Category: Beauty

Byrdie staff names the best #lipstick brands, ever

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I enjoy receiving E-newsletters from Byrdie. As I use neutral eyeshadows, I express myself through lipstick, so I was very interested to read what Byrdie staff had to say.

Byrdie names the best lipstick brands, ever.
Byrdie names the best lipstick brands, ever.

I like to sample lipsticks from various brands, so I can’t name a favorite brand. I do however like Burts Bees Satin Lipstick (9.00 USD).  It performs as well as lipsticks 2-3 times its price.

These are the best lipstick brands we’ve ever tried. Read all about them here.

Source: Confirmed: These Are the Best Lipstick Brands Ever, According to Byrdie HQ

Hourglass adds 5 new shades to its Vanish™ Seamless Finish Foundation Stick range

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I named Hourglass’s Vanish™ Seamless Finish Foundation Stick among my picks for the Best of Beauty. It works as both a foundation and concealer. Moreover, its creamy texture enables smooth blending using my Sigma Beauty HD foundation brush, moistened complexion sponge, or fingers.

Hourglass has announced that it has added 5 new shades, so its range of shades comprises 32 shades, for skin tones from fair to deep. Something for everyone!

Hourglass Vanish™ Seamless Finish Foundation Stick
Hourglass Vanish™ Seamless Finish Foundation Stick

A highly pigmented foundation stick with the coverage of a concealer, fluidity of a liquid & weightlessness of a powder. The 12 hour longwearing waterproof formula melts into skin and blends seamlessly for undetectable full coverage with a seamless finish

 

The Ordinary skin care is now at sephora.com!

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Exciting news!  The insanely inexpensive skin care line The Ordinary is now available at sephora.com.  I hate using the term “disruptor,” as it has become an hackneyed term, but here it applies, as The Ordinary has proven that you buy cheap skin care that works.  It’s already been picked up by luxury brand e-retailer Beautylish.

I shopped The Ordinary for its foundation, but it wasn’t blendable.  On the other hand, I liked the skin care products that I bought:

Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG
Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion (formerly Advanced Retinoid 2%)
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution is among the products that you can buy on sephora.com:

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

It’s a gentle, non-irritating exfoliating liquid. I apply it at nighttime. I love AHA products because the results are evident when I wake up in the morning. They also provide me a smooth surface for applying makeup.

Artdeco launches Claudia Schiffer #makeup 

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German cosmetics brand Artdeco has launched a new makeup collection inspired by 1990s supermodel Claudia Schiffer.

Claudia Schiffer Makeup
Claudia Schiffer Makeup

Claudia Schiffer had previously served as brand ambassador for Revlon and L’Oréal.

If it were me, I’d spring for the eye shadow palette (below) and the blush in Hot Sand.

Claudia Schiffer eye shadow quad
Claudia Schiffer eye shadow quad

But the prices are crazy expensive, as each item costs $40.00. Artdeco is offering 20% off Claudia Schiffer Makeup (Code CLAUDIA) until Friday, December 22, 2017 11:59 PM PST

Source: http://claudiaschiffer.artdecobeauty.com/

Best of #beauty – Hourglass, Cover FX and more

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Best of beauty

Clockwise from top left:

Hourglass Vanish™ Seamless Finish Foundation Stick

A creamy stick foundation that serves as both a full-coverage foundation and concealer.  I like blending it with my Sigma 3DHD™ Kabuki Brush.

Cover FX Clear Cover Invisible Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Don’t like the whitish cast of many sunscreens? Then try Cover FX Clear Cover Invisible Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30.  This sunscreen goes on clear and has a serum-y consistency.

Touch in Sol No Poreblem Primer – press sample

An unbelievably silky face primer with a serum-y consistency from K-Beauty brand Touch in Soul

L.A. Colors 5-Color Matte Eyeshadow Palette

OK, so the eye shadows aren’t silky, but they have good pigmentation.  A bargain at USD $1.50.  Yep, you read that right: one dollar and fifty cents.  Like neutrals as much as I do? Then try Tan Khaki, Brown Tweed, or Natural Linen (shown).

Jane Iredale Daytime eyeshadow palette

The perfect neutral eyeshadow palette

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Jane

One swipe, and you’re done.  Jane (Fonda? Birken?) is described as “terracotta rose.”  The terracotta makes the rose less precious. For other terracotta faves, visit Meet the Lipstick Shade That’ll Replace Your Nudes This Fall.

Burt’s Bees Satin Lipstick

Burt’s Bees Satin Lipstick is every bit as good as luxury lipsticks (including NARS).  It’s a great value at USD 9.00. My lipstick wardrobe includes Burt Bee’s Satin Lipsticks in Ruby Ripple and Russet River.  Buy wherever Burt’s Bees are sold (and that’s practically everywhere).

IsaDora Eye Shadow Quartet in Muddy Nudes

Yes, I sprang for the IsaDora eye shadow palettes as soon as they became available on walgreens.com.  I am delighted with the smoothness and pigmentation of the eye shadow quartet and the subtle gradation of shades.

Oh, Thank Heaven

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… 7-Eleven is launching its private label cosmetics line called Simply Me Beauty.

 

Simply Me Beauty

 

Source: 7-Eleven Hopes Women Want Cosmetics With Their Coffee

7-Eleven is the latest to throw its hat into the booming cosmetics category as the giant convenience store company seeks to capitalize on its huge foot traffic.

Actually, 7-Eleven entered into the beauty business before. It used to sell a cosmetics line that was geared to tweens. And I remember when 7-Eleven had a private label hosiery brand!

IsaDora returns to Walgreens

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walgreens.com, that is. 😊

After an absence of nearly 10 years, Swedish beauty brand IsaDora is returning to the United States.

