Halloween Makeup Looks From MAC

Happy Halloween!  Lipglossrehab will be on vacation for a week, but celebrate with these great looks from MAC.  You may want to leave these to the professionals....

A step-by-step guide to this look can be found at http://www.maccosmetics.com/looks/print/Halloween1.pdf

 

 

 

Great Face: Kristen Stewart in Allure

Kristen Stewart (of Twilight fame) is on the cover of this month's Allure magazine.  She has a very small spread inside, but the makeup job done by Dick Page is amazing in this shot:

I am loving her smoky eye, done in a shimmery charcoal, along with a pretty nude lip.  All makeup is from Lancome, however of course not all products used are listed.  It would be fabulous if that eye could be achieved with one eye shadow and some black liner, but I seriously doubt that's the case.  Regardless, I'm adding Lancome Color Design Eye Shadow in Volcano to my wish list.  Throw in the L'Absolu Rouge Lipcolor in Rich Cashmere too please.

New Product Alert! Maybelline Super Stay 24HR Makeup

Maybelline has come out with a new (well, new a month ago) foundation called Super Stay 24HR Makeup.  Supposedly, it will stay on, and stay flawless for 24 hours, through heat, humidity, sweat, etc. 

Has anyone tried this?  I'm hesitant to put it on my wish list since I've been a Bare Escentuals addict for years, but 24 hour coverage is so tempting....

Tip: Mirror Height

Many women use makeup mirrors (either magnifying or non) to apply cosmetics.  While there are many important aspects that go into achieving great face (lightening, brushes, etc), one that isn't heard about much is mirror height.  When applying make-up you want to be looking directly into the mirror, something that may need to be adjusted if you are using a table-top or vanity makeup mirror.  I actually put mine on top of a makeup case so when seated at my vanity (aka dining room table) I'm no longer looking down at the mirror.  Looking down at a mirror causes shadow and darkness under the eyes that might not actually be there, enticing you to cake on concelear.

I don't recommend looking up constantly moving your mirror around, but here's a fun trick.  Next time you're out touching up powder or checking yourself out in a compact mirror try looking at yourself while holding the mirror at 3 different heights - first at chest level, then eye level, then above your head.  You'll always look best (and youngest) when you're looking up at a mirror instead of down at one.  Keep looking up, ladies!

Ultimate Beauty Bargain!! Sephora 20% Off

Ladies, start your surfing!  Sephora is having a very rare Friends & Family sale, with 20% off everything online.  Now's the time to stock up on your staples like skin care and foundation that never go on sale.  Enter code FF2009at checkout and maybe pick up a few fun finds or get some Xmas shopping done early while you're at it.

Battling Breakouts

Everyone gets breakouts from time to time, but what should you do if you constantly have issues with acne?  Luckily there are many skin care brands out there with lines dedicated to treating all kinds of pimples.  I happen to like Mario Badescu products, but I think it's important to experiment and see what works best with your particular skin.  There are some great drugstore products out there that work just as well as the department store brands.  Some tips to keep in mind:

• Hormones have an impact on breakouts.  The reason some birth control pills help with acne is because they regulate hormone levels.  If you're on a "natural" cycle, you may notice that your skin gets super-oily right before and/or during your period.  You may want to use a different cleanser and a different routine during that time of the month.
• Determine your skin type.  While everyone can get pimples, you need to know what you're starting with.  An easy test is to determine skin type is to rip off pieces from a brown paper bag and press on your skin first thing in the morning.  If if you can see oil has absorbed into the paper, that area of your face is oily.  Do this on your forehead, nose, chin (T-zone) and on cheeks.  If all areas are oily, you have oily skin; if none are, your skin is normal or dry, and if the T-zone is oily, you have combination skin. The following are tips for treating breakouts for oily and combination skin:
• Wash your face morning and night (but not more than that - stripping your skin causes oil glands to work overtime, defeating the purpose).  Use a cleanser with salicylic acid, such as Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash, or Clean & Clear Oil-Free Continuous Control Acne Wash
• Make sure your skin is hydrated.  Hydrating skin and using a moisturizer are two different things.  Some skin may be oily enough that you don't need to use moisturizer, or perhaps not in the T-zone.  Dr. Perricone makes a good Skin Clear Hydrator, as part of his acne line.  Almost every skin care company makes an oil-free moisturizer if needed.
• Exfoliate.  The number of times per week to do this depends on the product you use.  Some can be used daily, but work your way up to see how skin reacts.  Make sure you are exfoliating clean skin so dirt and cells aren't driven further into pores, and follow up immediately with a hydrator or serum so clean pores are filled with "good" stuff.  This is a case when synthetic is better than natural - some natural exfoliators (those with apricot pieces for example) can actually damage skin instead of help it.  Microscopic jagged edges of natural exfoliants can cause microscopic tears in pores and skin.
  
