guest post

My Skin Is Thirsty for Korres Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser

November 19th, 2010 by Karen 33 Comments

Written by Vonnie

Blogger Vonnie’s quest to find the best face wash brought her to the subject of today’s guest post, a fabulous foaming force for good. 🙂

Look at that Clarisonic!

I’m somewhat like Goldilocks when it comes to face washes: this one is too foamy and dries out my skin, this one isn’t foamy enough (hellllo, are you there face wash? It’s me, Vonnie!), and, ahhh, the holy grail — this one is JUST RIGHT!

Well, I wanted to share my just right face wash with you all: Korres Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser ($21).

Seriously, this is lush stuff! It starts as a cream in its hygienic bottle, but once squeezed out and mixed with water, it turns into a soft foam. There’s none of that tight skin feel after washing with this, and my skin feels soft DURING the wash as well as after!

I don’t know about the cleansers you’ve used, but with lots of the ones I’ve used my skin can feel like it’s trying to give me an impromptu facelift with how tight it can get! Not the case here. 🙂

I use my Clarisonic Face Brush with it because I find that the brush makes every face washing feel like a trip to the spa. Not to mention, I’m a frequent makeup wearer, and no matter which makeup remover or wipes I use, there’s always brown (foundation) on the brush’s head afterward, so obviously it’s giving me a deep cleanse and washing away the residue that I had no clue was even there!

Goop
See how clean this Clarisonic looks here?

What it removes
You can see from the change in color what the Clarisonic/Korres combo removed…
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Smile! It’s the Whiter Than White Home Teeth Whitening Kit

November 13th, 2010 by Karen 9 Comments

Written by Chloe

You know what they say; the world always looks brighter from behind a smile. 🙂 Chloe shares why she’s been all smiles lately in today’s guest post.

Whiter Than White Home Teeth Whitening Kit

I fear opening that dreaded email from Facebook declaring someone’s tagged me in a photo, a hideous one I’m sure, yet last time this happened I was pleasantly surprised. There I was looking super happy with a big cheesy grin, but my close-lipped smile seems to have disappeared since I brought home the Whiter Than White Teeth Whitening Kit (Â£99 plus shipping; international shipping available).

The kit came with custom made trays, which meant I had to take an impression of my teeth myself, which I found slightly alarming due to never having done anything like it before. I watched the instructional DVD and then felt a lot more confident to give it a go without my dentist.

I mixed the putty as per instructions, put it on the plastic tray, and then attempted to get my whole mouth over it and bite down quickly before the putty hardened. You get about three minutes before its too late, and I’ve never been great with time management. My first thought was, “Hmmm, did I bite down hard enough?” and then, “Arrrgh, am I going to get this thing out of my mouth?”

The suction caused by the process was a little distressing, but with a bit of patience I managed to pry it out along with the excess dribble. Unfortunately, only a mere dent of my teeth appeared on the putty. I phoned the free phone number and was told that another set of putty would be on its way. Great!

Is the Whiter Than White tooth whitening service the same service I would get from my dentist?

According to the company, yes, the Whiter Than White two-step tooth whitening service is exactly the same service you would get from your dentist, using the same carbamide peroxide gel.

The only difference is that your dentist is not present when you do the impression of your teeth, hence the price difference. Your dentist will charge you between Â£200 to Â£400 ($320 to $640) or more, but the company doesn’t have the same expenses as the dentist.
– source

Next day, sure enough the putty arrived, so I had another go at it, working much quicker this time, and success! My teeth perfectly formed in the yellow putty.
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How To Cover Pimples and Scars with a Combination of Concealers

November 12th, 2010 by Karen 25 Comments

Written by Nancy

Today beautiful blogger Nancy of Miss Nancy’s Fancies shows step-by-step how she covers pimples with a combination of concealers.

Lately I’ve been getting different kinds of breakouts — from small zits to big cystic acne — and after a lot of trial and error I came up with a system of different ways to conceal different types of breakouts.Â Here is how I conceal my blemishes with a combination of green concealer, cream concealer, mineral concealer, and mineral foundation.

When I took these pictures I had an active pimple (A), scars (S), and pink bumps (B) on my cheek. The active pimple was bumpy, but the scars were flat.

For active pimples I like to use a green concealer first, since my pimples tend to be very red, and using a cream concealer alone doesn’t cover up the redness. Here I’m using Physicians Formula Gentle Cover Concealer in Cover Green ($6).

