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Archives for April 2010

New in Beauty, April 14: Paul and Joe Sahara Sparkles and Urban Decay’s Face Case

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New in Beauty

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Physicans Formula Healthy Wear Bronzer: A Trifecta of Skin Lurving Benefits?

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Well bake me biscuits, and cover me in gravy!

[Sorry, I’ve been re-watching True Blood: Season 1]

Now here I go being all wrong about bronzers… I always thought they were for adding a warm, almost-tanned look to skin. Not true, says Physicians Formula, or rather, that’s not all they can do.

New Healthy Wear Bronzer gives a sun-kissed glow but couples it with healthful skin benefits.

The new line of powdered bronzers includes four $15 shades — pricey for drugstore makeup — but PF claims that’s because you get a bunch of bells and whistles with ’em too:

  • SPF 50: As in non-greasy, mineral-based (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide) SPF 50 sunscreen to keep you aging gracefully
  • Antioxidants: To help repair UV damage
  • Skin brighteners: Namely licorice extract and tomato derivatives, to brighten skin and diminish the appearance of sun/age spots

So, how do they do ya?
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CORRECTION: You CAN Touch Chanel Noir Et Or

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Okay, so I *totally* get the glam 1930’s/’40s Shanghai thing Chanel says they were going for with the new Noir et Or (“Black and Gold”) collection, but oooh, gurrl, I’m getting some strong MC Hammer vibes too!

If Hammer had seen this collection way back when he was scooting across stages, he might have asked, “Can I touch this?”

Why? Because it’s so hot, and so timeless.

Was the Chanel crew intentionally referencing questionable late ’80s hip-hop fashion and style when they thought up the four-piece collection for eyes and nails? Probably not … but wouldn’t it have been awesome if they had? 🙂

Inspiration for the collection

Chanel Global Creative Director Peter Philips brought Noir et Or into being for the Chanel Metier D’Art fashion show in Shanghai, drawing upon the spirit of Ms. Coco herself (as he often does)!

Where can I find it?

That’s a good question. Get ready for a beauty hunt of sorts, Chanelophiles, because it might take some effort to track down. The three polishes and eye duo are available now, but they aren’t being carried at regular Chanel counters (huh?).

You can, however, find them at Chanel boutiques, Makeup Studios and online at chanel.com.

I guess Chanel was aiming to create an extra sense of exclusivity this time around.

A closer look…

Of the four pieces in the collection, I’m digging the polishes the most ($25 each). Black Velvet, Gold Lame and Illusion d’or all have that classic Chanel polish texture you know and love — thick (but not too thick) and smooth, with a gorgeous, glossy finish that just says, “Chanel.”

Le Vernis Nail Colour in Illusion d’or

The gold and purple shimmer bits swimming gleefully through this clear polish are just as beautiful on nails as they are in the bottle, yet despite the bits, the polish dries to a smooth finish. Yup, ain’t no grit in this game.
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Two Ways to Win MAC Zinc Zone Greasepaint Stick

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  • The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner, Kelly! Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

G’mawning, ladies. 🙂 The MAC Art Supplies collection’s been out for a couple of weeks now … which in MAC time’s like an ETERNITY. Have you gotten a chance to play with any of the Greasepaint Sticks from the release?

They’re the chubby, flexible pencils you’ve seen in the promo pics. I love ’em because they double as shadows AND eyeliners… I have a soft spot for products that multi-task.

For our first blog task here today, I thought we’d start with a giveaway, it being Tuesday and all.

Are you ready?

The prize

One lucky lady will win MAC’s Greasepaint Stick in Zinc Zone, a shimmery gunmetal eye crayon liner that doubles as an eyeshadow (an $18 value).

How to enter…

2ways2enterEntering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.

First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. In it, tell me about an eye product you’ve been loving lately, and share what makes it special.

Lately I’ve been practically sleeping with my MAC Technakohl liners… It’s true lurve! And they’re totally hooked on my waterline, meaning they stay put there all day long, and better still — they don’t even have to be sharpened. How cool is that!?

Follow me
Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:

Follow @karenmbb and RT to win MAC Zinc Zone Greasepaint Stick (an $18 Value) http://bit.ly/9Wo686

Recap…

  1. Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.
  2. Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:

    Follow @karenmbb and RT to win MAC Zinc Zone Greasepaint Stick (an $18 Value) http://bit.ly/9Wo686

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Thursday, April 15.

Bona lluita!!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

  • The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner, Kelly! Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

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