The Daily Beauty Break

Frickin’ FINALLY!! I have been looking for Loreal’s NEW Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara ($<10) for going on weeks now….and lo and behold!, I got the SECOND to last tube yesterday at Target (almost bought the Elnet too…wants vs needs my dears….it’s a tough call in my beauty obsessed head).

So if you haven’t heard already Loreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes is a dual-process mascara….the white primer side goes on first  to coat and create “tubes” around your lashes….and then the real magic occurs when you coat it with the black mascara…….resulting in (what Loreal claims) 80% longer, lusher lashes!

So did it deliver? TOTALLY…..I had a party last night so it was perfect timing to take this new mascara for a test run….my lashes got incredibly long and thick with minimal (if any) clumping at all! I was pretty impressed I must say……I really wanted to take a picture for you beauties but my (new) camera is on the fritz….I loved the Beauty Tubes because it easily filled in the broken spots in my lash line (what’s up with that?) and gave me that “perfect” almost-falsie look.  BTW….This mascara is an IDEAL way to take it up a notch in your makeup routine for Holidays…esp for gals that are hesitant to go whole-hog and wear falsies (more to come on that later…)!

The wash-off was definitely interesting but super easy ( looks like spider legs in your sink)…I’ve used other tube mascaras in the past and you had to kind of pinch your lashes to release the tubes (kind of scary until you get used to it) but the Beauty Tubes released without any pressure at all……..VERY NICE.

So YES, Beth ( fellow Austin-based addict) you were RIGHT! Loreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara rocks…I would highly recommend this one to everyone (if you can find it……)

Be Beautiful Ya’ll!

(my girl Faith…working her magic at the Marc Bouwer show….)

New beginnings….that’s what it’s all about. I am so hopeful after last nights election and hopefully you are too my beauties!! So ANYWAYS…I told ya’ll that I would have tips for days after my Bobbi Brown Uber Master Makeup Class at Fashion at the Park this season and here’s a good one…….

MY personal Bobbi Brown makeup artist Faith Edwards told me the CUTEST way to know whether or not your mascara needs to be tossed...If it doesn’t make that K-I-S-S noise when you open it (you know the suction-y sound as you pull out the wand) it’s time to say GOODBYE to that tube….NO K-I-S-S means that A. your mascara is totally dried out and B. it is probably loaded with all kinds of “goodies”!!!

Now (of course) this little lesson wouldn’t be complete without me sharing with you what mascara you need to replace your old…..Get it while you can,  you MUST HAVE Bobbi Brown’s Limited-Edition Everything Lash Glamour Mascara Combo ($28)!!!

Now I gotta admit, when I first opened this bad-boy I wasn’t sold….the first few times I used it I ended up with some SCARY spiderlashes…But I honed my skills…and if you start with the “Everything Mascara” and really work it into the base of the lashes and then fill out the ends with the “Lash Glamour” formula you’ll have lashes for days…….(suprising bonus, this mascara really seemed to help my lashes retain thier curl, too!!

Here’s to new beginnings……

Be Beautiful Ya’ll!!!!

Hey girls. I am so in love right now, can I just say? …Care of makeup artist extraordinaire Bobbi Brown..just in time for the holidays are these little lovelies…..Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Glitter Lip Balms ($18). …Part of Bobbi’s new collection for the holidays called the Copper Diamond Collection.….Glitter Balms come in three shades: Crystal Diamond, Pink Crystal and Copper Diamond (the shade I tested….).

Love,love….the darling litte round compact contains a generous portion of the cushy, hydrating balm PLUS a mirror…perfect for your holiday hand bag. And the formula? Whoever said that the over 40 ( or 30) crowd can’t wear glitter has NOT tried these balms….the perfect amount of sheer color, shine and sparkle this balm is soooo in my bag!!!!

Leave it to Bobbi to do glitter for every age………

More reviews from Bobbi’s Copper Diamond Collection coming up soon….so stay tuned. xoxo

Be Beautiful…….

