Beauty and Fashion News

Get Her Makeup Look: Mila Kunis.

Mila Kunis is such a vision in white. Her upswept hair lets her eyes be the center of attention.

To get her stunning look, first prep skin with an illuminating moisturizer, like MAC Strobe Liquid. Apply an undetectable foundation, such as Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation and lightly set with your favorite pressed powder. Next, give cheeks a glow using a muted pink blush, like Cargo Blush in The Big Easy.

For the eyes, sweep a shimmery white-gold shadow on the lids. in Queen PhyllisBare Escentuals bareMinerals Glimmer will work well. Then, apply a light matte brown shadow in crease, blending it slighlty upward. Try Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow in Camel. Line the upper and lower lids using a taupe-brown liner and smudge slightly. Be sure to also line the waterline. Try Cover Girl Perfect Blend Eyeliner in Mink, which has a built-in blender tip. Next, using the same gold eyeshadow, trace the inner half of the lower lashline. Coat lashes with a lengthening mascara, like L’Oreal FeatherLash. Lightly define eyebrows using brow powder a shade lighter than your haircolor.

Finish the look by giving lips a sheer, shimmery pink-beige tint using a lipstick like MAC Viva Glam V.

From: http://www.glossypink.com/

CARGO Baked Bronzer, Eyeshadow and Eyeliner.

Can you feel the love? CARGO Plant Love has extended their line of eco-friendly lipsticks to now include loose and pressed powder foundation, baked illuminator, bronzer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, lip gloss, lip liner and lip balm. So far, I’ve acquired the Baked Bronzer, Dove and Peacock eyeshadow and Black and Midnight Blue eyeliner.

First up is the Baked Bronzer which I adore. Now, when I think of bronzer, usually the words “overpowering” and “orange” come to mind, but this product is neither. It takes away the flat, one-dimensional post mortem look of foundation and infuses life into the face. It’s actually quite subtle, so much so that I feel I have to load up my brush to get enough color. Methinks this bronzer would work on even the fairest of the fair.

The eyeshadows also impress, with their super smooth and pigmented, soft shimmery finish. They blend well and wear without creasing, and, overall, they remind me of MAC Veluxe Pearl eyeshadows. Dove gives the perfect smoky eye and Peacock is fun for a splash of color along the lower lashline.

As for the eyeliner, well, first of all, navy eyeliner is so hot right now it’s not even funny. Both eyeliners glide on smoothly and work well worn straight-up or smudged. And the black eyeliner? It’s like black pumps–you can never own too many.

From: http://www.glossypink.com/

Beauty Trends from Fashion Week.

From: http://www.hairsmystory.com/

Mac Cosmetics 2008 Holiday Collection. Weee, I’m excited. More makeup sets! (Read my ramblings about seasonal color stories in the last holiday makeup post).

MAC has grouped together promotional sizes of their best-selling items into gift boxes in the “Little Darlings” Holiday 2008 collection. In the six separate gift boxes can be found five (5) coral Lipglass and Lustreglass shades ($29.50), five (5) pink Lipglass and Lustreglass shades ($29.50), five (5) neutral Lipglass and Lustreglass ahades ($29.50), five (5) warm pigments ($29.50), five (5) cool pigments ($29.50) and five (5) softsparkle eye pencils ($29.50).

At just $30 for each set, these make the perfect gift for yourself or your makeup-obsessed friends and family members.

MAC Little Darlings will be available November 6 at maccosmetics.com and at all MAC locations.

From: http://frappelattes.com/

Smashbox Holiday 2008: Rapture. Seasonal makeup color stories aren’t always exciting for me, because a lot of shades are either limited edition (why fall in love with a color I can only buy once?) or permanent, non-new colors. What does get me excited are color kits and sets from my favorite lines that seem to add more value and urgency to my haul. Just take a look at Smashbox’s new Holiday 2008 makeup sets. (Six stunning lip gloss shades for only $29? I’m sold!)

