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Are You a Beauty Buff?

Beauty lovers, get ready for fall! We’ve found some of our favorite products online and want to share them with you.

MAC’s Feline Collection
MAC has a cat collection right now that’s so popular. The fall looks are already dribbling into stores, so consider smoky greys and jewel-like greens as a part of your repertoire, if you’re not afraid to try something new. The looks are quite extensive from MAC, and include many collector packs as well.

DuWop’s Vintage Looks
We are loving Mad Men’s fourth season--what about you? This year, we’re spying on vintage lipsticks from Duwop that bring us back to another time, perhaps a happier one for natural beauty. Light pink lipstick goes great with a faux beehive, while red lipstick is the perfect pairing with an all-up hairstyle.

Classic Mascaras from Maybelline
That classic pink-and-green mascara bottle is back for fall. You’ll probably catch it in those behind-the-scenes fall runway shots, and it’s a beloved formula for a reason. It works! The slim bottle also happens to fit so well in a clutch, and it’s hardly the kind of mascara that you should think twice about. It’s a favorite for a reason!

New Blushes from Urban Decay
Urban Decay is always releasing exciting collection palettes of this or that, and in our opinion, you can’t have enough Twice Baked color. Urban Decay has a beautiful peachy blush that’s fit for fall, and you can brush some on day or night for a burst of color. Urban Decay’s newest products are some of our favorites.

Plumping Gels from SKINN
SKINN is a fantastic product to keep on hand when you want to avoid dry lips. Their 3X Serum might not plump the lips like we had hoped, but it does smooth out dry skin like nobody’s business. You’ll love the giant tube of it, which is perfect for women who like to really invest in a quality product.

 

What's the most promising option for you here?

Beauty Quotes and Inspiration

Can you believe that the summer is almost half-over already? I'm at a loss. Since budgets can be really tight around this time of year, I'd like to make a switch to some beauty-positive posts to get you in the mood to shop for the little stuff! If you can't splash out on a fall jacket or a new pair of jeans, how about a lip gloss?

Georgia O'Keeffe

“Nobody sees a flower -- really -- it is so small it takes time -- we haven't time -- and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.”

Inspired? Look for a spicy floral fragrance to flatter you in fall.

Vincent Van Gogh

“If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”

Inspired? Pick up new product that's organic this season—did you know that the seminal lip product company DuWop even carries lip-boosting glosses with 90% organic ingredients?

D. H. Lawrence

“Beauty is an experience, nothing else. It is not a fixed pattern or an arrangement of features. It is something felt, a glow or a communicated sense of fineness.”

Inspired? If you want to “experience” beauty, try mineral makeup, which slips on without feeling mask-like. It's also a lot healthier, and you can find plenty of beauty deals on eBay for minerals.

Lord Byron

“She walks in beauty,
Like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes.”

Inspired? Pick up a new eye palette that's coming out from MAC—they are doing an incredible cat-inspired collection with three separate color groupings. Are you a panther, or a cheetah?

Christopher Morley

“In every man's heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.”

Inspired? I wouldn't mind making my beauty “vibration” a little bit stronger, so I'll be looking for solid perfume pots online... most likely from Beauty.com.

Ben Franklin

"Beauty and folly are old companions."

Inspired? Don't forget to have fun with beauty! While some people (cough, cough) take beauty and fashion way too seriously, it doesn't hurt to play around with going-out makeup, sparkles, and smoky eyes. Why not?

If you are looking for beauty deals, I highly recommend Beauty.com and Drugstore.com. If you pick someone up, let me know!

Makeup Madness from E.L.F.

E.L.F. makeup has gotten a somewhat muddied reputation in the word of affordable cosmetics, but nearly a year has passed since I purchased from them. In the spirit of starting fresh and saving cash, I'm going to give them a try again. After checking out their website, these are all the reasons why I'm glad to be giving them another go:

1. Current Affordability: Except for the special edition collections, E.L.F. makeup is priced at $1. Considering our purchasing power right now, that's actual about what I can spend! While I've always been a dedicated Wet 'n' Wild consumer, I think it's time for a change.

