Author: Cold Cream 'n' Roses

#beauty #cosmetics #makeup #skincare #fashion An eclectic collection of #music posted on #Mondays

#mystealthyfreedom Iranian women take a stand for freedom

Cold Cream 'n' Roses

I love Iran: its food, its culture, its music. I look forward to the day when Iranians will remove their theocracy from power.

In the meantime, I’ll have to satisfy myself with My Stealthy Freedom,  https://www.facebook.com/StealthyFreedom, a Facebook page where Iranian women protest compulsory hijab by doffing their hijabs.

#mystealthyfreedom
#mystealthyfreedom

Launched May 3, My Stealthy Freedom now has over 500 thousand fans from all over the world offering their moral support.  The women are frequently photographed in natural settings: mountains, seas, and deserts.  They often turn their faces away from the camera or are photographed at a distance to avoid detection: in fact, a Facebook page was set up to identify these women and put them at risk for reprisal; fortunately, that page was taken down.

There is a support site, Men Supporting Freedoms of Iranian Women, https://www.facebook.com/SupportStealthyFreedoms, where men submit pictures of themselves holding signs indicating their support of these women.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Men’s Stealthy Freedom page, https://www.facebook.com/menstealthysfreedom (“It’s just for fun!”), where Iranian men submit pictures of themselves in drag or in various stages of undress. I love this picture  where a guy looks like a cross between Lana del Rey and Conchita Wurst.  These guys have got to be some of the hairiest guys that I’ve ever seen.  Disgusting, but soooooooooooo funny.  There’s nothing stealthy about it: the men show their faces and are clearly not afraid of reprisal.  Talk about double standards!

Laneige BB Cushion is not worth the hype or hassle

Cold Cream 'n' Roses

From Korea, where trends (BB cream, face masks) in skin care begin, comes the latest innovation: BB cushion!

What is BB cushion?  BB Cushion is a sponge that is soaked in foundation. To apply, you press a flat pad (included) in the sponge to pick up the foundation and then press or pat onto your face.

I understand that IOPE, one of Amore Pacific’s brands, was the first to bring out BB air cushion. When I was at the Amore store within Super H mart (see Asian beauty stores in the DC Metro Area), one of the saleswomen patted a bit of IOPE Air Cushion on my hand. She said it replaced primer, foundation, sunscreen, and powder. The finish of IOPE Air Cushion suggested the presence of silicones. It also had a white-ish cast, but then, whitening products are popular in Asia.

As I mentioned, Target has entered the premium skin care market. One of the brands that it is now carrying is Laneige, yet another Amore Pacific brand. Not surprisingly, Laneige has a BB Cushion product.

Laneige BB Cushion
Laneige BB Cushion – target.com

So why do I say that Laneige BB Air Cushion is not worth the hype or hassle?  It is difficult to apply, and it’s hard to know how much foundation to pick up. For the first couple of times that I used, I applied too much: it was obvious to my husband, who joked about it.  Also, the pad doesn’t provide precision in covering spots and other detailed work.  I’ll stick with my IT Cosmetics YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+ and Beautyblender.

You may purchase Laneige BB Cushion for $34 (taxes & shipping not included) from target.com and Target stores (check online for availability in store – that’s how I found mine)

It Cosmetics Reverse Lip Liner replaces ordinary lip liners

Cold Cream 'n' Roses

Let’s face it: lip liner is usually obvious, even if you match your lip liner to your lipstick.

That’s where It Cosmetics Reverse Lip Liner comes in. A reverse lip liner, occasionally called a barrier lip liner, is a waxy crayon or pencil that goes on clear.

It Cosmetics Reverse Lip Liner
It Cosmetics Reverse Lip Liner

I line my lips with It Cosmetics Reverse Lip Liner just outside the lip line. It provides definition to the shape of the lips and prevents seepage of lip color in fine line.

My only quibble is that it requires sharpening.  I would have preferred a twist-up mechanism.

It Cosmetics Reverse Lip Liner costs $18 and is available from itcosmetics.com, beauty.com, and timeformecatalog.com.

Bad Beauty Habits to Ditch When You Travel

Cold Cream 'n' Roses1 Comment

Select the link below for an article on positive habits for airline travel.  I also suggest wearing compression stockings to prevent swelling and using saline nasal spray to keep your nostrils moist on long-haul flights.

Bad Beauty Habits To Ditch When You Travel - Beauty Tips
Bad Beauty Habits To Ditch When You Travel – Beauty Tips


“Bad Beauty Habits to Ditch When You Travel” on Health Perch

Enter to win a @RougeBunnyRouge cosmetics assortment http://tinyurl.com/nftdzez

Cold Cream 'n' Roses2 Comments

The Style Page is excited to host a giveaway of two Rouge Bunny Rouge cosmetics assortments.