Smashbox Holiday 2008: Rapture

EYES

Rapture Eyeshadow & Brush Set includes 8 eyeshadow duos (that’s 16 shades!) and two eyeshadow brushes. $59

LIPS

Rapture Lip Gloss Set contains six moisturizing lip glosses in Illume, Radiant, Candid, Ravishing, Lovely, and Stunning. $29

FACE

Rapture Flawless Finish Primer set equips you with a full and travel-sized version; one for home and one for vacation away with the fam or friends. $39

From: http://frappelattes.com/

NARS Holiday 2008 Sneak Peek.

NARS, for me, equals the creme de la creme of high-end cosmetics. Naturally, I drool over select gems from their seasonal color stories. Here are my favorites from NARS Holiday 2008!

NARS Super Orgasm Blush ($25)

I love a good coral blush, and the bit of shimmer as amped up in the “Super” version of NARS Orgasm blush doesn’t hurt. It reminds me a bit of Lancome Shimmer Coral Sunset Blush Subtil, which I still have a full pan of, so I may or may not need NARS Super Orgasm Blush in my collection. But, it’s lovely to look at, no?

NARS Jolie Poupee Eyeshadow Duo ($32)

Eee! Look at these purples! I own a few pans already but I must have this duo. LOVE.

NARS Lip Gloss in All Night Long ($24)

This gloss, described as a “dusty raspberry,” has got to be the most wearable-looking plum I’ve seen all season. Gimmeee.

From: http://frappelattes.com/

Emanuel Ungaro Mac Collection. Emanuel Ungaro Mac Collection.
MAC Emanuel Ungaro

This sweetly feminine image comes from, believe it or not, MAC. It’s for MAC’s new Emanuel Ungaro collection. The colors are pretty as well.

BTW I sampled the Mattene lipsticks from MAC’s Cult of Cherry collection. My taste in makeup is decidedly conservative, and these lipsticks were too goth or vampish for me.

From: http://thestylepage.blogspot.com/

The Art of Removing Makeup.

so how can you ladies take it off? It just stays there like forevar?

That was a reply from Fritz, only one of the funniest bloggers in my country, when I Plurked this morning about me trying a product that claims to make my makeup rub-proof, budge-proof and waterproof. Yes, from whatever works of art we create on our faces to either polish our look or add more drama to our eyes, they all have to be washed out and removed by the end of the day because after all, we need our faces bare as they were when our day started, and the day must end that way. Makeup can momentarily cover some flaws, add some definition to our features, but they still need to be removed because they can bind with the dirt on our face, and cause our skin to breakout.

So, how do we exactly remove makeup from our face?

Do We Really Need Separate Products to Remove Makeup?
When I was younger, I used to think that removing makeup was just like washing the face using facial foam. I was wrong. One night, after doing that, and using toner to refresh my skin, my cotton still revealed traces of foundation. When I learned how to tightline, whenever I finish washing my face, I would the area surrounding my eyes really dark, like smeared eyeliner. Those were definitely the signs that I needed to have separate products in removing my makeup.

Products
The ever-reliable Ponds Cold Cream has been tried and tested, well-recommended by our moms to be the makeup remover to use. Lately, there have been new products that function as makeup removers such as other cream-based makeup removers, and deep cleansing oils ( popularized by Shu Uemura, I also love MAC’s and Skin Hour’s ), and these two types work to remove both eye makeup and face makeup. For more intense removing ( for waterproof makeup, specially when applying eyeliner ), there are makeup removers specifically for the eyes ( and the lips ). Their consistency’s sort of liquid, just somewhat like water. They might feel very mild, but I assure you, they work wonders, being mild in consistency so as not for us to tug our eye area that can cause premature wrinkles, but still work like magic. Examples are Lancome’s Effacil Gentle Eye and Lip Makeup Remover and L’Oreal ( and Maybelline ) Eye and Lip Makeup Remover, and so much more. More and more brands are coming up with their own makeup remover line as the quality of makeup improves - progressing to long-lasting, long-wearing, and sometimes waterproof makeup.

How To Remove Makeup - Yep, There’s a Routine!