Hello beautiful people! Well, as some of you already know I was super thrilled and honored a few weeks ago to meet one of my makeup idols….CARMINDY, the master behind the make-up on TLC’s What Not To Wear.  Carmindy was able to  fulfill a dream I think most professional makeup artists possess…..she was asked by Sally Hansen to help them create a one-of-kind makeup line called Sally Hansen Natural Beauty….Inspired by CARMINDY……I was even more thrilled to learn that Carmindy honestly ONLY USES SALLY HANSEN NATURAL BEAUTY make-up on the show!!! Since they shoot What Not To Wear in HD, what you see is what you get (and made me even more positive that I MUST try out these amazing products)!!!

And wouldn’t you know it….last week I received my own box of “love” from Carmindy….and just have to share with you the standout products from the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty…inspired by CARMINDY line!

1. Luminizing Face Primer ($9.99). Well, you all know how I feel about primer….if you are going to take the time to put on foundation, put on primer first!! This shimmery, gel-based primer felt like silk going on….It made my foundation adhere seamlessly and then stay all day! I am super excited because I have yet to find a drugstore primer that I can recommend to my clients…Well, here it is Ya’ll!

2. Your Skin Makeup ($12.99) This foundation did a great job of giving  me the  medium to full coverage I need; I found this yellow-based (thank GOD) liquid to be super easy to work with and the results looked super natural…I recommend this foundation for experienced makeup girls or you  newbies to the cosmetic scene!

3.Fast Fix Concealer ($8.99) Thick enough to cover the nastiest of blemishes but creamy enough to use under your eyes….that is no easy feat from any product ( GO drugstore beauty…)!

4. Instant Definition Eye Shadow Pallete ($7.99) Consisting of a highlighter, mid-tone and contouring shadow, there is no end to the different looks you can get from this one pallete (they come in 8 color combos)….Use the highlighter for day and pump it up with the countor shadow for evening….These silky shadows have enough pigment to satisfy a makeup artist while managing to stay VERY user-friendly..(I’ll be using these puppies at my next wedding for sure…).

5. Natural Beauty Powder Blush ($10.99) Same as the shadows…enough pigment for moi, but not too much for makeup newbies….the shade I tested “Etheral” was super-light with just enough shimmer to give you a super-natural glow!

And last (but not least), I have to tell you about the lip gloss….

5. Natural Shine Lipgloss ($7.99) This yummy-tasting gloss is the perfect mix of balm and gloss….thick enough to stay awhile, but not a “hair magnet” like some others can be, I thought it had the perfect amount of color….it looks beautiful on it’s own or works great layered over lipstick for that extra “oouummph”!

The best part? Since Carmindy “shared the love” with moi…I am going to pay it forward and share it with you readers….I’ll be giving away my own “box of love” of Sally Hansen Natural Beauty…inspired by CARMINDY cosmetics…Stay tuned for my next post Ya’ll!!

Be Beautiful….

Hello beautiful people! Well, it was a busy weekend…between doing makeup for a wedding and going the Texas State Fair it was a banner weekend of beauty for moi! Little did I know that my family fair experience would include tailored beauty and hair advice from the team at Loreal! As soon as I saw The Color Space tent I made a direct beeline for it….and was greeted by this doll who gave me a FREE Loreal Voluminous Mascara ($<7) just for entering! I’d been dying to try this mascara forever as I have SEVERAL makeup artist pals who swear by it…..

Once inside the tent, guests had a plethora of beauty options…..from tailored one-on-one skincare advice from Loreal’s trained estheticians to full makeup makeovers from their artists AND tailored haircare and color advice, every woman could leave the tent just a little bit more beautiful….They also featured the Truelight Pod, a little room you could go in to see just exactly how your makeup would hold up in different situations and the Video Beauty Confessional, a little video booth where you could record and share your most coveted beauty lessons….I did it and received a FREE Loreal Revitalift Complete Day Lotion ($<17.00)!

But the piece De resistance of Loreal’s Color Space at the Texas State Fair?….Had to be their Skincare Diagnostic Blue/Black light machine featuring GLOW technology…this bad-boy took a picture of your skin and showed you EXACTLY the damage all those carefree years sans sunscreen and tanning bed worship had and would continue to reap on your poor face….I wimped out as you had to remove your makeup to get a accurate picture of the damage… (my kids were practically pulling my arms off to get to the rides….) Although, afterward a member of the Loreal team would happily put your makeup back on for you!!!

