Beauty, Defined… the British way

(Queen of all British models, Kate Moss!)
Here is a great article about pale skin, kohl rimmed eyes and romantic lips.
Fox-Up For Autumn by Kitty Argent redefines the Winter look. (partial article below)

Fox-Up For Autumn
Stuck in a make-up rut? Then it’s about time you gave yourself a new season make-over. Take inspiration from the key catwalk trends for autumn/winter ’06 and update your look, replacing your old favourites with inspirational new must-have make-up items…
White out – face up to pale, porcelain skin

White out – face up to pale, porcelain skin…
As seen at: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs, D&G, Givenchy and Prada.

This season brings bad news if you’re a self-tan slave. Sun-kissed is out and pale and interesting is most definitely in but don’t worry – it doesn’t mean you have to go from gorgeously golden to Goth in one fell swoop.

Start by reducing your fake tan quota by mixing a little moisturiser in with it, and gradually wean yourself off self-tan altogether by swapping it for a tinted moisturiser such as Dermalogica’s Sheer Tint Moisture (£21.60) or No 7’s Soft & Sheer (£8.50).

As the days get greyer and nippier you’ll soon realise that a paler, creamier skin tone enhanced with a dab of pink cream blush is far more flattering than the brash bronzed look.
Swap: fake tan and bronzing powder combinations for Clarins’ Horizons Express Face Palette (£25), Stilla’s Cheek Duo in Sugar Loaf (£15), Clinique’s Patchwork Pink palette (£18) and Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation 29 (£25) – a beautiful shimmering golden pale taupe colour.

Eye eye – give a wink to heavy, kohl rimmed and shadow-heavy peepers…
As seen at: Versace, Ferre, Giorgio Armani, Giles and Gucci

Although complexions may be clean and creamy for the new season, eyes certainly aren’t. Deep, dark intense rock chick-like peepers are a key part of the A/W 06 look so it’s time to invest in a sultry charcoal or midnight blue eyeshade, a dramatic kohl or liquid eyeliner and lashings of lash-lengthening mascara. Just make sure you have plenty of eye-make up remover on hand for getting rid of it all!
Swap: boring brown shades for rich, darker dramatic ones. Giorgio Armani’s Eye Couture Palette (£45) boasts a trio of day and night friendly aubergine, russet and peach shades plus a black one for dramatising and defining eyes. Serge Lutens Eye Kohl Liner Pot (£38), Guerlain’s Divinora Eyeliner (£18.50) and Urban Decay’s Smoke Out Eye Pencil (£11) will all help you achieve your look, and for flutter fabulous eyelashes flick on some of Clinique’s revolutionary High Definition Mascara (£12.50) or Chanel’s new Inimitable Mascara (£16.50).
LIP SERVICE – pucker up to romantic rosebud, nicely natural lips . . .
As seen at: Calvin Klein, Alexander McQueen, Michael Kors, Bottega Veneta and Anna Sui

Although there was the odd bolt of bright red slicked onto lips at MaxMara and Prada, the predominant trend for autumn/winter ‘06 was for nicely natural, just-been-kissed lips. The key to achieving this is to make sure your lips are in tip-top condition, so give them some daily TLC with a special moisturiser such as Vaseline or Carmex. Alternatively, cut out the hard work of applying a moisturiser and colour and just use a tinted lip balm such as M.A.C’s Rose De Sheer (£10.50).
Swap: tropical pink or coral shades and barely there browns for pretty pink gloss or matte ones. Revlon ColorStay in Natural Cashmere (£7.99) Fresh’s Gloss Absolute (£16.50) and Lancôme’s Color Fever in Walk The Catwalk Brown (£15.50) will all help you get perfectly natural looking pouts. If you want to add a little depth to your nicely natural look for night time, then go for a shade that’s shot through with a touch of glitter, such as Dior Addict’s Rose Scenario (£15.50) or Chanel’s Rouge Allure in Evocation (£16.50).

Tell us your Winter Beauty Routine and you could win some fab prizes!!!! Including a soon-to-launch mascara by celebrity make-up artist Susan Posnick! Also, a deep conditioning masque from Lucid (my very own hair care line!) Be one of the first to try these Winter must-haves!!!!
CLICK HERE TO SHARE!!!

SOURCE

Santa’s List… Part 1

Dear Santa,
All I want this year for Christmas is plumper, fuller lips. I’m scared of needles and don’t want to fall into the “plastic surgery” category and, unfortunately, I was not blessed by the genetic pool of perfect pouts. It looks like I need a miracle.
Can you please help me, Santa?
Signed,
Momentarily Mute

Dear Momentarily Mute,
Although I can’t grant you a miracle, nor can I change your genetic make-up, and I can’t force you to go under the needle if you’re unwilling, I can, however, offer you a fabulous product that will leave you with fuller, fiercer lips. Lip Fusion XL! And exclusively at Sephora, as a Holiday gesture of sorts, you can purchase the “two double ended lip fusion duos,” a.k.a. perfect pout, (a combination of color and gloss) for a mere $39.00! Your lips may sting like a pack of bees, but rest assured, your pucker will be very pleased!
Signed,
The Beauty Whore for Santa Clause

