreshing feeling. For $4 more, purchase the creme as part of the Foot Care Kit, which includes a pumice stone, sleep socks, and tips for touchable tootsies.





Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Matcha Tea Body Scrub exfoliates skin with antioxidant-rich green tea and sea salt. It whisks away roughness, dullness and skin stressors, purifies the body and reinvigorates the flow of healthy energy to restore the four perfect principles of the Tea Ceremony - “Wa (harmony), kei (respect), sei (purity), jaku (tranquility)”.

Making Scents

I realize I just wrote a post about perfume. But let’s face it…when it’s 95 degrees out and there's 100% humidity, sometimes you wish that people would go easy on the perfume/cologne, or maybe not wear any at all. Although I guess that could lead to all other sorts of B.O. issues, being that it’s 95 degrees and 100% humidity. That’s why I’m a firm believer in a good body wash. What’s the difference between a good and bad body wash, you might ask? A good body wash’s scent should subtly linger without overpowering the senses. It should be fragrant, not pungent.

Now although I enjoy many products from Philosophy, their Bath & Body Gels just aren’t up to snuff, in my opinion. When I discovered the brand a while back, I was extremely excited by their variety of body washes. From Cinnamon Buns to Frozen Lemon Custard, Philosophy’s flavors run the gamut. I assumed that because the body wash cost $16, that the ingredients must be more luxurious than, say, Dove. I assumed since they were made by Philosophy, that the scent must have extraordinary staying power. In the end, I learned a good lesson – especially valuable to a beauty addict like myself. The lesson is…just because it’s more expensive doesn’t mean it’s better.

Which brings me back to good body washes. One of my favorite body washes is made by a company called Pure & Basic…and for only $7.99, it is everything I would expect from a high-end product. All Pure & Basic products are made with the highest quality natural biodegradable ingredients, essential oils, and botanical extracts; products are packaged in recyclable containers; they use no FDC colorants; and they don’t test on animals.

The body washes come in nine scents (I heart the Wild Banana Vanilla) that delicately linger, for an understated fragrance. The Pure & Basic line also includes a variety Hand & Body Lotions, Shampoos, Conditioners, and Deodorant – so you can mix and match to create your own signature scent. Pure & Basic is available through select retailers, so check their website to see where they’re sold near you. I usually get mine at TJ Maxx or Marshalls…and at half the price – so check the discount stores before you pay full price or buy online.