Category: Beauty

Two consumer items for cosmetics users

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Cosmetics Products Get a Makeover – A new international standard provides guidelines for the detection and identification of candida albicans, which can contaminate cosmetics while in production. Yes, candida, the nasty little fungus responsible for yeast infections. However, there is no reason for alarm: most cosmetics are safe to use.

FDA Proposes New Rule for Sunscreen Products – The Food and Drug Administration (U.S.) has proposed rules for rating UVA in a sunscreen and labeling sunscreens. SPF covers protection from UVB rays only. In addition, the FDA proposes this warning label on sunscreens:”UV exposure from the sun increases the risk of skin cancer, premature skin aging, and other skin damage. It is important to decrease UV exposure by limiting time in the sun, wearing protective clothing, and using a sunscreen.“

The FDA is accepting comments on the proposed rules until November 26, 2007. You may submit comments to FDA referencing Docket No. 1978N-0038.

Removing Eye Makeup: More Important than You Think!

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Soon after I publshed a criticism on the fallacy of keeping mascara and eyeliner on overnight, Paula Begoun noted, “a basic remedy for puffy, irritated, crepey skin around the eyes was being sure to remove every last trace of eye makeup before you go to bed” and recommended using an eye makeup remover in addition to a water-soluble cleanser.

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Artificial tears – a must in your makeup kit

On a related issue, I recently had some inflammation along the lower eyelid. I quit wearing eye makeup on the lower lid, applied artificial tears
icon(not eye drops formulated with steroids) and an eye ointment
icon, and began washing my hands more thoroughly. I use hand sanitizers like Purell
icononly sparingly, as I take seriously the fact that bacteria and microbes will mutate into more resistant strains in response to antiseptics.

Good and bad advice from Allure

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Here are Beauty tips of the month from Allure:

  1. For a little drama, try not washing your mascara and eyeliner off completely—it will be smudgy and sexy the next day, says Charlotte Tilbury.
  2. Try a lipstain instead of gloss—the look is more inviting, say makeup artists. Dab color on the middle of lips, blending outward. It should look as if you’ve polished off a Popsicle.
  3. Work a new version of smoky eyes with bronze colored shadow. Line eyes with a soft chocolate pencil and sweep eye shadow over the lids and a little underneath, blending so there are no hard lines.

Regarding the first tip, going to bed without removing your makeup is a no-no! It will not be sexy in the morning!

Facial cleanser is usually not enough to remove eye makeup, so be sure to use an eye makeup remover (I prefer oil-freeicon or two-phaseicon liquid eye makeup removers that don’t leave an oily residue) and pat clean with a cotton ball or pad. Eye makeup removers formulated with mineral oil causes smearing. Use a second cotton ball or pad to make sure all eye makeup has been removed.

I won’t comment on the second tip – I tried to take advantage of Allure’s giveaway for Laura Mercier‘s Mulberry Lip Stain, but the server for her web site was probably overwhelmed with visitors taking advantage of the same offer.


Isadora Eye Shadow Quartet in Antique Gold

However, the third tip is great – I like the Isadora Eye Shadow Quartet in Antique Gold (I use the darkest shade as a liner), but the Eye Shadow Quartet in Bronzing Plum also looks tempting.

Miracle cream

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Miracle cream – LMX5™

The hair on my chin and jaw became unmanageable, so it was time for me to look beyond tweezing and snipping hairs with a manicure scissors. A dermatologist’s office tried to sell me on a package of laser treatments, but I balked at the price. Moreover, I’ve read that the effectiveness of laser hair removal depends on the contrast between the hair and the skin. As many of my hairs were light in color, I decided that I was not a good candidate for laser hair removal and went back to electolysis.

Now, I am a baby when it comes to electrolysis. My eyes tear up and I wince and twitch like crazy. This time, however, I quietly lied on the table while the electrologist deftly removed hairs. It didn’t hurt even when she removed hairs near the lips, where there are a lot of nerve endings. The difference? LMX5™ numbing cream, a topical anesthetic.

LMX5™ doesn’t require a prescription, but I had to special order it through CVS. drugstore.com doesn’t even carry it – it carries only the 4%, which, according to what my electrologist heard from her other clients is not as effective as LMX5™. However, Amazon.com does carry LMX5™.

Don’t be turned off by the fact that LMX5™ is marketed as an anorectal cream. After all, if beauty contestants can use Preparation H to treat puffy eyes, why can’t you use LMX5™? It’s also supposed to be good for undergoing treatments such as Botox.


Liv Tyler, as featured on the cover of the July 2007 issue of Allure

NEW The July 2007 issue of Allure (which features Liv Tyler on the cover) also recommends numbing creme when doing a bikini wax.

Finding those hard-to-find inexpensive cosmetics

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Every now and then, I get inquiries about specific Love My Lips products. Unfortunately, finding these products is catch-as-catch-can. I don’t know of any store that carries a complete line of Love My Lips products. Moreover, Bari Cosmetics, which distributes Love My Lips, has not been responsive to my inquiries. To those people looking for Love My Lips products, I suggest prowling dollar and close-out stores, including, but not limited to, the big chains such as Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and Big Lots!

