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Magic Mascara Wands and Brushes

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It’s official: folks are gettin’ CRAZY with mascara brushes! Some of the biggest names in the biz, like Lancome, Cover Girl and MAC, are coming out with unusual mascara brushes, some that vibrate, and others shaped like miniature plastic combs or corkscrews.

Don’t throw out your old fashioned mascara brushes just yet, but you may want to give one of the newer breed of brushes a try.

Cover Girl’s Lash Blast and Lancome’s High Definicil mascaras sport short, stubby plastic bristles that look futuristic and efficient, while MAC Plushlash and Dior DiorShow supersize things with extra large brush heads and super long bristles.

Bristles in Motion

Beyond simple changes to brush size and bristle shape, some companies are coming out with battery-powered wands with vibrating brush heads. Look out, Harry Potter!

A few months ago, Spinlash ($15) released a powered wand with a spinning brush head (see it in action on Bellasugar’s blog), and since then several other lines have followed suit.

Estee Lauder’s vibrating Turbo Lash ($30) launched two weeks ago (currently sold out online), and Lancome’s much-hyped Oscillation Mascara ($34) arrives this November (but goes on early sale tomorrow for one day only).

An Irrational Fear

I’m careful about the products I’ll use around my eyes. If it emits heat, vibrates or drips (wax — so scary!), I keep it far, far away from my peepers. I can’t lie; I’m afraid I’ll poke an eye out. Maybe someday I’ll get over my clumsiness, but until then I’d rather avoid the inevitable 911 phone call (“Hello? I just poked my eye out with my vibrating mascara wand!”).

Despite my lack of coordination, Lancome’s Oscillation has already garnered rave reviews. The big beauty guns at Allure had very good things to say about it.

I haven’t gotten up the courage to wield it yet, but it is a highly anticipated product. Once you’ve used it, please let me know what you think. Just be careful you don’t poke your eye out.

Although its official launch isn’t until November, Lancome’s Oscillation Mascara will be available for purchase, one day only, on July 31. Find it online and at select Lancome counters nationwide.

Online

California

  • Brea: The Lancome Boutique at the Brea Mall
  • Costa Mesa: Nordstrom at South Coast Plaza
  • San Francisco: Macy’s Union Square
  • Santa Clara: The Lancome Boutique at the Valley Fair Mall

Florida

  • Miami: Macy’s at the Dadeland Mall

Georgia

  • Atlanta: Macy’s at the Lenox Square Mall

Illinois

  • Chicago: Macy’s on State Street and Bon-Ton at the Yorktown Mall

New Jersey

  • Short Hills: The Lancome Boutique at the Short Hills Mall

New York

  • New York City: Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s 59th Street, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s Herald Square and the Lancome boutique on Columbus Avenue

Texas

  • Dallas: Dillard’s and the Lancome Boutique at NorthPark Center
  • Houston: Neiman Marcus at the Galleria

Crazy Brush Heads

I haven’t gotten on board the vibrating brush head train yet, but I am totally down for mascara brushes with unusually shaped heads.
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80% off Napa Valley Sandals at Aerosoles

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Hi, ladies! I stopped by the mall after work and had to share an awesome sale. Check out these super cute Aerosoles platform shoes. What do ya think? They’re on sale right now, marked down from $89 to $19.99. That’s almost 80% off!

The shoe is “Napa Valley” (patent leather) and comes in three colors: black, green and yellow.

I really wanted the black pair, but they only had my size in yellow.

Even though they’re three-inch heels, they feel so comfortable on my feet. That’s Aerosoles, for ya. The soles are cushy, and the shape feels like it has good arch support.

Just reporting for my fellow shoe mavens out there. 🙂

How was Monday? I’m home now, trying to catch up on comments before I attack the dishes in the sink.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

How to Attend a Free Chanel Master Makeup Class

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Did you know Chanel provides free makeup classes for customers? The sessions are called Chanel Master Classes, and I went to my very first one last Saturday at my neighborhood Macy’s store.

Department store-sponsored makeup classes typically involve a group of customers observing how an artist applies makeup to a model. I’ve been to a few of them before, and while they’re fun (especially if you go with a friend) and good for a tip or two, they aren’t hands-on and can be kinda boring.

But there was nothing boring about the Chanel Master Class. Chanel makes sure you get your feet wet, so to speak. Instead of merely observing someone else apply makeup, you also get to do your own.

Interactive, Small Classes

Class sizes are kept small — just 12-16 students — so you don’t feel lost in the crowd. You get your own work station, complete with hand-held mirror and a cup filled with gloriously silky Chanel brushes. As an instructor demonstrates each technique on a model in the front of the class, you get to follow along with them, duplicating each technique on yourself.

In addition to the main instructor at the front of the class, a Chanel artist also sits with you to help you pick out colors and to be available to answer any questions you might have. Education + makeup + fun + snacks (cookies, crackers and bottled water) = Karen’s idea of a hella good time. 🙂

These courses are more than simply an opportunity to learn (not that there’s anything wrong with learning); you also get to play with soooo much Chanel. The entire Chanel makeup line is at your disposal to test, touch and drool over. HOLLA!

And if you know what products you want to try beforehand, you can ask your makeup artist for help. So awesome!

Going into the class, I knew I wanted to try the Emerald Coast eye shadow duo and Indigo Inimitable mascara…

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I ended up doing a light smokey green eye with nude lips and cheeks.

The Chanel Products I Chose to Use


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Save Big Bucks on Stila and Smashbox at Costco

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After that free Chanel makeup class wrapped up this afternoon (soooo fun — a post with deets on how you, too, can attend one to follow shortly), I stopped by Costco and browsed the bulk beauty aisle while El Hub stared hypnotized at the store’s giant row of HD TVs.

I found some really great deals!

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Seriously, I nearly fainted when I saw this cute limited edition Stila set called Brown Look ’08. For $18.99 you get one palette with four full-size pans of color coordinated shadows (brown, wine, peach and khaki), the #5 All Over Shadow Brush, the #9 All Over Blending Brush and one .18-oz tube of Major Lash Mascara in Black.

The exact same set sells for $40 on the Stila website (and it’s currently out of stock, to boot). Um, can you say hella cool bargain?

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I wasn’t quite as psyched about the second bargain I found but figured hard core Smashbox fans might appreciate knowing it’s there. $20 ($19.99) gets ya nine Smashbox items: Picture Perfect Eyeshadow Quad; a sample of Photo Finish Primer; three mini lipglosses in Pout, Fame and Glitz; Skintint in Radiance; a mini Lash Primer; That’s a Wrap mascara in Black and a cute, pink mirrored mini lipgloss case.

For $20, whoa!
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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

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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harajuku-lovers

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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