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Archives for July 2008

Interactive Drugstore Beauty Shopping

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Thanks to French beauty brands like Vichy, your drugstore beauty shopping experience may be more interactive in the not-to-distant future.

The 77-year-old French skin care and makeup line, known for products formulated with mineral-rich waters, is leading the charge to change the drugstore beauty department experience by adding in-store beauty advisers and offering free samples and testers — perks previously reserved for boutiques and department store beauty counters.

Five years ago, Vichy introduced their products in CVS and Brooks Pharmacy drugstores in the US. Unlike other drugstore beauty lines that were stocked on regular store shelves, Vichy began selling its products through in-store “dermatological skin centers” staffed by trained beauty advisers.

Today, Vichy skin care centers can be found in select Rite Aid, CVS, Duane Reade and Longs Drugstore stores, and, by the end of this year, Vichy plans to have them in a total of 1,000 stores nationwide.

“The presence of the dermatological skin care centers has elevated drugstores’ beauty departments, noted Philippe Patsalides, general manager of Active Cosmetics USA, the L’Oréal division that houses Vichy. Drugstores ‘are perceived as convenience stores, but they are working to change into beauty destinations.'”
– Women’s Wear Daily

Remember the rise of beauty vending machines a few months ago? Now we’ve got the opposite end of the customer service spectrum.

Although one of the reasons I like shopping at drugstores is the fact that I can browse without really having to interact with legions of salespeople, I like the notion of having a beauty adviser available if I have questions.

I haven’t been to a drugstore with a Vichy dermatological skin center yet, but I’m looking forward to checking ’em out.

What do you think about staffed drugstore beauty counters? Do you think they might lead to higher prices? Would you prefer to shop drugstores on your own?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Splurge or Steal: Moisturize in a Flash with ModelCo Skin Drink Airbrush Moisturizer or CVS Soft Skin Spray

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Are you always pressed for time? Do you squeeze in quickie gym workouts on your lunch hour? If you’re one of those gals who could use a few extra minutes in your day, then *toot* *toot*, climb aboard the spray moisturizer train. Much quicker to apply and faster absorbing than traditional body lotions and creams, spray aerosol or pump moisturizers definitely save time.

They shave minutes off my morning routine, freeing up time for important things like feeding the neighbor’s tabby cat (he’s such a user!) or having a second cup of java.

Here are two spray-on moisturizers I like. The first will set you back a pretty penny; the second will save you a few bucks.

Splurge: ModelCo’s Skin Drink Airbrush Moisturizer

At $30, ModelCo’s Skin Drink Airbrush Moisturizer costs an arm and a leg, but this green tea-scented aerosol works like a dream. It requires virtually no effort to moisturize your entire body with this bad boy (lazy people, raise ya’ hands up!). You don’t even have to massage it in. I like to wait about 30 seconds after spraying it on to let it dry before putting on clothes. This is the fastest moisturizer I’ve ever used, hands down, and gives me more time to pursue my various attempts at world domination.

The 230-ml can is about the same size as a large can of hairspray, but it still fits comfortably in one hand. The nozzle creates a large radius of mist, which covers lots of skin surface area, and the spray even works when you hold the can upside down (to get hard-to-reach places like your back, thighs and bum… that might be TMI).

When I first used it I was tempted to over-spray because it’s just so fun and easy to do, but a little spray goes a long way.

Vitamins and natural extracts like ginkgo, papaya, green tea and bamboo make ModelCo Skin Drink Airbrush very skin friendly. As a moisturizer, I found it about as effective as Lubriderm Sensitive Skin Lotion, but not quite as moisturizing as Aveeno. Its biggest drawback is price. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Steal: CVS Soft Skin Spray

Not one to be outdone, CVS carries a great spray-on moisturizer of their own. Soft Skin Spray is a drugstore option patterned after Avon’s Skin So Soft, a famous liquid moisturizer spray (which, incidentally, works well as a bug repellent, even though it wasn’t intended to).