2. Plenty of Selection: Click on "Eyes," for example, and you get tons of different colors to choose from, Wet Gloss for lashes and more, faux lashes, liquid liner, shadow cream, makeup remover, and-- my personal favorite-- an all-over color stick.

3. One word: tools! Purchasing affordable tools is half the fun at E.L.F., since hygiene happiness is really what makeup is all about. You can splash out on a sable brush or something else straight from Neiman's, and then not replace it for like two years. Or, you can replace your brush every six months, and not have to worry about things like bacteria infestations and eye problems.

4. Promotions Galore: Even though E.L.F. sells some really affordable makeup, they also offer amazing deals. They have two giveaway deals going on right now, including a Lucky magazine subscription with orders, a New York trip, and a fantastic cosmetics package that goes along with any $20 cosmetics purchase.

5. Affordable, Semi-Gimmicky Stuff: Wheee! We all love to buy makeup when it's offered in tempting colors, cool designs, and interesting little mixes. E.L.F. stocks "Hydro Tint," Professional Travel Kit, Hypershine, and Candy Shop Lip Tints, and it might be great marketing, but I want it all. And I can afford it!

6. New Nail Polish Colors: Bright colors and vibrant shades are best suited for someone who likes to change her nail polish often. I'm a little eccentric, because I just own one amazing nail polish color and use it until it's going, but color addicts can splash out on plenty of shades at $1 per purchase.

7. Hopefully Improved Customer Service: As I alluded to earlier, E.L.F. had some shipment problems when they first opened up for business online. Orders took a long time to fulfill, and I did read consumer reports where some purchases made were not entirely fulfilled. However, I have a feeling that these problems were rectified over time, and I am willing to give them a try.

8. Basics Are Allowed: Tinted moisturizer, basic eyeshadows, and lip gloss can all be found here for less. It's better to toss that old stuff regularly and find new, exciting colors that you like, don't you think? It's $1!

Beauty Trends You'll Love

(Anastasia Brow Gel)

1. Boho

Your Tips:

* Try to pair a dark, shadded brow with bright-red accents. Aim for any brow shape that's flattering, but try to aim for a thicker shape this season! Isn't it nice to stop the tweezing/waxing insanity? * Brow gel, like the one shown above, is one of the easiest way to get good shape going on, and frame your whole face!

2. Classic

Your Tips:

* Simple and sweet: repeat after me! If you're low-key, low maintenance, or just too busy, you can benefit from a sweep of simple makeup. Think fresh faced and All-American, and you've got it! Try out a basic sweep of mascara, a little lip gloss, and a fantastic concealer combined with a really peachy, luxe blush.
* If you're going to plau yp one feature for this classic look, try the eyes!

NARS Party Monster Eyeshadow

3. Futuristic

Your Tips:

* This is one of the most intimidating fall trends out there, but it's also a good way to develop your makeup application chops and experiment with cool new colors. Cat eyes dones with liquid liner collide with extremely bright eye shadow: think electric yellow, plum purple, and perhaps bright pink and green. * Start out with just the liquid liner and work your way up to the brighter stuff.

4. Get Fruity

Your Tips:

* Think stuff that's good enough to eat! Try out makeup like candy apple red lipstick, grape eyeshadow, and the unavoidable tasty tasy lip gloss. Try out things that you haven't experimented with since you were a teen. Points if it's flavored!

(Cargo Eye Glitter)

5. A Little Glitter

Your Tips:

* Getting used to this one might take the longest. Glitter sure is fun, but it's scary nonetheless. If you need a boost in the world of makeup, this one could get you feeling younger, cooler, and hotter-- but it's also one that could make you feel unusually not-so-young if applied wrong. * Do it right by adding shimmer products to your repertoire instead of just plain glitter makeup set in a simple base. Think glitter grown up!