To remove makeup ( full makeup , rather ), we first start with the eyes. I noticed that using cleansing oil, as I swipe the eye makeup off, goes to the other areas of my face - so it must be disastrous if we remove everything all at the same time. With Cetaphil ( yes, we can use this too! ) , Ponds Cold Cream, or cleansing oil ), massage very very very gently a generous amount on the eyelids, or even the eyebrows, if you have applied eyebrow powder or brow gel there , and swipe away makeup using a cotton pad ( I like them better than cotton per se). Do not go on a wiper motion as you will be rubbing the makeup back and forth and twould be messy! If you are using an eye makeup remover instead of the general makeup removers mentioned above, with the watery consistency of eye makeup removers, put some on the cotton pad and very gently swipe away the eye makeup. I repeat, geeently! Because we have to take care of the skin surrounding the eyes. Can’t stress that enough.

After eye makeup is gone ( do not mind the eyeliner if they’re too stubborn, still ), massage a generous amount of again, deep cleansing oil, cold cream, or Cetaphil ( or any cream-based makeup remover, for that matter ), massage, massage til you see the cream turning cream ( what? sorry, again, until you see the cream turning into your foundation shade! ), as it effectively lifts makeup from your skin. After that, wash your face using your normal facial wash.

After that, let’s go to the remnants. The most stubborn to remove usually are eyeliners ( those waterproof ones ) and eyeliners applied on the inner rims of the eyes. Get a Q-tip, put some eye makeup remover on it, and again, very very very gently swipe on the areas , be it the area near the lashlines, both upper and lower. After I wash my face, I usually see the tightlined area already gone, that transfers on the lower lashline. Swipe very gently until all traces of makeup are gone.

Done! Then tone, hydrate, and treat, and congratulate yourself and get some sleep!

Any suggestions, tips, or brand reco’s? I’m all ears!

From: http://www.beautynomics.com/blog

Beauty Awards : 2008 Best of Sephora Winners.

Sephora must be the world’s most prestigious beauty store chain, carrying 200 classic and emerging beauty brands in different categories - skin care, hair care, cosmetics, body care, fragrance, smile care, tools, and also with their own in-house private label. Whenever I’d like to check out brands, I simply have to go to their website, and just scroll through their drop-down list of very, very good brands. Now, it’s time for the 2008 Best of Sephora Awards, whose results came from more than 100,000 beauty mavens who have cast their vote for their favorite products!

Well, let’s see them shall we? For my personal touch, I am including some side-notes on the products that I have tried!

BEAUTY ADDICT’S FAVORITE TIP

“I love to prime my legs and body with the Clarisonic brush before I shave, so that I can attain that flawless application of self tanner. “ < –hmm I only use Clarisonic for my face! This is a nice idea! I am also wanting to try self tanning, like what Phoebe does!

BEAUTY ADDICT’S FAVORITE

* Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips ($18) – This mineral-infused lip polish imparts a high shine without feeling sticky. An infusion of antioxidant vitamins A and E help keep lips soft, smooth, and protected, while the tingly and cooling sensation reminds you that your lips are plumping.
CULT FAVORITE MUST- HAVE

* Urban Decay Primer Potion ($16) – A necessity in any beauty guru’s arsenal, this eyelid primer keeps shadow from doing a disappearing act. Keeps shadow from smudging or creasing all day and night. < - Hands down, my lifesaver in keeping my eyeshadow in tact! The best for those who have problem oily skin! Hoard this stuff!

BIGGEST BEAUTY BREAKTHROUGH

* O-GLOSS Intuitive Lip Gloss With Goji Berry-C Complex™ ($22) – A perfect pink of your very own, this gloss reacts with your personal skin chemistry to transform from clear into your custom shade. The innovative formula is packed with an exclusive Goji Berry-C Complex™, ginkgo biloba, and pomegranate seed antioxidants along with revitalizing marine botanicals and moisturizing avocado oil for lustrous shine. < -I haven’t used O-GLOSS yet but I have noticed more and more brands adding anti-oxidant ingredients such as Goji Berry for their lipgloss! Works, really!