• Use spot-treatments as needed.  Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion is my personal fave.  Again, just be careful not to overdo it, since the only thing worse than a pimple, is a pimple surrounded by dry, flaky skin.  For daytime, Almay, Revlon, Rimmel and more all make concealers containing salicylic acid to heal pimples while concealing.
• Prevent scarring.  Well all know we're not supposed to pop and pick, but it's SO tempting.  I don't know why.  However you get there, once the pimple is drying up, dab a bit of Neosporin on it.  It helps to moisturize the area, keep bacteria out, and prevent scarring all at once.
  

How Sweet! Bare Escentuals Sweet Obsessions

 

Bare Escentuals has come out with the cutest eyeshadow kit, bareMinerals Sweet Obsessions (note: Bare Escentuals labels its loose mineral cosmetics as Bare Escentuals bareMinerals.  I have no idea why, but that's too convoluted for me, so I drop the bareMinerals).  This kit contains 9 different eyeshadows, and retails for $48.  I'm not planning to buy it, but I'm just a sucker for cute packaging.  Each shadow is in a little foil cup, as though they are little chocolates or truffles.  Less calories here though.

Review: L'Oreal ReFinish Chest, Arms & Hands Micro-Dermabrasion Kit

We all know by looking at Madonna, SJP, and loads of others that you can botox, tighten and lift all you want, but your hands will give away your true age.  I think that while a lot of women are good about moisturizing, they don't think about anti-aging for hands.  A major tool in the anti-aging aresenal is exfoliation.  I use at-home micro-dermabrasion products on my face, so why not on my hands.  The skin on hands is thicker, and has a different texture than facial skin, so it stands to reason that facial dermabrasion products won't be "tough" enough for hands. 

The L'Oreal ReFinish Chest, Arms & Hands Micro-Dermabrasion Kit is designed (as the title implies) is great for exfoliating hands.  The kit comes with 2 products, an aluminum oxide crystal exfoliant and a post-treatment moisturizer.  The exfoliator is applied to clean, damp hands and massaged on for 1-2 minutes.  Immediately after rinsing, you will notice a difference in the texture of your hands, and over time it's supposed to reduce the appearance of sun-spots and discoloration over time.  Follow up with the post-treatment moisurizer, which is labeled as being good for stretch marks, but I've only used it on my hands.  It seems to me to be just a regular moisturizer.  The kit should be used 2-3 times a week, and to be honest I don't remember to use it that often.  But I'll keep it next to my kitchen sink to serve as a reminder to use it more often.  After all, I'm not looking to get a "hand-lift" anytime soon.

Bottom Line

Product: Review: L'Oreal ReFinish Chest, Arms & Hands Micro-Dermabrasion Kit

Website: www.lorealparisusa.com 

Retail Price: $24.99

Category: Hands

Recommendation: It looks like L'Oreal has discontinued their "Body Expertise" line that this was a part of, but you can still snap this up on Amazon.com.  Click here to get it a great price of $6.98 plus shipping.

Skin Care Tips From Dr. Oz!

