guest post

You Just Might Lava c.Booth Deep Cleansing Volcanic Mud Mask

October 16th, 2010 by Karen 8 Comments

Written by Annabella

Not even active volcanoes can stop UK beauty blogger Annabella of Skin Scrubs! Her beauty adventures have taken her from the British Isles to Appalachian drugstores — like the one where she discovered the subject of today’s guest post.

Mother Nature is a powerful force. It makes the trees grow, gives us beautiful tabby cats, and can delay flights for several hours when Icelandic volcanoes decide to erupt.

My holiday flight to Atlanta was delayed by nine hours last spring as the Icelandic volcano EyjafjallajÃ¶kull decided once again to spew ash into the air. Thankfully I found out the evening before so I wasn’t sitting around the airport all morning; however we still ended up sitting on the ground waiting for a new time slot to take off as the ash cloud above weaved its way around UK airspace. Eventually we took off but our flight was nearly two hours longer than usual as we had to fly around the ash. I am grateful though that our delays weren’t as bad as the first time disruptions started earlier this year.

A few days later whilst driving around the hills of Kentucky I went into a Rite-Aid store looking for something that I can’t remember only to notice the c.Booth Deep Cleansing Volcanic Mud Mask ($9.99 for a 4 fl. oz. tube) sitting on the shelf. Already knowing that a volcano can delay my holiday, I wondered if it was powerful enough to help my mostly oily, some times irritated and blotchy skin.
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A MAC Lipglass Dupe for $4.50? Try Milani Crystal Gloss

October 15th, 2010 by Karen 44 Comments

Written by Makeup Morsels

Which sounds better for a lovely Lipglass — $4.50 or $14.50? Blogger Makeup Morsels found just such a deal on a dupe of MAC Nymphette, and she shares it with us now in today’s guest post.

Milani Crystal Gloss in Summer Baby
$4.50 Milani Crystal Gloss tubes are actually a little larger than $14.50 tubes of MAC Lipglass; Milani Summer Baby and MAC Lychee Luxe Lipglass to show size

I remember seeing pictures of MAC Nymphette on Karen’s blog for the very first time and instantly falling in love. The gorgeous pink gloss, chock-full of golden shimmer, went straight to the top of my lust list. Of course, the bargain hunter within me decided to go on a dupe-search before I made any final commitments.

And I’m so glad I did! Browsing the Milani section at my local CVS, I found Milani Crystal Gloss in Summer Baby for a mere $4.50.

I did a quick size comparison with a tube of MAC Lychee Luxe Lipglass I had on hand, and although the Milani gloss looks smaller because of its cap, it actually contains more product (4.86g compared to 4.8g for MAC). Summer Baby also has the exact same sticky texture and vanilla scent as the MAC Lipglasses.

Milani Crystal Gloss in Summer Baby
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Viktor & Rolf’s Fragrant Flowerbomb Bursts with Beauty

October 9th, 2010 by Karen 17 Comments

Written by Katie

Always exercise caution when playing with extravagant explosives. Take it from Blogger Katie of My Lips But Better, as she pulls the pin on one such Flowerbomb in her guest post today.

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb
Doesn’t the bottle look warm and inviting?

I’m not a big perfume collector, but Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb ($100 for 1.7 fl. oz) was an instant hit with me.

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb

Seems a little strange considering the name, but Flowerbomb is actually less flowery than you might think. When I first spray it on me or in the air, I get some jasmine, freesia, and rose, but very quickly that subsides into creamy vanilla, bergamot, and patchouli. Not the dirty hair patchouli either – just a hint of spicy goodness. The scent is so cozy that I often spritz a bit right before bed to help me relax.

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb

Viktor & Rolf got a little cheeky with this packaging. If you’re more observant than I was, you’ll see it’s a tiny pink grenade with diamond-like facets. Who would’ve thought that a tiny pink grenade could carry so much loveliness? It’s a little over the top, but it definitely brings an element of luxury to my dresser.
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Good Luxe Resisting The Guerlain Ã‰crin 6 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palettes

September 28th, 2010 by Karen 36 Comments

Written by OIga

How much is too much to spend on a makeup palette? Before you answer that, you might want to see what Olga has to say in today’s guest post. WARNING: Her pictures are dazzling!

Guerlain Ecrin 6 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palette

Nobody does luxury like Guerlain, but not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined something as glamorous as their new Ã‰crin 6 Couleurs eye shadow palettes that came out this fall. The pictures speak for themselves: just look at that filigree cover, the little bee (symbol of Guerlain that dates back to XIX century) on it, and the large beautiful mirror that opens up to the side of the palette. It was only appropriate to name each of the five palettes after a Guerlain boutique in Paris!

Guerlain Ecrin 6 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palette

The one I ended up buying is named after Guerlain’s flagship boutique at 68, Avenue des Champs-ElysÃ©es. My choice was partly due to the fact that I like purple and don’t have enough grays, and partly because I really like the thought of looking at Champs-ElysÃ©es in the morning (who wouldn’t? 🙂 )

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For $5.50, Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliners Are a Hidden Drugstore Gem

September 27th, 2010 by Karen 42 Comments

Written by Appu

Looking for power and prestige? For $5.50 and a trip to Ulta, you could be halfway there! Blogger Appu of Beauty Blog of a Kind shares the juicy deets in today’s guest post.

Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner

Is there such a thing as too many eyeliners? I have a zillion yet I still want more. I’d always thought Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils were the smoothest liners ever with their vegan, to-die-for formula, but I think I’ve found some close competition. 🙂

Not long ago I discovered the Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliners at Ulta. My local Ulta, however, didn’t have testers. Being obsessed with color, I took a chance and picked up three of them!! For a mere $5.50 apiece, they seemed like drugstore dupes of the Urban Decay eyeliners. Luckily, all of them are super creamy, have excellent pigmentation and DO NOT budge once they’ve set. Prestige Cosmetics claims they’re paraben-free too, so what’s not to love?

Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner

They look similar to UD’s 24/7 pencils and come in eight shades. The three I got are Intense Olive, an olive green base with golden shimmer; Bold Brown, an intense matte brown perfect for an everyday smokey look or worn alone for a soft look; and Fierce Blue, a very intense metallic navy blue.

I like the shade selection here. No bright, playful colors, but there are many intense, dark shades that can be worn anywhere without looking OTT.

They glide on effortlessly and stay put all day long. There’s no tugging or pulling when applying, and I need a good makeup remover at the end of the day to take them off.
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The $3 e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush Will Look Right at Home in Your Makeup Kit

September 25th, 2010 by Karen 24 Comments

Written by Katie

Have you ever had a brush with elves? No? How about a brush by e.l.f.? Blogger Katie of My Lips But Better has, and today she shares the magic with a review of the e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush.

The e.l.f. Studio Powder BrushÂ and MAC 109 for comparison

I have a confession to make… even though I’m a beauty blogger and people expect me to look nice all the time, sometimes I’m just too lazy to apply foundation. This is especially true when I’m rushing to get ready for class in the morning. But then I discovered powder foundation and my life was complete… except that I didn’t have the right tool to apply it.

See, most powder foundations come with those sponges that I don’t like for two reasonsÂ — they’re hard to clean, and most people never wash them anyway. So I tried a kabuki brush, which can easily be washed, except that the short stubby handle meant I couldn’t put it in my brush organizer with the rest my brushes.

I was about to give up entirely when I stumbled onto the e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush. I wasn’t expecting such great quality from a $3.00 brush but this one really proved me wrong! The dense brush head is perfect for picking up powder foundation and buffing it into the skin instead of just dusting it on top. It’s basically a kabuki brush with a long handle, which is exactly what I needed.

The e.l.f. Studio Powder BrushÂ and MAC 109 (again for comparison)

I also love the way this “powder brush” applies my liquid foundation. It gives a smooth, flawless finish (similar to Sephora’s coveted #55 brush) when used with MAC Face & Body or NARS Sheer Glow.
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Let’s Share a Bottle of Red Zin: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Red Zin

August 16th, 2010 by Karen 7 Comments

Written by AnÅ¡Ã¡ Reams-Johnson

Today AnÅ¡Ã¡ Reams-Johnson reviews one of her new favorite nail polishes, Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure, in a new favorite shade.

My hubby thinks I look great in red, and after many years of pinks and corals I’ve gotten aboard the bandwagon too. It helps that as I’ve gotten older my skin tone has changed, along with my propensity toward bolder colors.

So, after our recent move to Florida I set off to find the perfect shade of red nail polish — and not just any red, but a dark, wine red.

As I entered CVS, I was stopped in my tracks by a range of new nail polishes from Sally Hansen. Her Complete Salon Manicure collection promises what the name implies, a manicure in every bottle.

At this stage in my life, I don’t like to spend the time on a base coat, two coats of polish, and a top coat, and these polishes from Sally supposedly combine all of those products into one. I was sold at a glance!

I purchased two colors right then and there, which were actually almost the same. The big difference between them being that one shimmers while the other’s matte. I decided to use the matte color first, 610 Red Zin, which I think is a beautiful color, quite classic in fact. The name Red Zin truly fits it too as it looks like a small, albeit thick, bottle of red wine.

Wearing two coats of Red Zin
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Are You Getting Fresh with Me, Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen?

August 14th, 2010 by Karen 3 Comments

Written by Jamie

Today esthetician Jamie shares her thoughts on one of her favorite concealers, the Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen.

Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen

I’m always looking for “the perfect under-eye concealer,” constantly testing every product I can get my hands on. I get dark circles under my eyes, and with my extremely fair skin they look *really* noticeable.

I was in the FRESH store the other day, expecting to try their Umbrian Clay Absolute Concealer, but instead the sales assistant suggested I try the Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen ($24, available in three shades).

First, let me say that I love how weightless this feels under my eyes, and the twistable pen has an attached applicator brush, which makes it a perfect on-the-go beauty tool.

As for how well it works as a concealer…

Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen
Before

After

I’m happy with it! I’m wearing it in the picture directly above, which was also taken after a few hours spent walking around in high humidity.

While I may have found my new concealer, I’m concerned that it only comes in three shades (1-porcelain to light, 2-light to medium, and 3-medium to dark). Hopefully, one of them works for you, and if you’re interested, you can find the Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen on Fresh.com, in Fresh Stores or at Sephora for $24.

Written by Jamie

This post was written by esthetician Jamie. Jamie and her poodle, Quincy, are recent transplants to New York City. She recently earned her Masters in Advertising Management but has been working in the makeup industry since the age of 16. In that time she’s worked for several brands, including LORAC, Kevyn Aucoin and MAC.