6. Contoured Cheeks

Your Tips:

* Get high-quality blushes that make your cheeks look curved, shapely, and glowing. By applying that blush directly under your cheeks, you're going to make thecolor look like it's bubbling up from a natural source (instead of your compact). Sounds good, doesn't it?

Isn't It Time for a Beauty Day?

Beauty tips for the girls! I've been spending hours on Beauty.com lately, and I thought I'd share a few top products and tips for your today-- both summer and basic ones for everyone to enjoy. From amazing products to fast hints and tips, we'll have you saving time on your routine right away.

(L'Occitane Immortelle)

Consider top of the line, creative creams. While your face washes and exfoliants can be basic brands like Noxema or Clean and Clear, for example, and then finish off with a rich, exotic cream. It will last a long time and can make you feel utterly luxurious without much effort.

The featured repairing night cream has a delicate scent and is stuffed with "anti-aging effectiveness." Take advantage of benefits like pure essential oil (organic), vitamin C, and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

(Jane Iredale Amazing Base)

Base Is Essential: My mascara might be Wet and Wild, but my base is the best I can find. Mineral bases are fantastic-- like we've checked out before-- and you can protect your skin from UVA/UVB rays as well. This featured product contains no talc, preservatives, fragrance, or oil, and it includes algae extracts to soothe skin.

(Fresh Sugar Polish)

Exfoliant is Key: I used to be a St. Ives Apricot Scrub convert until my esthetician friend told me to switch it up. According to her expert advice, it's better to switch better several exfoliants (including one with round beads) and ones with uneven pieces. This Sugar Scrub is great for the lips and is also incidentally is good enough to eat, with brown sugar, essential oils, and strawberries.

Sale Note: If you just want to try this product out, you can head to Beauty.com and purchase $60 worth of other Fresh-brand products, you will receive a FREE 1.7 Oz. Brown Sugar Polish.

(Urban Decay Liquid Liner)

Something New: I'm more of a classic girl, and this could shock me right out of my plain liquid-liner boredom. Urban Decay's subtle shimmer shades are striking and you can smudge these lines just perfectly.

(Rodial Stretch Mark Eraser)

A Must-Have: Let's say that you use plain ol' Clearasil and drugstore moisturizer, ELF cosmetics, and homemade shaving cream. You're frugal, and you love it-- but there are a few items that you simply must splurge on for your own happiness. If you've had children or you are currently pregnant, a stretch-mark eraser will leave you feeling confident. Magic!

(SJP Lovely)

A Little Spritz: Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker has sold wonderfully, and it's a perfect scent for someone looking for a change. Doesn't "Blossom, Seduce, and Sparkle" sound incredible? You get a mix of exotic patchouli, cedar, and fresh mandarin made in France.

Do you have any other must-buys?

Summer Beauty Picks: What's Hot!

It's time to stock up on beauty gear-- but how do you know what's trendy, and what's not? Just for today, let's dispense with the rules and find things that inspire and challenge our usual beauty routine. I've picked up some things over at Beauty.com that caught my eyes, and that includes a light-colored nail varnish, fun lip gloss packs, and a brush that looks like it's just guaranteed to give you smooth hair.

If you shop at Beauty.com, let me know what inspires you!

(Butter London Nail Lacquer) This Butter Polish is just the most wonderful color: kind of a soft tan-pink that just glows away and captivates. I love the fact that it's neautral, but interestingly unique in appearance. They suggest "Tea with the Queen" as one of the activities you could accomplish with this polish, and I believe it: it's great for work, for elegant gatherings, and for your usual day-to-day.

* Butter Nail Varnish is safe for you, without formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP.

(BalmVoyage Balm Shelter Kit) Fun glosses in a variety of colors make protecting your lips in the sun fun. Slick on a little gloss in any of three cool colors spunked up with spf 17. Your obvious choice for these great lip glosses would be the beach, but I think they'd be great for poolside lounging, boardwalk strolling, and night beach gazing.