If anyone out there hasn't heard of Dr. Oz, he's a doc that knows everything about everything.  He's the co-author of all the YOU books (YOU On a Diet, etc), and went from being on a few episodes of Oprah a year to now having his own syndicated show.  On today's episode, he gave some tips for keeping your skin looking and feeling soft.

1. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to your bath.  I would do this if I actually took baths, but I don't.
2. Exfoliate and moisturize at the same time, by cleansing with a poof/washcloth/body brush, etc using a moisturizing body wash.  Check and check.  Ideally you should do this while taking your olive oil bath, so the oil can penetrate into skin at the cellular level.
   
3. Dry skin off after cleansing and apply moisturizer.  Again, check.
4. Make sure you nourish your skin from the inside by getting enough zinc in your diet.  This is a new one to me.  Good food sources of zinc are meat and oysters.  Yeah, I don't eat much meat and definitely don't eat oysters.  However, this is a good time of year for non-meat eaters and zinc, since pumpkin seeds contain about 70% of the RDA per serving.  Roast seeds in the oven after carving your jack-o-lantern, or buy them pre-roasted year-round at most supermarkets (also called pepitas).
   

The Problem With Palettes

I have a love-hate relationship with makeup palettes.  When I see a good one, like the new Bobbi Brown Washed Rose Palette (currently available at QVC), I want to put it on my wish list.  But then I remember something.  I've had a few palettes in my day, including last year's Limited Edition Bobbi Brown Mauve Face Palette (pictured above).  The colors in the Mauve Palette were all beautiful and worked well on my complexion.  But in the end, I never used the lip colors.  Sure I suppose there were times when I was getting ready that I'd fish out a lip brush, or apply the color with my fingertips, but it always seemed unnecessarily messy and complicated.  Plus, how many times do you apply lipstick and/or gloss during the day?  I'm not going to toss it in my bag and take out with me just to re-use the lip color throughout the day.  And since most palettes that I've seen don't come with brushes that are even close to usable, you'd have to throw in a travel brush kit in your bag just for shadow and cheek touch-ups.  Seems like a lot of makeup to carry without having the essentials (liner, concealer, powder).  Is it worth it to buy palettes if you're not going to use a third of the products?  I can't decide.

Beauty Bargain! Korres 30% Off

Korres is a Greek company that makes environmentally friendly beauty products with all natural ingredients.  My personal favorite is the best-selling Guava Body Butter.  It smells fabulous, and makes skin super-soft.  I don't exclusively use all-natural products, but someday I'd like to be so virtuous.  Korres makes it easy, and until the end of the month, get 30% off of everything at www.korresusa.com, using code luckybreaks1 at checkout (courtesy of Lucky Magazine).

Review: L'Occitane Ultra Rich Cream

It's getting to be that time of year again, when the air is crisp, football reigns supreme, and my hands get impossibly dry.  The lack of humidity and cold air just sucks the moisture out of skin, and combine that with my need to wash my hands a million times a day, and my hands are toast.  Even worse, dry hands look like old hands, and I'm sure not ready for that.

Enter L'Occitane Ultra Rich Cream.  Although it's not just for hands, that's primarily where I use it.  The cream is 25% Shea Butter, which is an expensive ingredient, so it's not cheap.  Luckily, a little goes a very long way.  It's very thick and rich, ans has a slight almond smell, but nothing that is overpowering.  I can wash my hands after putting this on and not feel the need to put moisturizer on right away.  Even with anti-bacterial super-soaps, hands will still feel supple and smooth.

Bottom Line

Product: L'Occitane Ultra Rich Cream

Website: http://usa.loccitane.com/FO/Home.aspx 

Retail Price: $21.00 

Category: Body

Recommendation: Great for parched skin

Wish List: Silk'n SensEpil™

Imagine living in a world where you never have to shave or pull your body hair out by its roots.  No, I'm not talking about living in the 1970s, I'm talking about laser hair removal.  Professional laser hair removal is way out of my price range, and probably will be until I don't care about being 100% silky smooth.