Walgreens had carried IsaDora at its stores until 2008. I wasn’t smitten by its displays and didn’t get into the products until Paula Begoun raved about IsaDora’s eye shadows.

Would you believe that I still have IsaDora’s eye shadow quartet in Bronzing Plums and its 5-pan eye shadow palette in Matte Chocolates?

You may shop IsaDora on walgreens.com beginning December 2017.

I’m a sucker for neutral eye shadow palettes, and when walgreens.com begins selling IsaDora, here’s what I’m going to buy:

IsaDoraNudeSculpt
IsaDora Eye Sculptor Bar in 20 Nude Sculpt

Here is how IsaDora describes its Eye Sculptor Bar:

An eye shadow palette including the perfect shade combinations for a sculpted eye make-up: 4 matt shades and 1 pearly highlighter.

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IsaDora Eye Shadow Quartet in 44 Muddy Nudes

I’ve been looking for this palette for ages!

Jane Iredale’s Daytime eyeshadow palette – the perfect neutral eyeshadow palette

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I don’t know about you, but I get overwhelmed by those 10- to 12-pan eyeshadow palettes à la Urban Decay’s Naked eye shadow palette and its countless dupes. The max for me is a 5-pan eye shadow palette, and Jane Iredale’s Daytime eyeshadow palette fits the bill.

Jane Iredale Daytime eye shadow palette
Jane Iredale Daytime eye shadow palette

The Jane Iredale Daytime eyeshadow palette was re-designed to create a generous round pan for its slightly shimmery eye shadow Oyster. Oyster makes a great highlighter.

The matte eyeshadows are, L to R, are Almond, Cappuccino, Dark Suede, and Charcoal. Almond and Cappuccino are great mid-tone shadows for the eyelid, while Dark Suede is great for the crease and Charcoal is great as an eyeliner.

All eyeshadows are silky and pigmented. Altogether, the perfect neutral eyeshadow palette.

Prices: $59.00 at dermstore.com (Ebates cash back) and $59.00 at janeiredale.com. I bought mine on jet.com (Ebates cash back) for $24.70.

My priorities are all eff’ed up. I tossed in the Jane Iredale Daytime eyeshadow palette merely to qualify for the $35.00 threshold for free shipping on jet.com – what I really wanted were L.A. Colors matte eyeshadow palettes at $1.66 apiece (yep, you read that right – more about that later.)

Cosmetics shopping in Montreal

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Montreal Skyline
Montreal Skyline

Imagine that you’re going to pick up some prescriptions or personal care items, only to find that you’ve entered a beauty hall like what you’d find at a department store. You have to go upstairs to get to the pharmacy proper.

That’s what you’ll find at Pharmaprix (link to map) and Jean Coutu (link to map), both on rue Ste-Catherine in Montréal.

Pharmaprix (link to web site) is called Shoppers Drug Mart outside Québec. Its exclusive brand is Quo. Bourjois, especially its Little Round Pot blush, may be found at Pharmaprix. Canadian brand Lise Watier may also found at Pharmaprix. I picked up Quo manicure scissors and nail board and Revlon tweezers – I forgot stuff because I hadn’t traveled in a long time. I was waited on by a sales woman who had a multi-colored tattoo of flowers on her upper arm. Both my husband and I were impressed by her knowledge and recommendations.

Pharmaprix’s Optimum rewards program enables you to collect points toward free stuff and take advantage of special offers.

By taking a very short walk on rue Ste-Catherine Ouest, you arrive at Jean Coutu ( link to web site). Its exclusive brand is Personelle. Like Pharmaprix, it carries Lise Watier. It also carries mass-market Canadian faves Marcelle and Annabelle and hard-to-find brands such as Pupa Milano (but not their kits!) and Jean d’Estrées skin care. I picked up Annabelle eye primer and pillowy lint-free cotton pads from Personelle, the likes that I hadn’t seen before. Like Pharmaprix, Jean Coutu has knowledgeable staff. One staff member answered my questions about Pupa Milano products.

Jean Coutu participates in the AIR MILES rewards program, which enables you to earn “miles” (points) from other participating stores as well.You may redeem your miles in cash or exchange them for Dream Rewards, Including gift cards, household items, show tickets, trips and more.

If you would like to read reviews of Quo, Marcelle, and Annabelle products, then visit the Sparkled Beauty blog.

Studio | 10 Plumping Blush Glow-plexion!

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Studio | 10 Plumping Blush Glow-plexion is a liquid blush that comes in a convenient pump dispenser.

Studio | 10 Plumping Blush Glow-plexion
Studio | 10 Plumping Blush Glow-plexion

The web page  describes it as:

The ultimate wake-up makeup. An Innovative complexion pick-me-up in a universal and ultra-flattering shade of peach with golden undertones for radiant, glowing skin in an instant. Buildable [color] that blends and buffs seamlessly into the skin.

Studio | 10 Plumping Blush Glow-plexion is an excellent choice for “women of a certain age,” as it adds warmth to the complexion. Beauty industry veteran Andrea Robinson says that older women should go for golden in her book Toss the Gloss. MUA Robert Jones recommends peach blush and bronzer for mature women in his book Looking Younger.

Studio | 10 Plumping Blush Glow-plexion is easy to apply. Spread it into a thin layer on your fingers, dot the cheeks, and blend with a moist Beautyblender or the Real Techniques dupe. Studio | 10 Plumping Blush Glow-plexion has become one of my standbys, along with Revlon powder blush in Fleshtone from its 1997 “In the Flesh” collection (hey, as long as a product’s good – in this case, 20 years – I use it :-).

Read The Style Page interview with Grace Fodor, founder of Studio | 10.