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The Weekend Beauty Roundup – August 4, 2007

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Good morning! Grab your cup o’ joe and settle in for The Weekend Beauty Round Up!

A Touch of Blusher reviews Erth Minerals.

Beauty and Fashion Tech breaks down the Lumene Skin Product Line.

Lipstick, Powder and Paint reveals some Summer Bag Basics.

Face Candy extends the Smokey Eye Contest.

Life of a Ladybug test drives Smashbox and Tarte’s cheekstains.

Today my 30 days of obscene cardio begins. My goal is to make it through an hour-long spinning class at the end of thirty days at full tilt cardio (and to also earn a Lauren Merkin bag as a lil’ self reward!)

Have a fantastic weekend, and wear your sunscreen.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup Events – The American Beauty Tour Opens in San Francisco

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The American Beauty Tour kicked off on Sunday, July 22, 2007 in San Francisco at the W Hotel

This past Sunday, July 22, I got up at the crack o’ dawn and headed over to San Francisco for the opening session of The American Beauty Tour.

The speaker, celebrity makeup artist Billy B., offered tips on making it in the competitive world of the makeup industry, makeup application and life in general. Cheesy as it sounds, I was actually really inspired. [Continue reading…]

Fabulous post-vacation skin and hair products to the rescue!

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I got back from my fun-in-the-sun Hawaii vacation and found that frolicking in the saltwater, sand and sun did a number on my skin and hair. So last week I was all about skin and hair repair! I found these lovely products helped to get my post-vacation self scrubbed, moisturized and glowy.
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Origins Incredible Spreadable Scrub & Exfoliating gloves from Parissa
Here’s your math for the day: Incredible Spreadable Scrub plus exfoliating gloves from Parissa equals skin smoother than a baby’s butt. Seriously. Incredible Spreadable Scrub is a salt and olive oil based exfoliator, so if you have open cuts or just got waxed don’t use it cause it will hurt like a mofo. But if your post-vacay skin is need of some serious scrubbing then this gets the job done.

The one thing that I’ve found that takes this scrub from good to great are the white exfoliating gloves which come “free” in Parissa’s waxing kits. I wax at home, so I accumulate quite a few of these gloves. And even though I’ve used other brands of exfoliating gloves in the past, for some reason the ones from the Parissa kits get the job done really well.

Don’t be surprised if you end up leaving a ring around the tub. I’m serious ladies and gents … it works.

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Ocean Potion Aloe Gel
This is the best aloe gel I’ve ever used. It’s light, absorbs easily, doesn’t feel sticky and is super hydrating. I hardly ever peel but when I get the sense that my skin has had too much fun-in-the-sun I slap a layer of this on at night on my arms, shoulders, or wherever it feels dry and tight and my skin is as good as new the next morning. You don’t need to use a lot and at seven bucks a bottle it’s quite a steal.

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Bumble & Bumble Super Rich Conditioner
The price tag is steep on this conditioner but it is well worth the price if you’ve got hair that’s dried out from saltwater, chlorine and sun exposure. The texture is thick but not goopy, and it sinks right in. I use a small dollop and concentrate on the ends and voila — soft and shiny hair! And did I mention the smell is divine? It’s light and floral, like honeysuckle.

I’ve got a bad case of post-vacation blues. I think I miss being in the water more than anything else. If you live somehwere where the ocean temperature is 70 degrees take a dip or go surfing for me today so I can live vicariously through you!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog’s Sunscreen 101 – What you need to know before you buy sunscreen

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Here’s my mental run through before I head to the beach: Flip-flops? Check. Cute bikini? Check. Cowboy hat? Check. Sunscreen? CHECK, CHECK, CHECK!

While many people associate sunscreen as something that you only use during the summer months, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 every day of the year. I am proud to say that I’m a year-round sunscreen girl, a sunscreen connoisseur of sorts! [Continue reading…]

Makeup Storage for Traveling and Vacation; Makeup and Beauty Blog’s Travel Makeup List

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Here’s a pic of my travel makeup:

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Ziplocs aren’t sexy, I know.

