Category: Beauty

LuMESH #beauty from Costco

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The Style Page is all about finding beauty in unexpected places: see my past features on Beauty from Aldi and Bed Bath and Beauty.   Costco, the members-only warehouse club that can literally take care of you from cradle to grave, has teamed up with makeup artist Lu Camarena Meshulam of LuMESH Cosmetics to market two sets of lip glosses.

Coming from a Latin background, Lu found that finding colors that flattered her skin tone was next to impossible. She had clients of many different ethnicities with the same complaint. Thus, her lip glosses are designed to flatter a variety of skin tones.

LuMESH lip gloss set from Costco

The Style Page purchased the blister pack containing the following LuMESH lip glosses:

  • Kathlene – Peachy pink that flatters women with fair to medium skin tones.  Works on women with Latin, Mediterranean, and light African American skin tones. 
  • Kim- this looks scary-bright pink in the container, but it’s a light pink.  It would lift the complexions of South Asian and Hispanic women.
  • Taffi is a universal shade.  When light/dark African American women wear it, it appears to look like a beige nude color. I’m of western European heritage, with a light complexion, and Taffi gave me a “like my lips, but only deeper” (and glossier and better) look.  It was my favorite shade of the three lip glosses, while Kathlene was my second favorite and Kim was my least favorite.  I agree with Bobbi Brown’s advice that the best lip color is about 2 shades deeper than your natural lip color.

There is another blister pack, which contains the following LuMESH lip glosses:

  • Min – baby doll frosty pink that suits Fair, and Medium skin tones, particularly Asian skin tones.  
  • Trischa – shimmery sunset radiance that suits fair and medium skin tones.
  • Magaly – shimmery universal shade that suits Fair, Medium, and light African American complexions.

I liked the LuMESH lip glosses.  After the initial glossy finish fades, the color remains.  Vitamin E makes the lip gloss emollient, and there is a mild non-irritating cooling lip plumper.  LuMESH lip glosses are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic fragrance.  Plus, each lip gloss tube has a mirror on it – very convenient.   Just don’t forget to remove the protective film!

Run, don’t walk, to your nearest Costco to get LuMESH in time for Christmas!  A list of Costco locations that carry LuMESH lip glosses is available on request; however, I found my set at a Costco that wasn’t listed.  LuMESH is not available on Costco.com.

Sulwhasoo limited edition SHINECLASSIC pressed powder compacts

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The Style Page lives for breaking stories to her readers. It is exciting to see Sulwhasoo, one of Asia’s top luxury cosmetics brands, come to the United States, where it is sold exclusively by Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. I want to introduce you to the way science and traditional Korean knowledge of medicinal herbs is artfully fused in Sulwhasoo – a comprehensive line of high-end skin care and color cosmetics.

Sulwhasoo’s SHINECLASSIC limited edition pressed powder compacts are works of art that not only satisfy a woman’s concept of beauty but also travel easily in her purse. Every year since 2003, Sulwhasoo has released limited edition pressed powder compacts featuring traditional Korean design motifs, especially crafted to satisfy a woman’s senses at every moment throughout the day. When I saw and held its pressed powder compacts, I instantly fell in love with the sensual and seductive designs, tender composition, enchanting effects on contact, and romantic embrace.

2005 Sulwhasoo 7 Treasure “Chill-bo” LE compact
A closer look at the Sulwhasoo SHINECLASSIC 7 Treasure LE compact

For its 2005 SHINECLASSIC Seven Treasure “Chill-bo” LE compact, Sulwhasoo’s inspiration was a traditional Korean patchwork quilt. From time immemorial, quilts in Korea have signified the belief that endeavors bring good luck. The colorful strips of fabric that are stitched together represent a prayer for good fortune. It represents WEALTH, one of the 5 traditional Korean blessings.

Korean 7 Treasure quilt

Inside the compact, there is a delicately scented soft pressed powder. The pressed powder is embossed with a stylized design motif of the Prunes Mume, or plum blossom, one of the first flowers of spring, with the powder whispering in a gentle, powdery way for a sensual aura of opulence. Beautiful!

Image of plum blossom from Wikipedia; Credit: Kakidai

Other compacts in the series of Sulwhasoo SHINECLASSIC limited edition pressed powder compacts include:

  • 2003: lattice pattern – signifies the blessing of Health 
  • 2008: Plum Blossom design: signifies the blessing of Virtue 
  • 2010: Prunes mume floral pattern: signifies the blessing of Longevity 
  • 2012: “Wa-Dang” ornamental tile design – signifies the blessing of Nobility 
Sulwhasoo SHINECLASSIC limited edition compacts

You may see pictures of the Sulwhasoo SHINECLASSIC limited edition compacts at SkinnyScoop. In the interest of space, I will describe the Sulwhasoo SHINECLASSIC 2003 lattice design compact in a subsequent article.

Sulwhasoo SHINECLASSIC pressed powder powder compacts may be purchased ($150) through bergdorfgoodman.com or niemanmarcus.com. Bergdorf Goodman is offering free 2-day shipping for the holidays: check its home page for the promo code. 
DISCLAIMER: The Style Page received two SHINECLASSIC pressed powder powder compacts from Sulwhasoo’s PR representative. It also received remuneration for this article. Opinions are The Style Page’s own.

beauty.com friends and family event ends November 12

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This event from beauty.com has to be one of the most attractive of all the Friends and Family events that I’ve seen:

During our special Friends and Family Event, take 20% off* your Beauty.com order. Limited time event!