* Sheer effect is great for summer.

(Mason Pearson Boar Bristle Brush) I love natural brushes, and many women don't use them as much as they should! This brush, manufactured by reputable brush company Mason and Pearson, is a compact size for traveling and toting. Use this boar bristle and nylon combo brush tame short, thick hair to a deep shine.

* This first-class brush is worth its investment price of $108.00 and is rated 4 Stars on Beauty.com.

( Paula Dorf - Eye Color Glimmer (Halo) - AccessoriesPaula Dorf Glimmer Eye Dust) Shimmer eye dust is an amazing product for summer. With shiny, moisturized legs and gleaming hair, wouldn't you imagine that the Paula Dorfe Glimmer eye color works quite well? I'm captivated, and I know that it could be mixed or blended with a neutral ground if you'd like to tone it down.

* Available in a 3 g container.

(Tarte Lips Ahoy Kit) I couldn't resist this lipgloss set, even though I already scooped one up! This one from Tarte comes in a set of three and offers enough selection to match with many skin tones. I love that coral pink tone shown on its side in the photo!

* This will look great tucked in a beach carryall, especially because it comes with its own carrying case.

Beauty: Part II

It's round two of all those beauty goodies! I was definitely feeling unfulfilled after just scratching the surface of the Beauty.com selection, so I'm here to find more cool goodies! This time I decided to focus on going-out makeup this time, since day-to-day cosmetics can be found a lot easier, and in good quality.

Vincent Longo Vibrant Eye
Vibrant eyes are great for night, and this Longo eyeliner features a tiny little brush that never opens or fans to disrupt the seriousness that is using bright colors. Better yet, you can just remove this product with a little soap and water in a pinch.

(Smashbox Siren Sheer Color, $18.00) Lipsticks and glosses can be fun if you choose the right ones. This Stila lip color is bound for success!

(Urban Decay Santa Tanita Body Bronzer, $28.00)
This body bronzer is a new mainstay, and don't worry: this is an advanced product that shows you where you've applied the product for later, and also provides a thin layer of instant-tan for the day. Santa Tanita doesn't spare the kitschy factor, either: their containers look just like prayer candles for their imaginary saint.

(Stila Eye Shadow Batura Mineral Matte, $18.00)
Mineral makeup with a fantastic formula? Sign me up? You can choose to use this shadow as a wet application to outline and flatter your lids, or you can brush some on when it's dry to flatter in a very different (and softer) way. Stila suggests layering this deep shadow with a shimmering topcoat, and I concure!

Too Faced Refresh Oil Blotting Papers
Going out is easy to do with this shine-reducing blotting paper. If you don't want to worry about this while you're enjoying your drinks, you can always slip some of these handy papers into your pocket in their little pink holder that fits well into any type of clutch purse.

The Next Best Thing: Beauty Finds

I know this blog is about fashion, but. . . sometimes you just want to go wild and really dress an outfit up, and the best way to do that can be with smoky eyes, bright lips, and fresh-picked-roses blush. While I may not be the most accomplished makeup artist around, I make up for that in my willingness to experiment with new products and obsess over books like Bobby Brown Beauty. Let's find some fun cosmetics to experiment with-- after all, it is spring and we all want to make a change, right? ;)

(Urban Decay Big Fatty)
This cool beauty bit has fun packaging, which in my world means a lot! This mega-thick mascara is sold in two-packs, so slip one into your purse and leave one at home! The mascara formula is pumped up with moizturizing elements to keep those lashes soft and to prevent flaking. It's available in black for beauty-pageant worthy, eye-poppingly nice effects.

(Crabtree and Evelyn Soothing Lip Balm)
Soothing balm might seem like more of a winter thing when you are trying to guard against uncomfortable chapping and the like, but this ultra-moisturizing balm is a new favorite of mine. It combines beeswax with peppermint and olive oil for all-natural appeal.