WEEKLY MUST-HAVE

I’m a smoker (gasp) and not proud of it. Besides pre-mature wrinkles, stained teeth and bad breath, not to mention chest and lung issues, smoking is less then glamorous. Bottom line, smoking stinks! And I mean, everywhere! On your skin, clothes, car and hair. And then just yesterday, I received a great little package filled with delightfull smelling hair fragrances. Being the hair fanatic that I am, I was cautious to try out this new product. What if it stripped my color? Or even worse, died my hair? Or maybe it would cause breakage? (Ironic, I know, considering all of the damage the ciggies are doing to my insides). But being an unbiased reporter means putting yourself on the line, even if that means testing a product on my million dollar mane. Alas, I have fabulous news! These hair fragrances ROCK!!! Not only do they smell divine, they are also alcohol free AND they won’t cause frizziness! Plus, they’re not so over-powering as to distract from an everyday perfume!
Pure & Petal Hair Fragrances come in four sinfully yummy aromas: sublime citrus, heavenly clean, linden blossom and summer passion (pictured). And even if you’re not a smoker (which I hope you aren’t!), we all know that over-washing your hair leads to dull, thinning, broken, stripped locks. So now there are no excuses! Take care of that hair… and smell fresh in between washings!
To purchase Pure & Petal Hair Fragrances, CLICK HERE!

‘Tis the Season…

(pre-NYC transformation)
I spent the past weekend in New York updating my Winter beauty look, and let me tell you, it was quite a glamorous transformation. I died my ever-oxidized blonde locks into a healthier and richer chocolate brown – thanks to the fabulous fingers of uber-colorist, Ludovic at The Pierre Michel Salon. Ludovic has been beautifying A-list clients including Sharon Stone and Michelle Williams for the past 13 years, so needless to say, I was in good hands. Why brown? “Chocolate brown is the color this Winter because it is warmer for the skin,” says Ludovic.
Next, I marched on over to the newly opened Sephora on Lexington Avenue and Fifty-Eight Street. The trend of the moment is golden eyes – the more shimmer, the better – and red lips. For blush, a just-walked-in-from-the-cold look is natural and necessary.
So here it is: The Ultimate Beauty Whore… transformed!
(post-NYC transformation)
On eyes, Laura Mercier Eye Book, exclusive for the Holiday Season. I blended the golden color with a bit of the burnt brown in my crease and under my lids. On lips, Bourjois Rouge Heprfix in Rouge Ultime 7. On cheeks, what else but Stila’s Convertible color in POPPY!
Send us your Winter wonderland transformations! And remember, it’s all about color!

Sunday Night Beauty Crafts

Doing it yourself can be so liberating…
Here, from one of my favorite at-home beauty books, is a fabulous recipe for creating your very own, individualized roll-on lip gloss.

“French Kiss Roll-On Gloss
Super shine for sloppy kisses. Your pout will beg to be whisked off for a weekend on the Rive Gauche, where it can be smooched in the style that it deserves.”

Ingredients:
1/4 cup castor oil
A pinch of cosmetic-grade mica in a color of your choice (for clear, disregard this step)
A few drops essential or flavor oil (choose your favorite, classic pepperment, or wacky root beer, green apple or bubble gum)
Six, 1/3 ounce mini roll-on bottles CLICK to buy!

Instructions:
In a small bowl, stir together the castor oil, mica and flavor oil. Decant the mixture into the roll-on bottles, pop in the roller ball and cap. It’s really that easy!

Give it a try! You never know, that perfect kiss may just need a little personalized work!

SOURCE: Beauty Magic: 101 recipes, spells and secrets. By Jennifer Knapp; Chronicle Books, 2004

The Post Gobble Blues…

I Ate Too Much Turkey

by Jack Prelutsky

I ate too much turkey,
I ate too much corn,
I ate too much pudding and pie,
I’m stuffed up with muffins
and much too much stuffin’,
I’m probably going to die.
I piled up my plate
and I ate and I ate,
but I wish I had known when to stop,
for I’m so crammed with yams,
sauces, gravies, and jams
that my buttons are starting to pop.
I’m full of tomatoes
and french fried potatoes,
my stomach is swollen and sore,
but there’s still some dessert,
so I guess it won’t hurt
if I eat just a little bit more.

One of my favorite childhood poems, and it has never rang so true as it does today. I spent the day in bed, trying desperately to will the food away from my thighs. Got up at about 2:30 and decided to take a shower. Wanted to try a new shower gel and ended up finding an anti-cellulite cream. If God speaks in symbols and signs, then God is screaming at me. So, I’ve decided to give it a try. The instructions say to use religiously for one month, twice a day, rubbing the effected area with upward motions. Today is day 1… I’ll check in again at around day 30 and tell you how my thighs are looking.
In the meantime, if you wanna try along with me, purchase a tube of Nuxe Tonific Minceur Ant-Cullulite Cream-Gel.
Here’s what the company says:
Nuxe TONIFIC® MINCEUR Anti-Cellulite Cream-Gel is a patented breakthrough that helps improve the appearance of Cellulite with an active ingredient of caffeine, which is one the best fat-fighting agents on the market today. Boosted by jangli seeds, derived from an Indian plant used in ayurvedic medicine, this cream-gel offers optimum anti-cellulite performance. The exclusive combination helps encourage the elimination of fatty deposits, peruvian Liana helps prevent new deposits from forming, while amazonian plants help tone skin. Apply morning and night, massaging with an upward motion focusing on specific areas, (thighs, buttocks, hips, stomach, etc.).