Rouge Bunny Rouge logo
Rouge Bunny Rouge logo

What is Rouge Bunny Rouge?  Simply put, it is a high end cosmetics and fragrance brand, but there’s more to it than that.  Alexandra de Montfort founded Rouge Bunny Rouge in Moscow (yes, Russia) in 2006 and subsequently moved her base of operations to the UK.  It has a romantic back story, featuring Princess Rouge, a rabbit (of course!), and the Enchanted Garden – something that you’d associate with a fragrance rather than a cosmetics line.  This is the first time that I’ve tried Rouge Bunny Rouge, but beauty bloggers in the know, know. 🙂

Each Rouge Bunny Rouge assortment comprises 8 pieces and may include:

  • eye liner
  • lip pencil
  • lip gloss
  • eye shadow
  • eye liner
  • mascara

Enter the giveaway to win an assortment of luxe products from this cult brand.  I’m hosting the giveaway via Facebook: to enter, go to http://tinyurl.com/nftdzez.

Terms & conditions:

Giveaway ends Saturday, May 9, 2014 11:59 PM Eastern (UTC – 4h). Open to US residents only. You should be 18 or older to enter. Winner will be selected at random and will be notified by email. Winners have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. The companies responsible for media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, etc.) are in no way associated with this giveaway. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to me alone. I do not share or sell information and will use information only for the purpose of contacting the winner.

PR for Rouge Bunny Rouge sent me a huge assortment of RBR products, and I’m sharing the wealth with you!

Tips on How to Use Radiant Orchid

Cold Cream 'n' Roses
MUA Margina Dennis
MUA Margina Dennis

Makeup Artist Margina Dennis shares her picks for a Radiant Orchid look:

Radiant orchid is a great color for the season because it is a universally flattering color like coral. What makes it work for everyone is the hint of red that is in it. The key to keeping this color looking fresh is to use it as an accent color or soft muted. If the lips are the focal point I like to use it as gloss, lip stain, or hydrating lip color.

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS Lip Tar – Matte in Hoochie is a soft matte look.
Pur Minerals Chateau De Vine Lipstick – Show Off is a great option for deeper skin tones.

Then keep the rest of the face simple. A nude eye or just a bit of black or grey liner as a simple wing eye or lots of mascara. For a muted look use Benefit Lolli Tint- a cheek and lip stain that is a universally flattering sheer wash of color. Pairing with soft pink in a sheer wash can be an instant fresh look.

Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colors in Soft Iris and Violet Orchid, work for most skin tones. Again, keep the rest of the face muted. If  you want to go a bit bolder with the trend and wear a radiant orchid inspired eyeliner, like STILA Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner Royal, this can look great as a winged or dramatic cat eye, just keep the rest of the face simple and let the liner be the focus.

For eye shadow you can use MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Style Eye-Con No.7- Plush Shadow as a great palette for a radiant orchid smoky eye. Keep cheek and lips in a pinked nude tone to keep the focus on the eyes.

Want more Radiant Orchid products? See the Radiant Orchid | PANTONE Color of 2014 board on Pinterest!

How do you rock the Radiant Orchid look?

IT Cosmetics YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+ delivers – and how!

Cold Cream 'n' Roses4 Comments

While I was disappointed with IT Cosmetics Hello Lashes mascara, I was delighted with IT Cosmetics YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+.  I received a sample of the CC Cream in the package containing Hello Lashes and the reversible lip liner and liked it so much that I took advantage of the recent F&F event to buy the full size.

It Cosmetics YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+
It Cosmetics YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+

When I first applied IT Cosmetics IT Cosmetics YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+, it felt very soothing. Redness is my main skin complaint, and IT Cosmetics CC Cream covers the redness beautifully. It makes skin look radiant, but not shimmery, as many luminizing foundations do.  The CC Cream also blends seamlessly with my skin: too often, when I use liquid foundation, I get edges that don’t blend, no matter how much I tap-tap-tap with a dampened Beautyblender.

In addition, IT Cosmetics YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+ s a UVA/UVB broad spectrum physical barrier sunscreen, with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, but it doesn’t have a whitish cast. While it’s rated SPF 50+ , you probably won’t apply enough to get those benefits. I recommend wearing a colorless sunscreen under the CC Cream: I use LaRoche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid, which is a chemical sunscreen.