But of course the BEST part of Loreal’s Color Space for moi? Every makeup and skincare item Loreal carries was beautifully displayed and easily accessible….makeup and skincare items were super easy to get your little hands on and mirrors were everywhere so you could test it all to your little hearts content….My  new favorites? From their HIP line (I’ve always loved this line…it’s totally the poor girl’s MAC)  the new Jelly Balms (<$9) rocked my world….just the right amount of sheer pigment, these yummy-tasting balms are perfect for the girl-on-the-go OR can be played up over lip liner….And I loved the new Bare Naturale Lip Conditioners ($<9). Both of these guys made welcome additions to my makeup bag….

So all in all, next time YOUR state fair comes around be sure to find out if Loreal’s Color Space will be in your town…..as I was leaving the tent the Loreal crew made to sure to fill my already over-flowing arms with loads of $2 Dollar-Off coupons redeemable anywhere Loreal is sold…..Perfect after all the money we burned on the rides!!!!

Be Beautiful Y’all!!!!

Hello my beauties! I am SO about bronzer right now, can I just tell you? It is my favorite thing….esp after all those years in the 90’s without it….(so many bad pictures of me white-faced!!!) And now that our summer color has officially faded, I wanted to share with you one (of the many) tricks of the trade that I learned at The Bobbi Brown Master Class last week!

Leave it to Bobbi’s team to make it super easy for us….(it was definitely one of those Aha! moments for moi)…How to find the perfect shade of bronzer for you? According to Bobbi’s Kim Soane and my “personal” makeup artist Faith Edwards….Just look and match the color to your arms!!!! Since we are all great about wearing sunscreen on our faces (right, ladies?) but not quite yet on our bodies, our arms are usually a few shades deeper than our face…..and our natural “tan” shade is EXACTLY the color we want when we buy bronzer……DUH!!!

Here are my High/Lo Bronzer picks….(of course) Right now my High pick is definitely Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder ($33). Perfect for fall and winter, I am digging it because it doesn’t have all the shimmer in it that some of the others do…it gives you realisitic looking color for the colder months so you don’t end up looking like your face went to Hawaii and your body stayed home….

Lo Pick is definitely Milani Cosmetics Powder Bronzer ($<5). Why? Same reason as Bobbi….not too much shimmer….And I was also suprized by how much pigment Milani gives you at such a great price! Nice…REAL Nice…..

Happy Monday and Bronze Beautifully…..

So have you seen Ellen Pompeo on the new October cover of Allure magazine? Totally beach-bunny beautiful!! SO this is always my favorite issue because it features “The Best of Beauty”…..editors top 182 beauty picks of the year!!!! These girls work hard.…..laying on the lotion and lathering the shampoos……My opinion? HEAVEN.

So I have been suffering AGAIN with some horrible breakouts and when I heard their review of the new PUR Mineral Foundation (it’s a 4-in-1…concealor, foundation, power and sunscreen($25) I had to try it!!! They said it had amazing coverage (which I SO need) and I needed something that I could just slick on and run out the door….

Seriously, this stuff ROCKS. One product and even the nastiest of zits vanish…..it is very matte so there’s no need to top it with powder (like some other mineral foundations..uh-hem..), it’s non-irritating AND has sunscreen for the walk to pick up the kids at school! I’ve found that it works AWESOME when applied with a bronzer brush..( one with pretty tight bristles for heavy coverage)..so no messy fingers.

AND I got proof. Yesterday picking up my daughter at school another mom told me I had gorgeous skin and “by the way, if this isn’t too wierd of a question, what kind of foundation do I use?”…..HELLO, sister. I talk shop in my sleep baby!

You can find at Ulta, Dillards and their website.

Be Beautiful……

So they say all artists have their own “style”….and I’ve thought long and hard on this one and realized over the years that no matter what, I don’t EVER do a “makeup” without highlighting the brow bone and inner corner of the eyes….EVER. We ALL need a little help sometimes when we miss our beauty sleep,no?

That being said, I am constantly on the lookout for new highlighting products and just happens that my favorite Beverly Hill’s Brow Guru just came out with a new one…. Anastasia’s Brow Duality ($23). This double ended pencil contains an amazingly blend-able, creamy formula….one side matte and one side shimmer. Duality comes in two sticks….Duality 1 in Matte Camille/ Shimmer Sand, a pink-based tone good for the pale girls and Duality 2 in Matte Shell/ Shimmer Lace..more golden and for darker complexions.

So needless to say these amazing sticks do the job of highlighting extremely well, but upon experimentation I found 2 additional uses…..1. The matte side of these pens work very well as an eyeshadow base…it really helped my shadows go on smooth and wear longer.  2. (This is the one I’m really excited about) the Matte Shell of Duality 2 COMPLETELY hide my under eye circles!!!….the peach undertones of this shade completely counteracts the blue in my circles so they go Bye,Bye!!!!…literally just draw it over the circles and blend slightly…the texture of the pencil is so creamy there is absolutely no caking or flakiness at all!!!!

Tip: When concealing under eye circles make sure the pick the right toned concealor!  Use peachy-orangy colors for bluish circles and pink-rose based shades for greenish circles….otherwise you run the risk of making your circles look worse (and GREY)…..Been there, done that!!!

Anastasia’s Duality Highlighter pens hit counters October 23!!! Be sure to check them out next visit to Ulta or Sephora…..

Keep those Brow’s Beautiful Y’all!!!

Good Day my beauties…..Well, not only did I have to do the annual foundation switch for fall but I had to do the same with my bronzer…. Just in time for Cargo’s New PlantLove Baked Illuminator in Wind ($28). This cool product is multi-use…it’s a blush, bronzer and highlighter in one! It has some pink in it so it blends better with my paler skin than my summer shade.

Tip: Want the JLO glow?…Using a medium brush apply bronzer in a “horseshoe” shape, blending directly INTO the hairline all along the entire forehead….continue outside the temples and onto the tops and sides of the cheekbones.(and don’t forget to apply blush to the apples of your cheeks to complete the glow) Then, if you want to get real fancy apply under the jawline, to your collarbone and decollete!

Warning, PlantLove Baked Illuminator has some SERIOUS pigment in it  (a little goes a ways) so use a big, fluffy brush to apply and slowly build the color….it’s way easier to add than to take away my friend!

All of Cargo PlantLove products meet the rigorous standards demanded by ECOCERT™, an international certification that guarantees products are eco-friendly through all aspects of product and production, dramatically reducing its environmental footprint. Their compacts are made from CORN and are biodegradable, all the formulas are 100% natural and are produced in a carbon-neutral facility. Now, that’s some “Good For You Beauty” right ‘chere girls!

Bronze Beautifully Y’all…and do comment if you have any application questions!!!!!

So as some of you know I just have been in kind of a creative funk the past few weeks……what to write, what to write. My 12 step program tells me when I get that way to write a gratitude list…so here it is.  Five products that make my life just a little bit easier…….

1. Marini Lash by Jan Marini Eyelash Conditioner ($160)…. This stuff is like Rogaine for the lashes… every time I put my mascara on it astounds me that I NOW have the kind of lashes that some “pretty girls” are lucky enough to be born with…Turns out now you can buy those lashes, in a tube! Yeah-Yah!…

2. Cargo TexasLash Mascara ($20) Do I really need to say more?

3. Nailtiques Nail Protein Formula 1 ($17.50) This is my topcoat, my basecoat AND strengthener. My manicure lasts a week and my nails are no longer peeling anymore (a small miracle in my book)!

4. Tria At Home Laser Hair Removal Device ($995) Still giving myself treatments at home in front of TIVO (nice) but already I only have to shave about every FOUR days…down from at LEAST every other day….

5. And finally last but not least, Maybelline Shadow Stylist in Elegant Pearl ($6) Just a touch of this beautiful powder to the lid and inner corner chases darkness away…..

So I’ve told you mine,  now tell me YOURS!!!

Be Beautiful Ya’ll and Thank You for reading…..