Enter the Silk'n SensEpil, an at home laser hair removal system.  Available at Sephora for $499, this is still out of my price range, and replacement lamp cartridges run $50 a pop.  But considering professional sessions run in the thousands per area, the Silk'n SensEpil seems cheap in comparison.

I'm Torn! Bare Escentuals Freebies at Sephora

It used to be that you could never get any deals or discounts at Sephora, but I suppose the upside of the recession is that stores are throwing in bonuses for our business.  This week, not only is Sephora offering 5 free samples with purchase instead of the usual 3 (although to be honest, the selection isn't great), there are some Bare Escentuals freebies to be had as well.  Beauty Insiders (sign up for free on the website) can choose between a Buxom Lips mini, which we know I love, and a 10-day sample of the new Matte Foundation, which is on my wish list.  Maybe I just need to place 2 orders so I can get both....

Something's Fishy About Perricone MD

Dr. Perricone has been a leader in the anti-aging business for years.  He has written books, promoted the use of certain supplements, and of course, created his best-selling skin care line, Perricone MD.  Perricone MD products have long been on my wish list (see Cold Plasma), but are generally out of my price range.  Well, several weeks ago I came across the Perricone MD blog, which offers up Value of the Day specials.  Generally these are travel sized products sold for a special price, which has allowed me to try out a few items. 

Unfortunately, Perricone products stink.  Literally.  They smell like fish.  Most of them do anyway.  One of the anti-aging ingredients that Perricone uses is DMAE, derived from sardines and anchovies.  DMAE is effective at firming skin, so there are other lines on the market that use this ingredient.  I wonder if they also smell fishy.  I'm still willing to give Perricone MD a chance, since the odor isn't too overwhelming (and I hate fish), but only if I see some major results. 

Review: Frederic Fekkai Salon Color

When I heard that Frederic Fekkai was coming out with at-home hair color for $30 a kit, I mentioned it to my colorist.  Her response?  He better be coming home with you to put it on for that price!  Fast forward a year later and I'm unemployed, have seen (gasp!) a gray hair or two, and am the maid of honor in my sister's imminent wedding.  Screw it, I'm using Fekkai.

I admit, while I am an equal opportunity beauty shopper (Wet & Wild eyeshadow is the best!), I still believe that Frederic Fekkai hair color will be better than what I can get at the drugstore.  Don't get me wrong, I have used drugstore brands before - prior to having a "real" job, and again after losing that "real" job - but I'm a sucker for a salon brand, and I was able to get it 25% off.  So it ended costing me about what I would tip one person if I was getting my hair done at the salon.  There are a few other things that set apart Frederic Fekkai Salon Color from other brands.  First, it comes with a pre-color treatment that you apply to dry hair to prevent color over-saturation on damaged areas.  The delivery system is like that of a salon - brush and bowl.  Honestly, it's harder to get this right than it looks.  I've used Fekkai twice now, and both times got color all over myself and the bathroom counter.  Luckily, this formula wipes right off with a damp cloth without staining.  Finally, it comes with a post-treatment mask that I am fairly certain is the Technician Color Care Mask (an amount worth $8).

So the application is a little tricky - it might be best to get help from a friend - but does it work?  Absolutely.  Of course I wouldn't try to go more than a couple of shades lighter or darker than my current color at home, but I've gone from light/medium brown to dark brown both times with no problem.  I have dry, coarse hair naturally, and hair color isn't going to change that, but what really strikes me after using Fekkai is the increase in shine.  Usually at a salon if I'm making a color change I need base color, highlights and then a clear glaze to get this amount of shine.