BEST NATURAL WONDER

* Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk ($12 – $18) – This lightweight hair lotion is made with essential oil of lemongrass to stimulate natural oil production and hydrate strands. Infused with a splash of lily of the valley fragrance in a rich base of oils, shea butter, cocoa butter, and vitamins E and C, Hair Milk is ideal for defining natural curls and giving hair shine and bounce. < - I want to get my hands on this! hahaha!

COMPLEXION CHAMPIONS

Best Concealer

* Bare Escentuals i.d. bareMinerals Multi-Tasking Face ($18) – This miracle concealer covers dark circles and skin imperfections for a truly flawless complexion. < -I used this on my first year, and yes, this is fantastic, either used wet or dry. Shade is safe enough for light skin tones.

Best Foundation

* Bare Escentuals i.d. bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation ($25) – Swirl, Tap, Buff! Made of only pure, crushed minerals from the earth, bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation looks like a powder, feels like a cream and buffs on like silk providing a natural luminosity and feels as if you are not wearing any makeup at all. < –the coverage is moderate, and good enough.

Best Powder

* Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil ($19) – For the ultimate, translucent “finishing touch” to your makeup, Mineral Veil melts into your skin, infusing it with softness and light as it gently absorbs oil and minimizes the appearance of lines and pores. < - I’ve noticed someone mark this as her Holy Grail finishing powder. Cornstarch helps absorb oil. I’ve used this and this was okay as well. ( no finishing powder has ever pleased fully just yet! )

Best Primer

* Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer ($36- $42) – Create the perfect canvas for your makeup. This silky primer smoothes and perfects skin as it fills in fine lines and pores. < -something that I’d love to try but I’ve been playing around with lower priced counterparts heehee. I’m borrowing Brigitte’s tomorrow!

Best Tinted Moisturizer

* Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer ($42) – Get glowing with this sheer, lightweight moisturizer which contains SPF 20 sunscreen and a hint of color for radiant looking skin.

EXCEPTIONAL EYES

Best Eyeliner

* Smashbox Cream Eyeliner ($22) – Smashbox’s signature cream liner goes on best with a brush, for a beautiful, smudge proof lash line. < - this still smudges on me pretty badly

Best Eyeshadow

* Smashbox Eye Shadow Trio ($28) – These versatile, perfectly coordinated shadow trios take the guesswork out of the picture-perfect, three-color eye. < - I LOVE this! Whenever I feel uncreative, tired, or in a hurry, this is a no brainer in applying eyeshadow shades!

Best Mascara

* Dior DiorShow Mascara ($23) – Lash-out with this super volumizing, lengthening, and curling mascara that promise bat-worthy eyes.

PERFECT POUTS

Best Lip Gloss

* Nars Lip Gloss ($23) – Gloss on and on. This highly pigmented lip color goes on smoothly for pout-popping shine. < - something that I’ve been lusting over in the counter. I’ve been substituting this for Artdeco’s which is sold for half the price, but my eyes are set on Turkish Delights. Like forever!

Best Lipstick

* Nars Lipstick ($23) – Enriched with vitamin E, this lipstick promises satin-looking lips with color that stays true.

CHEEK CONQUERORS

Best Blush

* Nars Blush ($25) – Dust cheeks with translucent and natural shades for the perfect flush. < -it’s okay but I don’t like them as they harden over time. The color payoff is just right, and gives off a very natural flush!

Best Bronzer

* Benefit Cosmetics Boxed Powder Collection ($28) – For a sun-kissed, goddess style glow, try one of these radiant powders. < -I’m a new Benefit convert. Blushes are SO GOOD

SUPER SKINCARE

Best Eye Treatment

* Kinerase Intensive Eye Cream ($59) – Go easy on the eyes with this gentle, non-irritating formula that works to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and improve the tone and texture around the delicate area. < –Trying this next month. Yay!

Best Face Cleanser

* Philosophy Purity Made Simple ($10-$32) – This high-powered, one-step facial cleanser rapidly dissolves dirt and makeup for a deep clean that leaves skin feeling radiant and refreshed.

Best Face Moisturizer

* Philosophy Hope in a Jar ($15- $38) – There’s always hope for healthy, radiant skin. This therapeutic daily facial moisturizer creates a rosy, glowing complexion.

