True Beauty!

Nothing like seeing your baby girl start to love all the same things you do!  In this case...that would be makeup!  ...Much to the hubby's dismay. ;)

The Beauty of Giving

'Tis the season to give!  And there's nothing better than doing your part (however big or small) in helping those who need it most.  Even better...shopping for and buying beauty products that then turn around and donate a portion or even all proceeds to a great charity!

If you are going to give to yourself, why not make sure it also helps out a worthy cause!  There are many, many products out there that participate in charitable profit donations...and here are some of my favorites!

MAC Viva Glam Lipstick
http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/8376/20927/New-Collections/Viva-Glam/Lips/Viva-Glam-Nicki/index.tmpl

It's a deep pink that may not suit everyone but you can blend it with other colors or glosses to suit your skin tone.  Best part - long wearing and a soft creamy consistency.  Even better part...EVERY PENNY goes to those affected and living with HIV and Aids.












Philosophy Shower for the Cure
http://www.philosophy.com/charity-shower-gel/00560700,en_US,pd.html

A light, relaxing scent that doubles as a spa-like experience in your own home!  And...ALL proceeds go to breast cancer research!












Lush Charity Pot
http://www.lushusa.com/Charity-Pot/02674,en_US,pd.html

Super duper soft body butter that will leave you moisturized for days! EVERY CENT goes to carefully selected humanitarian, environmental and animal rights charities.












Clarins Feed 10 Set
http://www.clarinsusa.com/FEED-10-Set/0012040,en_US,pd.html?start=3

I call Clarins the medicine of beauty as they make some very good "treatments" for several skin concerns.
Each purchase of $40 provides 10 school meals through the United Nations World Food Programme.  The set includes deluxe travel sizes of Beauty Flash Balm, UV Plus HP SPF 40 Day Screen, Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector (01 Rose Shimmer), Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch.










These are just a few of my newest favorites.  There are so many more out there.  Give a little, get a little!!!

VOTING for Beauty!

Election day is upon us!  It's a great time for people to come together, share their views, and make individual impact on this great country we live in!

And while it's not nearly as life-changing, voting for your favorite beauty products is super fun and super helpful to all us product junkies!!

This post is just to show some of my favorite "Best of" lists that change year to year.  They are great to check out year round when you are looking for a specific product and don't know what to try.  The confidence of beauty editors opinions and those of the general public are always a good place to start.  Even more fun, is when the lists open up voting and you get to chime in with your "bests". 

http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/readers-choice/2012/2012-readers-choice-awards#slide=1


http://www.instyle.com/instyle/best-beauty-buys/


http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/beauty-awards-2012


Always fun to know you use something everyone else loves too! 

My new favorite word is FLAWLESS!

It's a magical world that leads one to imagine perfection.  Not just any perfection...complexion perfection!  I cant think of a higher compliment than the use of the word flawless...whether it describes your face, hair, outfit, work ethic, personality...we all try to achieve flawless!!

How to achieve that flawless feeling on your skin?...that's where I come in to help!  And so does Laura Mercier.  (See prior post on how the Laura Mercier face is the best)

Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Face Polish
http://www.sephora.com/flawless-skin-face-polish-P280925

Got it as a sample and HAD to pick up a full size ASAP!  It's a total facial in a bottle.  You will never find such rich exfoliating qualities with a gentle touch.  Think St. Ives Apricot Scrub without the harshness.  It has the same type of little scrubbers but with a more silky feeling after use. 










And its not only for the ladies! My husband, who only likes face washes with micro scrubbers, and is a true St. Ives lover...couldn't get enough of this product.  It's got the perfect balance of dead skin removal properties and softness enhancers. 

Use flawless, look flawless, feel flawless!

I Scream for Cream Eyeshadow!

My new obsession...creamy eyeshadows!   I love them, love them, love them!!!  They stay on FOREVER!...or at least all day long with no need to re-apply.  You can use them as a base or primer and then add a powdery shadow, or just use them alone for the perfect amount of color that never strays from wear you applied it! 

It took me a while to accept cream eyeshadows into my makeup bag because I felt like the consistency would never quite work on the subtle eyelid look I usually wear.   But I decided to give them a try when I found some brands that had matte shades in their line.  If you've read my earlier posts...you know I love everything matte!!  And with all that matte love...the first one I tried was not matte at all.  I figured it would be a fun shade for evening with the hope that I would like the consistency enough to buy some matte ones later. 

So first I gave this one a try...