Processing time is 35 minutes, a bit long for at-home kits, but about what I would expect at a salon.  Of course when you mix the colors, there is a chemical odor, but it's not overwhelming and didn't bother me at all during processing.  My scalp can be sensitive, and there was no stinging or burning at all.  The kit also comes with some good tips, such as not shampooing 24 hours prior to coloring, and to dab - not press - color onto hair.  There's enough of the treatment mask to last for weeks, which is important in keeping up the color.  The only drawback for me is that most women go to a salon and get highlights and lowlights, and the Fekkai color doesn't provide much dimension.  I've heard that when dying hair at home, you should use at least 2 different shades (of the same formula) to give your hair dimension, but I'm not at that level of skill yet.  Maybe next time.


Bottom Line

Product: Frederic Fekkai Salon Color

Website: http://www.fekkai.com/ 

Retail Price: $30

Category: Hair Color

Recommendation: A good salon alternative, better when it's on sale

Beauty Bargains! Bare Escentuals

Update!  Sign up as a new member with Rue La La before October 10th and receive a $10 credit good towards any purchase.  Credit will show up in your account within 48 hours of joining!!

Tip: Free Lip Scrub

Next time you go to your favorite coffee place, make sure to pick up a few extra packets of raw sugar, and grab some honey of they have it out for tea.  At home, mix some of the raw sugar (the grains are much bigger than normal sugar), with a small amount of honey - just enough to make a paste.  Rub over lips to exfoliate.  It's free (or cheap) and you can just lick of the excess.  Yum.

Wish List: Make Up Forever HD Microfinish Powder

Another product that's been around for a while is on my wish list, MAKE UP FOREVER HD Microfinish Powder.  I have a huge pot of Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil that's kept me from purchasing this, which serves essentially the same purpose - and I don't use loose powder over foundation every day.  However, I just can't ignore MUFE HD Powder.  Every beauty editor raves about it, and it's won awards, which makes it irresistible to me.  It was created to combat the effects of HD cameras on actors (I don't have HDtv yet,  but I hear it's not always pretty).  It's made completely of mineral silica powder, and comes in only one shade - translucent - so it's supposed to be appropriate for every skin type and shade.  I'm willing to pay $30 for the promise of radiant, flawless-looking skin, aren't you?

Tip: Shave With Conditioner

This is an oldie but a goody.  Instead of buying shaving cream, use some old conditioner (or buy the cheapest you can find), and use that to shave your legs.  Not only will you get a smoother shave, but your legs will be moisturized in the process.

Wish List: Perricone MD Cold Plasma

There's been a lot of buzz recently about Perricone MD's new Cold Plasma.  It took 5 years to develop and is supposed to work for all ages and all skin tones.  It claims to solve basically every skin problem, since it delivers what each individual cell needs to repair and regenerate.  There's a lot of information on the website, that goes deeper into the science and technology.  At $150 per ounce, Cold Plasma doesn't come cheap, but if it does what it claims to do, it could be worth it.  All I know is that I, like most women, are searching for that magic potion that will be the fountain of youth.  Could this be it?

Review: Boots No7 Deeply Moisturizing Lipcare

I was so excited when Target started carrying Boots products a couple of years ago.  When I studied abroad during college, Boots drugstores were all over the place, and they carried the most magical, affordable products.  Although I was slightly disappointed at the limited selection of products available here at the states, I had to still try some of them out.

No7 is Boots' best-selling skin care and makeup line, and there are many products available that are so good that they have cult followings.  The Deeply Moisturizing Lipcare is not one of them.  It's one of those products that you use because you have it and you can't find the lip balm that you really love.  The lipcare is a white with the consistency of a lotion that absorbs fairly quickly.  Lips stay moisturized for about 30 minutes - not the 24 hours like the product claims.  After that, lips feel drier than they started out.  After a few days of using this, I've noticed that my lips are now dry and flaky - and it's no where near cold enough for that to start happening.  Unless you're going for that dehydrated, walking through a desert look, pass on this one.

Bottom Line

Product: Boots No7 Deeply Moisturizing Lipcare

Website: http://www.us.boots.com 

Retail Price: $6.99

Category: Lip Balm

Recommendation: Bad Boots!