And I’m not saying this just because I’m a beauty.com affiliate!  Beauty.com offers many premium brands, with terms more attractive than those of Sephora:

  • Single checkout with drugstore.com
  • Free shipping for orders of $25.00 or more, whereas Sephora has a $50.00 minimum
  • Credits of 5% off every order that you can redeem later.  Sephora offers a crummy sample for 100 points earned (or $100 spent) – I say “crummy” because invariably I don’t care for the samples offered.

I took advantage of the beauty.com Friends and Family event myself!  I purchased a two-fer set of Beautyblender sponges and two Lipstick Queen Sinner Lipsticks, one in Rouge and the other in Rust.

Hurry, the event ends Monday, November 12!

Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads

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I love alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs). They’re instant skin care gratification.

AHAs work by destroying the “glue” that holds dead skin cells to the skin’s surface. Dead skin cells are then sloughed off, and the skin immediately appears brighter. Sunscreen, moisturizer, face primer, and makeup apply more smoothly after an AHA treatment.

AHAs are typically derived from fruits or sugar cane. Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads use AHAs derived from sugar cane. Get it? Cane + Austin? 🙂 Austin refers to dermatologist Dr. Craig Austin, MD.

Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads are saturated with a 10% glycolic acid solution, a fairly high concentration for an AHA product sold outside a doctor’s office. I like this product. I do object to the recommendation for use: daily, both morning and night. A 10% AHA product should be used only once or twice a week. This seems to be a ploy to get the customer to buy more, more often. It’s the same thing as the shampoo-rinse-repeat myth.

Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads may be purchased through its website. The Cane + Austin website provides for auto-shipment of a 30-day supply of 60 pads: surprise!

NOTE: Samples of Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads were furnished by the PR rep.  Opinions are my own.

Lola Naughty/Nice limited edition two tone lipstick

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Lola is the retail line founded by infomercial pioneer Victoria Jackson.  It disappeared from the shelves of Victoria’s Secret and Ulta.  However, it’s still available online at www.lolacosmetics.com.  It’s not clear what involvement Victoria Jackson still has with Lola.  Some Lola products are available on the Victoria Jackson Cosmetics website.

The Lola Naughty/Nice limited edition two tone lipstick caught my eye, as it brought back fond memories of Helena Rubinstein’s Splitsticks. OK, the Splitsticks were beige and white and had the sixties written all over them, while the Lola Naughty/Nice limited edition two tone lipstick features coral pink and siren red:

Lola Naughty/Nice LE two tone lipstick
Lola Naughty/Nice LE two tone lipstick swatches

The coral pink is for Brigitte Bardot, while the siren red is for Rita Hayworth.  Sex symbols from two different eras.  Naughty or nice?

I can’t say that I’m smitten with this product.  The coral pink takes away lip color, while the siren red has shimmer (I can actually see the sparkles).  For me, red should not have shimmer and the finish should be demi-matte.   This feels more like a stick gloss.

However, I’m a nut for great packaging.  Unclasp the lid from the tube, and a mirror pops up!  How cute is that??!!

Lola Naughty/Nice two tone lipstick tube

My favorite skin care products

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New Karen Murrell lipstick shades

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In last week’s article Karen Murrell ECOCERT-certified lip color, I promised to show readers Karen’s latest shades.  Here they are:

New Karen Murrell lipstick shades

L to R:

  • Coral Dawn
  • Carnation Mist
  • Sandstorm
  • Fuchsia Shock
Karen’s latest lipstick shades features the demi-matte finish that I liked so well in her original shades.  
Karen says that she will have another 10 shades out in 2013. I can’t wait.

Karen Murrell ECOCERT-certified lip color

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Karen Murrell‘s self-named product line is a product line that has obtained ECOCERT certification for organic ingredients. Karen draws her inspiration from the natural beauty of her native New Zealand.

I was pleased to receive Karen’s elegant presentation box, which contained four lipsticks, a lip conditioner, and her skin and body care products. The outer boxes for the products are made of recycled paperboard and feature romantic, sensuous illustrations.

Over and over, I write that I am not a purist when it comes to cosmetics ingredients. When I try natural or organic cosmetics, I want to find out if they perform as well as conventional products. More often than not, I am disappointed.

When, however, I had read in Thread (NZ), that Karen Murrell lipsticks compare favorably with MAC in look and feel, I took notice.

Karen Murrell lipsticks.  Credit: Thread (NZ)

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: makeup-wise, there’s nothing as glamorous as opaque lipstick with a creamy to demi-matte finish.  And Karen’s lipsticks have great color payoff.  They compare favorably with other lipsticks, such as those from Australian Poppy King.

Here are swatches of Karen’s first lipstick collection:

Karen Murrell – the first lipstick collection

Colors (L to R) are:

  • Cordovan Natural (nude)
  • Pink Starlet
  • Red Shimmer – not as shimmery as the name might suggest, but that’s a plus: real reds should not be shimmery
  • Violet Mousse

Karen now has secure online shopping on her site. And yes, she ships internationally.

Watch out for an upcoming feature on Karen’s latest lipstick shades: Coral Dawn, Carnation Mist, Sandstorm, and Fuchsia Shock.

Bobby Short for Charlie #MusicMonday

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Following on my last #MusicMonday feature Mel Tormé for Charlie #MusicMonday, I present Bobby Short for Charlie.  Bobby Short was a fixture at New York’s Carlyle Hotel.  In 1980, heiress-turned-jeans mogul Gloria Vanderbilt (now perhaps better known as Anderson Cooper’s mom) charged that a co-op wouldn’t sell to her because of her friendship with Bobby Short.

Once again, the video features an effervescent Shelley Hack with her confident long strides: