Here is what is going on around the web with some of my fellow Total Beauty bloggers. Check them out!
Lilan from The Daily Cookie contributes to The Beauty Ideal web magazine this month and gives you the skinny on lip plumpers!
Find out why HoT Scent Boutique body scrub is now a top fave for Casual Lavish.
A Mom in Red High Heels tries a cosmetic line that leaves her looking and feeling less than perfect. Find out which products she won't be trying again.
Makeup2Beauty shares tips on how to wear silver and gray eyeshadow. And shows you how you can try on your favorite stars "Hollywood Hair Styles".
Beauty's Spot has the secret on Clarisonic by mailorder!
The Muse features her very favorite, holy grail mascara from Japan (Nope, not Fiberwig!)!
Mischo Beauty has a fabulous reader who wrote in to share why she loves Sunsilk’s De-Frizz 24/7 Crème.
The Beauty of Life hearkens back to her childhood with Bonne Bell LipSmackers. Check out her favorites!
Budget Beauty Love shares her thoughts on a makeup book full of eyeshadow inspiration.
Christine from Beauty in Real Life, gives us the lowdown on her favorite perfume. Can you guess what it is?
Joy from Makeup Junkie is doing a Three Custom Color Specialists Promo for April! Don't forget to check it out and check out her new online store Makeup Junkie Online Beauty Shop!
Monique at beauty girl musings recalls how her beauty addiction began...and still continues today
Toya from The Life of A Ladybug tries 100% Pure Cosmetics - with real fruit pigments!
Weekly Web Tour
Finally! A Drugstore Brand I Like
I was hanging out in Rite Aid the other day waiting for my prescriptions to be refilled, and thought I would check out the latest offerings from the drugstore beauty brands. I had heard a lot about L'Oreal's Infallible Lipstick, most of it quite good, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
I picked Teaberry, thinking it would be a nice light summer color. The directions state to apply the color, wait for it to dry for two minutes, then apply the gloss. Easy enough. After following the directions, I settled in to wait and see how long it would actually last.
Eight hours later, it was still there, and looking quite good. It had gone through one caramel macchiato, one espresso shot (no comments about my coffee habit, please), one lunch of miso soup, three glasses of water, and a full day of work. I did touch up the gloss about midway through my day, but only because my lips were feeling dry, and I have a habit of always glossing my lips.
I am seriously impressed with this product. It lasted even longer than my Revlon, my MAC, and most of my lip stains. My only complaint is that the gloss smells like some sort of horrible cotton candy from circuses of my childhood, but that's a small price to pay for this kind of lasting color, and I don't imagine you have to use the included gloss if it grosses you out too much.
I will be going back for some other shades.
Photo via ulta.com, which has this product on sale for $8.99!
Summer Lovin': Emjoi Soft Caress Epilator
I never thought that I'd be able to handle epilation. Basically, these handheld battery-operated machines have a tweezing function that remove each individual hair from the root, usually from large areas such as legs, arms, underarms, even bikini lines. I knew logically that it couldn't possibly be much different than waxing or even tweezing, but I'd heard all the horror stories about the different brands, like EpiLady. Remember when you could buy that at Macys? No? I'm probably older than you.
At any rate, I started to notice that my "tan from a can" wasn't holding up well on my lower legs. It stood to reason that the reason why was that I was exfoliating that area every day by shaving, resulting in a rather uneven tan. I really didn't want to let the hair grow out and wax, nor did I want to incur that extra cost and time investment of heading to the salon every two weeks to get that done. So I did what any other product junkie would do and started checking out all the reviews on different epilators. I settled on the one that everyone seemed to like the best, the Emjoi Soft Caress. After much trepidation, I settled in to see just how bad this was going to be.
Are you waiting for my horror story? Well, there isn't one. The first time I used it it was a bit uncomfortable, but certainly nothing alarming. I quickly got used to the pulling sensation, and eventually it stopped bothering me at all. Probably because the areas I was going over were already smooth and didn't have any hair to remove. I did one shin and my bikini line the first time. The next day I went back and cleaned up the leg and did the other one. Uncomfortable, not that painful. Although, I will say, everyone has a different pain tolerance - I have a tattoo on my left calf, and it certainly wasn't anything near what I felt when I got that.
The best part about it is the time it lasts. Because it removes hair from the root and not just the surface growth, I'm getting well over a week with no maintenance, and best of all? An even fake tan. Bonus!
Available at folica.com, emjoi.com, and ulta.com.
Image courtesy folica.com.
Nordstrom.com Offers Free Gift
Spend $100 on a beauty or fragrance purchase at my favorite store, Nordstrom, and get this super cute pink tote filled with the following:
Bare Escentuals® RareMinerals™ Facial Cleanser (0.05 oz.)I'm tempted! It's online only, though.
Bliss The Youth as We Know It Moisturizer (0.1 oz.)
Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Eye Contour Serum (0.1 oz.)
DKNY Delicious Night Eau de Parfum Spray (0.05 oz.)
Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Body Lotion (0.2 oz.)
Erno Laszlo TranspHuse Topical sample
GoSMILE AM/PM Whitening Protection Toothpastes samples
Juicy Couture Royal Body Crème (0.25 oz.)
Kinerase® Cream with SPF 30 (0.1 oz.)
Lancôme Rénergie Double Performance Anti-Wrinkle and Firming Treatment (0.5 oz.)
Lancôme Rénergie Night—Night Treatment (0.5 oz.)
L'Occitane Shea Hand Cream (0.3 oz.)
Missoni Acqua Eau de Toilette Spray (0.07 oz.)
Narciso Rodriguez For Him eau de toilette spray (0.04 oz.)
Origins Modern Friction™ Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion (0.17 oz.)
philosophy hope in a jar eye & lip cream (0.25 oz.)
Prescriptives Lash Envy Volumizing Mascara (0.08 oz.)
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light (0.5 oz.)
Eyeshadow Photos.
Need some inspiration? This video is composed mostly of amazing eye looks. While I couldn't carry most of them off, it certainly makes me want to step it up a notch!
Maidenform's Breakthrough Backless Bra
I am absolutely fascinated with this bra! The Breakthrough Backless Bra is made with silicone on the wire channeling to prevent slippage, and apparently works under a number of backless tops and dresses. I have a gorgeous Michael Kors dress that I have never been able to wear due to the backless aspect of it, and now I might actually get a chance to try it out. With backless becoming so popular this season, it certainly is a great time to come up with something inventive like this. And yes, it's for us larger busted girls too - the Maidenform press release claims that it was designed for "full figured females":The Breakthrough™ Backless Bra features light-weight microfiber fabric that is soft to the touch, with seamless molded foam cups that deliver smooth shaping under clothes. Combined with a two-way stretch technology, the bra provides a maneuverable fit with excellent flexibility. Designed with the full-figured female in mind, the bra allows women with even large busts to flaunt their sexy backs like never before!
I'm ordering one now, and will report back on the effectiveness of it.
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