Best Skin Savior

* Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask ($52) – Perfect for anyone whose complexion is looking lackluster, this burst of oxygen delivers the vitamins needed to bring skin back to life.

Best Zit Zapper

* Bare Escentuals RareMinerals™ Blemish Therapy ($28) – This treatment combines the non-irritating, exfoliating properties of 100% pure RareMinerals™ concentrate with the acne-fighting benefits of natural sulfur to treat acne and blemishes while preventing future breakouts from forming. Perfect for all skin types. < -tried this 2 years ago but I wasn’t comfortable in applying “minerals” at night time.

BEST BATH & BODY

Best Body Cleanser

* Philosophy Amazing Grace Bath, Shampoo & Shower Gel ($22) – Bath at its best. This three-in-one bath, shampoo, and shower gel is scented with the lovely Grace fragrance.

Best Body Moisturizer

* Philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion ($34- $41) – A toning body moisturizer that helps to purify, moisturize, and revitalize dry and aged skin with a unique blend of antioxidants and vitamins E and C.

HAIR HEROES

Best Tress Refresher

* Ojon Rub Out Dry Cleanser ($10 - $24) – This cleanser instantly “erases” impurities, toxins, excess oil, and product build-up, while increasing hair volume at the root and treating the hair and scalp.

Best Tress Tamer

* Frédéric Fekkai Glossing Cream ($20 - $27.50) – A leave in cream that boosts shine and repairs styling damage, while shielding hair from UV rays.

SAFEST SUN

Best Sunscreen

* Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55 PA+++ ($33) – Highly nourishing, this cream formula provides defense against powerful UVA/UVB rays and is formulated with the retexturizing ingredient Xylitol to keep skin looking soft and healthy.

FRAGRANCE FAVES

Best Fragrance For Her

* Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue ($30 - $80) – A stunning perfume with the liveliness of Sicilian citron, the happiness of Granny Smith apple, the spontaneity of bluebells, the intensity of jasmine, the freshness of bamboo, the charm of white rose, the character of cedar wood, the fullness of amber, and the embrace of musk. < -the best smell, forever! Brigitte smells like this! hahaha!

Best Fragrance For Him

* Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme ($16-$67.50) – A resolutely masculine fragrance born from the sea, the sun, the earth, and the breeze of a Mediterranean island. < -very cool, alluring scent. Hmm…hahaha!

TOP TOOLS

Best Tool

* Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler ($19) – The mother of all eyelash curlers, this iconic beauty tool delivers the perfect curl with the ultimate precision. < - I shall never get tired of this!

Wow. Well..wow again. ( getting speechless,hahaha! ) So, how about you? Which amongst your favorite products made it to the list?

From: http://www.beautynomics.com/blog/

What’s New : NARS Super Orgasm Blush.

Okay, if it’s not enough that the cult favorite, universally flattering peach blush NARS Orgasm has been winning over and over in various beauty magazines and Sephora Beauty Awards, it comes up with its lipgloss version, and nail lacquer version. Then, after the success of the two, NARS amps it up once more - with Super Orgasm.

NARS amps up their legendary NARS Orgasm to bring you Super Orgasm - the universally flattering shimmering peachy pink blush with an extra dose of golden sparkle. The super sexy pink flush gives the effect of an ultimate super,uh hum, afterglow

One thing I love about NARS Orgasm is that its shade is just purrfect-perfect. One swipe, and you’re all beautiful. One thing I’m not very happy about NARS powder blushes on the other hand is that they “harden” over time, and you’d be needing a coarser makeup brush to “scrape” off product from them as time goes by. But really, nothing could compare to NARS blush shades. Legendary is legendary.

As for Super Orgasm - I’m hoping that the sparkles are not too noticeable, for I’ve made the big switch to less shimmery and more satin finish blushes. But then, I am highly anticipating this to be fly off the shelves as fast as NARS Orgasm. I’d be waiting for this at the counters, to try it out!

What do you think?

From: http://www.beautynomics.com/blog/