Unlike ModelCo’s Skin Drink, CVS Soft Skin Spray is a liquid spray, not an aerosol. CVS carries a small 2-oz travel bottle for $3. That’s a pretty good deal, perfect for a gym bag or shower caddy.

Because of its liquid spray pump, expect to spend a little bit more time and effort using Soft Skin Spray than you would with Skin Drink. I also have to physically rub the product into my skin for it to absorb, and that takes a minute or two.
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FLASH: Failed WordPress Upgrade Drives Beauty Blogger to Drink!

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OMG! I’ve had the least fun Saturday morning ever. Going to the dentist would have been more pleasurable. I tried to upgrade the version of WordPress on the blog because the latest version has a couple features that would come in handy. Needless to say, it did not go as planned. I’m really sorry the blog was offline for so long. I honestly thought it was going to take no more than 20 minutes.

To understand why I mistakenly thought that, I would like to direct your attention to the following quote on the WordPress.org site:

“2.6 is pretty much identical to 2.5 from a plugin and theme compatibility point of view, so upgrades from 2.5 should be pretty painless.”

Yeah… I’m gonna have to disagree with them on that.

Thank gawd for backups!

So, I’m stuck using version 2.5 for now, but that’s no big deal. Lawd knows when I’ll have the courage to try the upgrade again.

Well, I’m off to go get drunk now. I’ll be back after I’ve numbed the pain.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Gwen Stefani Harajuku Lovers Fragrances: September 2008

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I ain’t no holla back girl, but I’ll follow the legions of Gwen Stefani fans to the Macy’s perfume counter this September to check out Harajuku Lovers, Gwen’s latest line of fragrances. I get fired up for everything Gwen does, so I’m looking forward to this release.

Aren’t the bottle tops SO CUTE? They represent Gwen and her back up dancers.

Five fragrances make up up the set.

Harajuku Lovers

  • Love — a floral with notes of bergamot, pomelo (citrus, a little like grapefruit), peach, rose, jasmine, orchid and musk

  • Lil’ Angel — a fruity floral with with notes of different berries (raspberry, cranberry, blackberry), pineapple, rose and amber

  • Music — a floral with notes of clementine, pear, jasmine, sweet pea, honeysuckle, vanilla and musk

  • Baby — a powder musk with freesia, bergamot, rose, jasmine, musk, heliotrope, vanilla and violet

  • G — a food lover’s fragrance with mandarin, coconut, apple, freesia and sandalwood

With all the fruit up in the mix, I wished that at least one of the scents would have bananas (B-A-N-A-N-A-S) just so I could sing along! But, alas, ’twas not meant to be.

Each fragrance will come in two different sizes — $45 for a 30-ml bottle and $25 for a 10-ml. I bet Baby and Music will hit all my fragrance buttons. They’d look so cute together on my dresser. Maybe they’ll come alive at night when I’m sleeping… OooOOoooo!

Look for Gwen’s Harajuku Lovers perfumes at Macy’s fragrance counters this September.

Aren’t you glad it’s Friday? This was a long week, and that makes today extra sweet.
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6 Minutes with Sarah Jessica Parker

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I wasn’t the only person kickin’ it in the BEAST yesterday. Sarah Jessica Parker arrived at the Macy’s Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton early yesterday to promote her new fragrance, sign autographs and to cause a general frenzy amongst the East Bay natives, which included women of all ages, a sprinkling of dudes and a lady with a white parrot on her shoulder.

SJP was very nice and cordial in person and looked great in her Peter Soronen dress, Fred Leighton necklace and sequined Miu Miu heels (*so fab*). We talked briefly before she left to sign autographs for fans in the store.

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The $29 Drugstore Beauty Roundup

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I love drugstores, and not just for the ice cream. Entering Walgreens is like entering another realm. I love everything about drugstores — the soothing soma-esque music, how they lock up the perfume in glass cases, the weird seasonal lawn gnomes, the Christmas ornaments, the kiddie pools — I love it all.

And weird people always hang out at drugstores in the middle of the night. I know this because I am one of them, and I’m never the only person there. 🙂

No self-respecting drugstore is complete without a beauty section, and here are some of my favorite drugstore beauty finds, all together costing a whopping $29.