In short, IT Cosmetics YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+ delivers on what a BB/CC/DD cream (these sound like cup sizes! 🙂 should be: sunscreen, makeup, and skin care in one multitasking product.

While I’m often typed as “light,” I actually went against the received wisdom and chose Medium. MUA Robert Jones actually recommends slightly deeper makeup for older (cough, cough) women.

IT Cosmetics YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+ comes in 5 shades (Fair, Light, Medium, Tan and Rich) and costs US $38.00 for 1.08 fl.oz. It is available online from itcosmetics.com, qvc.com, beauty.com, and ulta.com. IT Cosmetics has recently announced that it is now in all Ulta stores.

Have you tried IT Cosmetics YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+?   How did you like it? Do you have a favorite BB/CC/DD cream?

IT Cosmetics Hello Lashes disappoints

Cold Cream 'n' Roses4 Comments

I was turned off by It Cosmetics after trying its opaque yellow-tinged loose powder Bye Bye Pores, which I described as the most god-awful product that I’ve ever tried.  Marcia at beautyinfozone.com (see 6 beauty sites to follow) likes the product and applies it with a fan brush, which would provide a more diffused application.

Hellos Lashes mascara from It Cosmetics
Hello Lashes mascara from It Cosmetics

In fact, it was because of the raves of Marcia and Lisa at BIZ that I decided to take a second look at It Cosmetics.  BIZ listed It Cosmetics’ Hello Lashes mascara among its top 10 mascaras and published other articles on Hello Lashes.  What clinched the deal for me was that Paula Begoun’s Beautypedia team named Hello Lashes among its 10 Best Products of 2013:

If you’ve been disappointed in the past about mascaras claiming to make regular lashes look like falsies, then this mascara will change your mind. Hello Lashes doesn’t flake or smudge and is water-resistant, with an innovative brush that can reach all lashes (even those baby lashes on the lower lash line!). The end result is a mascara that exceeds expectations in volume, length, and separation.

Here is how It Cosmetics describes Hello Lashes:

Developed with leading plastic surgeons, Hello Lashes 5-in-1 Treatment Mascara revolutionizes and takes the place of five products–volumizing mascara, conditioning lash primer, lash-enhancing serum, lash tint, and a lash comb/curler! Hello Lashes offers the blackest of black color that lasts and doesn’t flake or fade. The triple-brush lengthens, curls, and separates lashes while the innovative Magic Wand lash ball detailer tip is designed to reach every last inner and outer corner lash. Utilizes technology to infuse a blend of lash-enhancing and conditioning ingredients, including peptides, collagen, proteins, acai, jojoba, green tea, and vitamins A, C, E, and B5. Paraben, fragrance, phthalate, and sulfate free. Made in the USA.

I have to say that I was disappointed with Hello Lashes. As a volumizing mascara, Hello Lashes doesn’t compare to L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara, which is still my favorite volumizing mascara. BTW makeup artist Sam Fine recommends L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara as a less expensive alternative to Chanel.

You may buy Hello Lashes for USD $24.00 through the It Cosmetics website.   One thing that I do like about shopping the It Cosmetics website is that there is a relatively low threshold (USD $25.00) for free shipping, so you might want to add another product to qualify for free shipping.  Hello Lashes is also available from www.aswechange.com (for the menopausal :-), qvc.com, beauty.com (no affiliate links), ulta.com, and select Ulta stores.

The Beauty Station – Makeup Organizer and iPad/iPhone Dock in one

Cold Cream 'n' Roses4 Comments

This must be the ultimate in multi-tasking!  Imagine putting on your face and using your iPad or iPhone at the same time!

The Beauty Station
The Beauty Station

Here is how the Beauty Station is described:

The Beauty Station is a complete makeup organizer, display center, and universal docking station for iPhone, iPad & most phones & tablets. Display and viewing space for over 30 makeup products, including the [detachable] hand mirror [at right] and multiple mobile devices. The Beauty Station is chiseled and handcrafted from natural, eco friendly bamboo. The surface is glazed with a protective, stain-resistant sealant.

The Beauty Station by iSkelter costs US $89.00.   You may purchase it from Grand St.

The Style Page on @thebeautybrains podcast

Cold Cream 'n' Roses

Hello all,

I was delighted to record a segment for The Beauty Brains podcast: listen to me discuss “pore-minimizing” products about 36:19 into the podcast.

Of course, you’ll want to listen to the entire podcast, in which The Beauty Brains discuss the efficacy of  anti-aging ingredients:  Which anti-aging ingredients REALLY work? The Beauty Brains Show episode 21.