I go on trips a few times a year, and at the airport I always see at least one cute girl hauling a sleek, heavy-looking train case full of makeup to her gate – and I’m always glad it’s not me.

While I like the thought of having access to all of my makeup while I’m on vacation, I don’t want to have to carry it around from plane to train to car to boat to rickshaw to … well, you get the picture. Basically I don’t want to haul around more than I have to. And I also don’t want to risk breaking or losing blushes, eye shadows and other products while I’m in transit. [Continue reading…]

A Quick Beauty Tip – Beauty Tip — How to Get the Last Few Drops of Product Out of Tubes of Hair Gel, Acne Medication, Body Lotion, etc.

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Yet another reason to keep a small pair of scissors in your bathroom — they are handy for getting out the last remnants of product out of tubes or hair gel, acne medication, body lotion or whatever you’ve got in a tube that’s down to it’s last droplets. I’ve found this trick handy during moments of sheer product desperation. And truth be told, I use this trick a lot ‘cause I’m cheap and hate throwing out the last few bits of anything I paid good money for, ha ha ha.

So this morning after I got out of the shower I reached for my tube of Bath & Body Works Cherry Blossom Body Cream this morning I realized that I was all out. This product comes in a tube, not a bottle, so I first tried the old trick where you shake the tube, hit the cap against you palm a few times and then squeeze the remainder of the product out. After that didn’t work any more, I grabbed the scissors from the medicine cabinet, cut off the tube in two, and used my fingers to dig into the cap area where the last of the lotion remained. And then those last bits of lotion were mine!

The official vacation count down is on! I’m going to Hawaii in t-minus 28 days. I can’t wait to surf in warm water and to hang out with my family! What are your vacation plans for the summer?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Three Resources for Finding Spas Online

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I’m in charge of finding a spa for our girl’s surf/spa trip down to San Diego next weekend, so the other day I fished around online for some good websites with spa recommendations and reviews.

Spa Magazine has a great spa directory that covers most of the United Sates, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, South and Central America and Asia. The featured spas are lush and indulgent so if you’re looking for serious pampering (and some serious money spending) then this is the site to explore.

The San Diego spas I found on this site looked pretty amazing. All were tied to big resorts and hotels and very chi-chi-foo-foo fancy. If I had access to unlimited amount o’ money I’d hit the spa at the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado in Del Mar. The spa has 21 treatment rooms, hydrotherapy, relaxation areas for men and women and steam rooms, and a newly opened private terrace that overlooks the hotel’s Windsor Lawn and the Pacific Ocean.

Del Mar is supposed to have a fun surf beach on 15th street and a nice promenade for post-surfing beers. My perfect day would include surfing all the morning, lunching on the promenade, then hit the spa afterward for a Deep Tissue Massage and a purifying facial.

Hotel Del Corondao Spa Whirlpool

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Allure also has a good spa finder as well, although not as extensive.

ICE Spa lounge

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Unfortunately my cup does not runneth over with the cash flow, so I headed on over to Yelp to find more budget minded options. I think we’re going to go the I.C.E. Spa, which looks totally cute and a bit more affordable.

I can’t wait to go. I haven’t had a good spa day since last July with my friend Christine in Hawaii. I am due for a good pummeling deep tissue massage.

This past weekend I finally got my license in the mail. Anything is better than my old license, where I’m full on squinting and looking confused (it’s the DMV picture guy’s fault cause I received no warning before he took the pic). The same DMV picture guy took this recent photo, and it is clearly evident that he hates what he’s doing, because he does nothing to make your pic all that it can be. Despite this, I have to say that my picture turned out pretty good. Before angry DMV picture guy snapped the pic, I tried to sneak in a body turn at the last second, and the result was a high-school senior-esque picture where I’m looking off into the distance at the bright future ahead, lol.

Hope you have some fun in the sun this Monday.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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