How I conceal my blemishes

I use a concealer brush to apply cream concealer over the scars, only on the discoloration. Using a small concealer brush makes the application very precise, which is important here because we only want to conceal the discoloration and not the skin around it.Â Here I’m using Laura Mercier Secret Camoulage/Secret Concealer in SC-2 and Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Brush ($26).
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Flirtatious, Slightly Insolent and Sexy: Aquolina Blue Sugar for Men

November 6th, 2010 by Karen 25 Comments

Written by Sam

Dudes don’t have to smell like bacon! Stop the insanity with help from the sweet subject of today’s guest post from Sam.

Aquolina Blue Sugar Aquolina is a relatively unknown fragrance company whose only products are the brother and sister scents Blue Sugar and Pink Sugar. While Pink Sugar is an overwhelmingly sweet, candied perfume, Blue Sugar “man’s-it-up” and presents a heady, sexy cologne that still retains the flirtatious sugary notes that its sibling is known for.

Before I was 14, I never wore cologne (and honestly, rarely even more than a basic deodorant… Shhh!). Those awful Axe Body sprays that smell like a boy’s locker room when the janitor has gotten lazy never appealed to me, and so I just went around smelling faintly of soap and fresh water (ironically, now some of my favorite base notes in colognes). But Sephora changed that. Sephora changes everything, really.

I went in just looking for a hair product to tame a style that would now be called the eponymous Bieber (I shudder looking back on pictures of me then… What was I thinking?), and walked out with two sample vials of colognes: Juicy Dirty English and Aquolina Blue Sugar. I tried Juicy’s first, as I’d actually heard of them, even then, and was instantly reminded of why I hated Axe. It smelled like sweat, musk, and aggressive machismo. That one went immediately in the trash. So the next day, I dabbed a bit of Blue Sugar on my wrists, went out, and fell in love. I returned to the mall a few days later to purchase my first cologne ever.

Housed in an attractive, blue tinted cylindrical bottle, Blue Sugar holds its own visually next to the likes of Dior’s Fahrenheit and BANG by Marc Jacobs on my vanity. I rather enjoy the simplicity of its design; no gimmicks (looking at you, PLAY by Givenchy), nothing belying more than it is.

Even now, the scent’s progression from Top Notes to Base Notes is still a journey I take pleasure in, and it certainly hasn’t gotten old. Throughout the entire thing, notes of caramelized sugar wrap themselves sensually around the others, caressing and embracing rather than smothering. Have you ever been to an authentic candy shoppe (yes, spelled with an extra “p” and an “e”; that’s how you know it’s authentic) while the mother and son duo were mixing a giant vat of sugar to turn into those sweet, little caramel chews? This aspect smells near exactly like that: flirtatious, slightly insolent, and sexy in a boyish, rustle-your-hair kind of way.
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Sally Hansen Green Tea & Bamboo Nail Strengthener: Keeps the Chips Away So Nails Can Play

November 5th, 2010 by Karen 18 Comments

Written by Kris

Wave, and the whole world waves with you, especially if you use the lovely nail product Kris describes in today’s guest post.

I’m one of the many people who suffer from thin, slow-growing nails. Many times I’ve had an issue or another arise and have sought the help of Sally Hansen. Sally Hansen products have helped cure my broken cuticles, clean up my messily-applied manicures and have now helped my nails grow super fast!

Most recently, I sought help for my suddenly fragile nails, which were breaking easier than normal and starting to peel. Oh, no! I went to my local Wal-Mart for Sally Hansen’s tried and true results. I browsed the wall and found the “Sally Hansen Green Tea & Bamboo Nail Strengthener” ($6.98). The packaging stated, “Bonds & Seals Weak Fragile Nail Layers to Resist Breaking”. Yep, I needed that! It also promised a high gloss finish and instantly stronger, more flexible nails…. “Guaranteed”. Sold! I grabbed it and headed to check-out. I came home and immediately read the instructions to begin healing my poor, distressed fingernails.

The instructions said to shake gently and apply one coat to clean, bare nails and let dry. If you want to paint your nails, you’re encouraged to apply a second coat over your nail color to seal and protect. So, you’re getting a base coat and a healing top coat all at the same time.