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow
http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-item-Amazonian-clay-waterproof-cream-eyeshadow

I bought seashell pink.  Its a beautiful, subtle pink with just the right amount of shimmer!  It gives the eye area a little pick-me-up that never falls back down again.  The shimmery flecks are minimal so you can wear it night or day, although I prefer to "save my shimmer" for the night.   There are 5 colors in the line (none matte), all beautiful!  They blend easily and do not crease the way powdery formulas quickly do. 










So after my love affair with creamy shadows started I also bought this...

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow
http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/product/2330/8195/Makeup/Eyes/Eye-Shadows/Long-Wear-Cream-Shadow/index.tmpl

I went straight for the matte shades of which they have several.  However they are all pretty neutral colors.  I ended up buying slate.  It's a grayish color (not the one shown) that adds a light smokiness to your crease area.  I love how it goes on and will definitely buy more colors from the Bobbi Brown line!  The "colorful" shades...pinks, purples, blues...do not come in matte consistencies but are still worth your makeup budget!







And don't you just love the gorgeous little pots they come in!  Super luxurious!

Of course...I cant leave out the most important thing about applying cream shadows...THE BRUSH!!  You must have the right brush to get the product on they way it should go on.  Sorry...I know this is just more $$, but this is one brush I think really matters.  Oh heck...brushes matter for EVERYTHING!

I use....

Sephora Pro Cream Shadow Brush
http://www.sephora.com/pro-cream-shadow-brush-28-P313027?skuId=1419555

Precise application and distribution!












I would also suggest this one by Bobbi Brown which I tried in store but did not buy because I already had the Sephora one and it would have just been a waste of money.  However...loved the way it applied the creamy eyeshadow.

Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow Brush
http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/product/2281/7574/Brushes-etc/Brushes-and-Tools/Eyes/Cream-Shadow-Brush/index.tmpl

A little tinier head than Sephora but both have soft bristles. 















You have to try cream shadows if you haven't already...they may not work for everyone, but please let me know if they worked for you!!

Bye Bye Black Eye!

I found it!  An eye makeup remover that ACTUALLY WORKS!  It's been around for quite some time and many a magazine and/or blogger have already raved about it.  I FINALLY gave it a try about 6 months ago...and can truly say it is better than any other I have tried.  (And I've tried many!)

Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover
http://www.sephora.com/bi-facil-double-action-eye-makeup-remover-P54477

It takes off every last little bit of your eyeliner and mascara. I promise!  It's gentle on the eye area and non-greasy.  Shake the bottle, apply onto your remover pad and then press and hold on the eye area, gently dabbing away every trace of makeup.  Remember to shake, because that's how you combine the bi-phase formula (lipid and water). 

Yes...gentle on the eyes and still works!!








In the past I've tried several drugstore brand removers, sephora brand, and origins brand.  The "better at removing" formulas are harsh to the eye (i.e Neutrogena which is powerful but makes my eye area red).  The gentle ones...like Origins...just don't do the job.  And while my main wish was to find a remover that could take off every last trace, it would be nice to find something non-irritating as well.  Everything you want in an eye-makeup remover is right here in Lancome.  Warning...it's pricey...which is why I avoided it for a while.  But the eye area is just too important!

Benefit POREfessional is Porefect!!

Pores!  Annoying "wholes" on your face that you really wish you didn't have!!  But what is a pore really?  Here's a good description from dailyglow.com:

"Typically, people with oily skin tend to have enlarged pores that secrete excess oil, or sebum. Larger pores are also more likely to get clogged with dead skin cells, dirt, and bacteria. Dermatologists generally treat acne-related conditions with topical antimicrobials that help disinfect the skin, and topical retinoids to help unclog pores and prevent white- and blackheads from forming. The fact is you can’t get rid of your pores, or even shrink them, but you can cleanse and care for your skin in ways that make pores less visible. "

So basically, if you've got visible ones, you are stuck with them.  But that doesn't mean you cant try and hide them!  I recently came across this gem....and it's now gonna be a staple in my makeup bag...

Benefit The POREfessional
http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/the-porefessional

The description says lightweight and silky and that is EXACTLY how it feels.  Glides on so smooth an feels like you've got nothing on...all the while covering your pores!  I use the tiniest bit on areas where I see larger pores and just dab right on.  Its like a clear cover-up with no residue at all!  It also helps mattify and even out your skin tone.  It's so lightweight that it absorbs in seconds and you almost feel like you didn't put anything there...but behold!!! - your pores are gone!!  Well at least for the time being. :) :)