The results of an independent clinical study of 113 women found that after one month of applying the product twice a day 79% noticed a reduction in the appearance of cellulite, 86% noticed a reduction in the look of sponginess, and 84% noticed a reduction in the look of orange peel skin.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve always been a little suspect when companies boast about the “wrinkle eraser” or “celulite stopper” but hey, who am I to disobey God’s intentions?

1 MONTH… it’s on!

Gobble, Gobble…

WHAT I’M THANKFUL FOR…
I’m thankful for:
Nars Turkish Delight lip gloss – a “pink sorbet” color with mega shine minus the goo.
Kerastase Nutritive Elixer Oleo Relax hair drops – the most fabulous anti-friz serum in all of hair care land! (my mane is always soft, friz-free and curly when I use this product)
Marc Jacobs by Marc Jacobs perfume – a staple fragrance that smells of gardenia and musk. (I’ve worn this for the past 5 years and still continue to get loads of compliments)!
Kinerase Intensive Eye Cream – my new dark circle savior!!! It moisturizes and minimizes bags and darkness. Alas, I feel like a pre-teen again! (also a great base prior to using eye make-up!)
Kiehl’s Coriander Bath and Shower Liquid Body Cleanser and Hand and Body Lotion – an old favorite past time that has become a new and welcomed bathing treat! The smell is a delicious blend of Winter richness that lathers and rinses leaving my skin soft and radiant. And the lotion compliments the shower gel, moisturizing and reviving dehydrated skin.
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion – the closest thing that I’ve found to a zit zapper. This is a miracle product that literally dries out those nasty little pimples overnight! It’s like magic!
MAC Splashproof PowerPoint Eye Pencil in Engraved – a liner that goes on strong and lasts so long! Easy to apply and fun to smudge… I use it to line my lids as well as that sensitive area inside of my eye! (very mysterious….)
Tend Skin Razor Bump Solution – An oldie, but goodie! After a painful wax in that “intimate area,” Tend Skin is a welcomed soother. It actually rids the region of redness and ingrown hairs! TRICK!!! Tend Skin can also be used on acne for a quick fix… 1,2,3 and the pimple is gone!
C.O. Bigelow’s Dr. Hiosous Quince Hand Lotion – a salve that literally saves my chapped and cracked hands! All natural, it smells of a mixture of fruit extracts and carrot oil and it lasts for an unearthly amount of time. This is my absolute favorite hand cream in the world… I never leave home without it!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY FELLOW BEAUTY WHORES!

Vegas, Baby… Part 1

I spent this past weekend in Las Vegas… not exactly the beauty capital of the world. Casino’s may be fun for gamblers, but for a beauty addict like moi, it can be a dirty, smokey, polluted hub of complete debauchery. Alas, I found a beauty secret so fabulous that I couldn’t help but share it with my fellow beauty whores.
Why do stripper’s have such soft and silky skin?
Here’s the trick… Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lotion, a cream available at any drug store nation wide. It smells the slightest bit engaging (hence, the reason that stripper’s smell so irresistable), and it nourishes the skin like no other (a must after spending ANY time in a Las Vegas casino… trust me, I left with dehydrated hair and skin!)
Cocoa Butter is also said to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite (no wonder why stripper’s have such incredible bodies!). So, try it, and feel as sexy as a stripper!

WEEKLY MUST-HAVE

I recently ran out of my skin-saving astrigent, Kiehl’s Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion, and I haven’t had a moment to drive over to the Kiehl’s store on Robertson Blvd. Thus, in a bit of a skin pinch, I began rummaging through the containers of random beauty products that I have tucked away in every corner of my house. Low and behold, I found my new favorite skin product: Celibre’s Vitamin C Antioxidant Cleansing Pads (left). God knows where these appeared from, but they have become my new saving grace. I have normal to oily skin that has a tendency to break-out during the most inopportune times (like right before an event…) so my daily skin routine is vital in maintaining a healthy appearance. These Vitamin C pads are pre-soaked in a special solution that not only cleans out the pores (you can tell it’s working when you start to feel that slight tingle…), but also leaves my skin looking youthful, fresh and almost plump (in a good way… like my skin just soaked up a myriad of vitamins or drank a liter of water!).
A word (or several) from the company:
These unique Antioxidant Cleansing Pads are specially formulated with antioxidants and citrus extracts to gently cleanse the skin. The pads remove skin oil and debris while leaving behind a rich blend of skin enhancing antioxidants and citrus extracts.
Not to say that I will never return to my Blue Astrigent Herbal Lotion, but I’ll definately be giving these fabulous pads some face time!
CLICK TO BUY!