I applied as directed with a nail color on 10/22, making notes as I went along. The Sally Hansen Green Tea & Bamboo Nail Strengthener dries pretty fast as a base coat. It smells like a regular polish but possibly not quite as strong.
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Tarina Tarantino Magic Hour Cream Shadow in Nebula from the Starchild Odyssey Collection

October 30th, 2010 by Karen 8 Comments

Written by Bari

Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the blogger, Bari, as she seeks out new makeup, like the beautiful subject of today’s guest post.

Starchild Odyssey Magic Hour Cream Shadow in Nebula

Hi guys!

Today I thought I’d share four tips for using Tarina Tarantino’s Magic Hour Cream Shadow in Nebula from the Starchild Odyssey Collection (also in the collection, a silver called Starchild and a navy called Meteor Night). It’s available at Sephora for $19, and for the money you get a pretty big pot! It’s a limited edition, but there are also some gorgeous colors (Black Diamond, Purple Velvet, Golden Shadow) in the permanent line. You can still get this one now, which I suggest you do, because all of the Magic Hour Creams are so pretty and versatile.

Starchild Odyssey Magic Hour Cream Shadow in Nebula

Starchild Odyssey Magic Hour Cream Shadow in Nebula
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Don’t Miss These Great Guest Posts: Guerlain, Garnier, Milani and More

October 29th, 2010 by Karen 10 Comments

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The Guerlain Ã‰crin 6 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palettes

A MAC Lipglass Dupe for $4.50? Try Milani Crystal Gloss

c.Booth Deep Cleansing Volcanic Mud Mask

Garnier Fructis Style Wonder Waves Mousse

Good Luxe Resisting The Guerlain Ã‰crin 6 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palettes

AUTHOR: Olga

“Nobody does luxury like Guerlain, but not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined something as glamorous as their new Ã‰crin 6 Couleurs…”

The $3 e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush Will Look Right at Home in Your Makeup Kit

AUTHOR: Katie

“I wasn’t expecting such great quality from a $3.00 brush but this one really proved me wrong! The dense brush head is perfect for picking up powder…”

Viktor & Rolf’s Fragrant Flowerbomb Bursts with Beauty

AUTHOR: Katie

“Flowerbomb is actually less flowery than you might think. When I first spray it on me or in the air, I get some jasmine, freesia, and rose…”

A MAC Lipglass Dupe for $4.50? Try Milani Crystal Gloss

AUTHOR: Makeup Morsels

“I remember seeing pictures of MAC Nymphette on Karen’s blog for the very first time and instantly falling in love. The gorgeous pink gloss, chock-full of golden shimmer, went straight to…”

You Just Might Lava c.Booth Deep Cleansing Volcanic Mud Mask

AUTHOR: Annabella

“After one use I saw a difference. It has a mattifying effect as well but doesn’t leave your skin covered in a film. I saw a continual improvement…”

For $5.50, Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliners Are a Hidden Drugstore Gem

AUTHOR: Appu

“I like the shade selection here. No bright, playful colors, but there are many intense, dark shades that can be…”

Garnier Fructis Style Wonder Waves Mousse: A Wave-Defining $4 Wonder

AUTHOR: Tori

“I squirted out a puff of the foaming mousse (which smells amazing!) and scrunched it onto damp hair and let it work its magic overnight…”

Garnier Fructis Style Wonder Waves Mousse: A Wave-Defining $4 Wonder

October 23rd, 2010 by Karen 4 Comments

Written by Tori (and Rupert)

Dynamic beauty duo Tori and Rupert scour drugstore aisles and cosmetics counters looking for share-worthy beauty booty like this gem from Garnier.

Garnier Fructis Style Wonder Waves Mousse

For all you wavy-haired girlies out there who love your locks but want to tame those frizzies, have I got a product for you! I discovered Garnier this year after I went on a product testing frenzy. I decided to stop straightening my hair every day (my poor fried locks 🙁 ) and embrace my hair’s natural texture, and I was determined to make it work.

Garnier Fructis Style Wonder Waves Mousse

And lo and behold, I did! Thanks to Garnier Fructis Wonder Waves Mousse (about $4 for a 6.8-oz bottle). It promises to define your waves, leaving them soft and touchably smooth. Of course, I had my doubts about such a claim because it sounded far too good to be true. I squirted out a puff of the foaming mousse (which smells amazing!) and scrunched it onto damp hair and let it work its magic overnight. Sure enough, the next day after letting my hair air dry it came out just as promised.

Garnier Fructis Style Wonder Waves Mousse
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