(Plump and Re-Plump Liquid Lipstick) I LOVE plumping lipsticks, but this one really stands out! This product re-plumps your lips every time your lick them (let's talk about amazing), and it's available in the color "healthy," which gives me a lot of hope for the cosmetics industry in general. Not everyone's a scarlet-red lipstick kind of girl.

(Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer)
Perfect for those of us plagued by the eyelid creases that seem to be the problem of at least half of us who love wearing eye shadow! This product is silicone-based to slide on and look awesome when primed with your favorite eye shadows, and from what I heard, it's quite the successful product indeed. Yay!

(Scott Barnes Eye Ice, Loose Eyeshadow)
I'm fascinated with this Ice Eyeshadow, simply because it is beautiful and fun. I certainly recommend zipping on over to Beauty.com to check out their collection of eyeshadows, because it's really quite impressive. This one in particular is easy to apply and comes in a great gem-inspired bottle.

Purchase the Age of Your Choice

One of the biggest industries in the world, yet alone the US is the beauty industry. Of course, that is no secret. If we drop our purses six hundred million lipsticks, eyeliners, moisturizes, etc falls out and shows the world all of our beauty secrets. However, the leader in beauty product sells is not lipstick or even mascara-it's the wonderful world of the anti-aging products that are sweeping in the big dollars. But yet, the sad thing is they tend to be on the expensive side and takes weeks before we can tell if they are even remotely working. Well, have no fear, below are five products that are well worth your money and should be added for your shopping pleasure.

Truly a leader in the cosmetic field, all of Lancôme's beauty products from mascara to bronzers are top notch, just like their Resurface Peel. Boasting the intensity of a spa-strength glycolic peel, Lancôme's Resurface Peel gives you spa a quality product in the comforts of your bathroom. Although cheaper than getting pricey spa facials, the high end cosmetic counter peel retails at $145 for eight applications. And also unlike expensive spa facials, this Resurface Peel does not cause skin irritations.

Much less expensive in the quest of looking age less is Avon's Anew Clinical Deep Crease Concentrate with Bo-Hylurox. Praised for being able to see its smoothing effects immediately. A sort of non-toxic non-needle Botox, this serum relaxes and fills in expression lines, or quite simply crow's feet. In about eight weeks expect to see far fewer forehead lines and wrinkles and a reduction of the lines around the mouth and nose.
And of course, fewer eye lines, creases and wrinkles. Available at avon.com for $32 for a 30 milliliter bottle.
The third item on our list is one that just made its US debut a couple of years ago. But yet, this 25-year-old Japanese beauty giant has made Asian women youthful and beautiful with bright, clear skin. The product, SK-II is a phenomenal facial treatment that contains an awesome and potent mix of age defying vitamins and proteins that protect and restore the outermost layer of the skin. Ranging in price from $15 for a single use mask to $200 for a full 30 milliliter jar, you can find a size and solution to fit your budget and needs.

An excellent product that is easily accessible, but yet equally as effective is Olay's Definity advance night solution. Used in conjunction with the daytime moisturized foam and the pore polishing cleanser, your total effects is smooth, radiant and glowing skin with a large reduction in the amount of age spots and discolorations. Another great benefit of these products by Olay is that they severely reduce the size of pores for a younger, smoother, brighter look. Not to mention, retailing for under $15 at any drugstore in the country the price and availability is second to none.

Lastly and most costly is N.V Pericone, M.D. Neuropeptide Facial Serum Prep. Hey, as they say, you get what you pay for, and for a whopping $570 for a 2 oz bottle you really are getting top of the line products in this serum. Made to restore youthful and firmness while adding radiance and sheer brightness in the skin's tone, this product is known to stop premature aging. Known for its properties that evens the complexion, this product is truly recommended for those of us who have trouble with hyper or hypopigmentation.

by Tiffany J. Prewitt