  • Bag Balm is Udderly Fantastic, $6
    “[From the label]… thoroughly wash treated teats and udder with separate towels before each milking. To avoid contamination after each milking, bath the udder with plenty of hot water, strip milk out and dry skin. Apply BAG BALM freely and massage gently with this proven ointment twice daily. This product contains no alcohol.”

  • Neutrogena MoistureShine Lip Soother SPF 20 Lipgloss, $6
    “At $14 bucks a pop, I’m not about to risk losing Glosswear, so on beach trips I’m bringing along my tube of Neutrogena MoistureShine Lip Soother SPF 20 in Sheen ($6). This lil’ tube of gloss works like a charm, costs half as much as Glosswear does and still provides great SPF protection.”

  • Rimmel London Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in Jungle Green, $3
    “This beautiful emerald eyeliner is soft, glides easily, has all-day lasting power and gives a shimmery pop of color. And it’s only $2.99 at Walgreens, hello! If you’re feelin’ the itch to try a jewel-toned green liner, this is the perfect way to test the waters without having to spend a lot of money.”

  • Freeman Papaya and Lime Overboard Shine Conditioner, $4
    “I got softer hair this week for $3.99. I think that’s quite an accomplishment. I’ve been conditioner washing with Freeman Papaya and Lime Overboard Shine Conditioner, and now my hair is so smooth and bouncy-looking that I feel like I belong in a hair commercial, running like a fool with my arms up through a field of flowers while dappled sunlight caresses my new $3.99 hair. Fo’ reals.”

  • Maybelline Pure Makeup Foundation, $6
    “I lurves my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, but truth be told my cheap ass hates having to pay $42.00 for it. There’s got to be a decent drugstore foundation out there that doesn’t cause break-outs. Could the answer be Maybelline’s Pure Makeup foundation?”

  • Crest Vivid White Toothpaste, $4
    “Just when I thought that I met the coolest dentist ever, she frightened the bejeebus out of me by giving me a totally scary lecture on the importance of gum health. There were many, many, many frightening pictures of gingivitis and swollen gums. It ain’t pretty, folks. I’ve been touting the virtues of mint floss ever since.”

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Sonic Chic, New View and Electro Flash Face of the Day

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Hey, hey! I’m on my way to the BEAST right now (East Bay in Pig Latin, ladies) for work stuff, but here’s a quickie look I did yesterday with a few items from MAC’s new releases — Sonic Chic, New View and Electro Flash.

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The eyes

Thanks to the texture and quality of the products in these collections, the eyes weren’t difficult at all. I began by priming my lids with MAC Bare Canvas Paint and dusting the dark marbled green shade of Fresh Green Mix Mineralize Eye Shadow duo on the lid and barely into the crease.
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Suave Daily Exfoliating Body Wash: Clean More, Spend Less

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At $3, Suave Daily Exfoliating Body Wash is cheap, but it’s not cheap in a polyester pants kinda way. It’s the other kind of cheap, the good cheap. You get three products rolled into one gigantic 12-ounce bottle — an exfoliating, cleansing, moisturizing beast!

I like gentle exfoliating products, not products that feel like sand paper against my skin, and Daily Exfoliating Body Wash’s teeny bits of crushed apricot seed buff away dirt and excess skin without being abrasive. Matter of fact, it’s so non-abrasive that I can use it on delicate body parts like the pits and the girls.

It lathers into a soft, cushy foam that smells like a coconut and pineapple pina colada. Not only do I think it smells great, but it cleans like the dickens, removing every ounce of dirt, sweat and crusty sunblock.

After rinsing, my skin feels soft and clean but not quite as soft as it feels after using MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. Not a problem considering the cost differential between the two products. On an ounce-per-ounce basis, MAC’s exfoliator costs almost 20 times as much, WOWZA!

I may never fully rid myself of these impure thoughts about C. Bale, but at least I can get my dirty birdy bod clean for three bucks.

I almost want to get filthy just so I can wash with this and think about all the money I’m saving by using it.

Almost.
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