Jordana is another much sought-after brand of inexpensive cosmetics, particularly for their eyeliner pencils. Walgreen’s drugstores carry Jordana’s eyeliner and lip liner pencils, and you can find a broader range of Jordana cosmetics at dollar stores, although I haven’t seen Jordana at the big chain stores. Alas, I can no longer find Jordana’s eyeliner in Bittersweet – it was the perfect black-brown eyeliner that I favor. Now, however, you can shop for Jordana online at BestBeautyOnline.com.


My web stats indicate a number of queries on L’Oreal HIP foundation. It has been harder to find this in stores. My contact at L’Oreal tells me that several retailers are no longer carrying L’Oreal HIP Flawless Liquid Makeup, in order to make room for other L’Oreal HIP products; however, Rite-Aid and Wal-Mart are still carrying L’Oreal HIP Flawless Liquid Makeup. Rite-Aid partners with drugstore.com for online shopping.

My web stats also show a few queries on Boots No 7 products at Canada’s Shoppers Drug Mart. While Boots No 7 and Botanicals may be found at select CVS stores and many Target stores in the U.S., only four Shoppers Drug Mart stores in Canada carry Boots cosmetics: for more information, visit Shoppers Drug Mart.

Revlon limited edition collection

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No doubt about it – Revlon took a drubbing in 2006, with the collapse of Vital Radiance the same year that it debuted. One also wishes that Revlon would have brought in new faces when it totally revamped Almay, but instead model Elaine Mellencamp (wife of singer John) continues as the face of Almay.

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Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain
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Enough of that – Revlon has introduced a number of flashy new products in its limited edition collection, including Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain
icon and Bedroom Eyes™ Powder Liner. Just Bitten™ Lip Stain has a rollerball applicator – not the best for even layering. What’s more, it dries quickly. The shade of Just Bitten™ in Blood Orange reminded me of orange popsicle stain. Other shades include Berry Juicy, Cherry Tart, and Plum Wicked.

I chose Revlon Bedroom Eyes™ Powder Liner in Smokin’, which is great for creating the smoky eye. Be sure to tap excess powder from the applicator onto a tissue beofre applying – otherwise, it gets all over your cheek and countertop. Clearly, when using Bedroom Eyes™ as part of your eye makeup, do your eye makeup before you apply base. As FT Weekend columnist Edwina Ings-Chambers, who had a makeup application by NARS artist James Boehmer, writes:

The first thing to remember, Boehmer says, is that you shouldn’t try to replicate the 60s thing: keep the liner off the lid and stick to putting it round the eyes. “It’s more about the outer corner of the lid, not all over the lid,” he says.

Be prepared with cotton balls and eye makeup remover or Swabplus Liquid Filled Cotton Swabs, Eye Makeup Remover. Be sure to finish this look with lots of volumizing mascara.

BTW Generally, I find lipliners too harsh. Revlon is one of the two companies I know that offers a clear lipliner (ColorStay®) at a nominal price – the other being Paula Begoun’s Paula’s Choice line. Paula also recommends Lip Line Fixer from The Body Shop, which proves that she’s not partisan.

I haven’t seen L’Oreal’s clear lipliner in ages, so I guessed that L’Oreal discontinued it. An alternative is a lipliner that exactly matches the color of your lips, which is why MAC’s lip pencil in Spice has remained so popuplar.

Demystifying eye makeup

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Perhaps I was a bit critical of Stila’s Smoky Eye Palette – I’m not adverse to pricey brands (particularly if they provide something I can’t find in less pricier brands) and some folks seem to like the palette. Still, I think it was nervy to insert an audio commercial advertising other Stila products on a $40 item.

That said, eye makeup is the trickiest part of makeup application, and it’s to a makeup company’s advntage to provide guidance on applying makeup to sell product. Here’s a rundown on products with accompanying guidance:


Bare Escentuals Get Started Eyes

Bare Escentuals Get Started Eyes and Bare Escentuals Tutorials – Lesson 1: Smoky Eye provide guidance with the set. I think that the lid and eyeliner shades on the model are great, but I’m not smitten with the pale pink highlighter, especially with deep-set eyes like mine (and the model’s). I wish the Chocolate Raisin liner was sold individually – it sounds like the dark-dark brown-plum I love (see also Constant Color Gel Eyeliner)

Jemma Kid Eye Wardrobe Eye Shadow Quartet
Jemma Kidd is a London-based makeup artist. She’s also the sister of model, champion polo player, and race car driver Jodie Kidd; great-granddaughter of press magnate Lord Beaverbrook; and wife of the grandson of the current Duke of Wellington – whew! Advice on application may be downloaded from Jemma Kidd’s website, as well as her columns for The Mail on Sunday (UK).


Mally Beauty City Chick Smokey Eye Kit

Mally Beauty is a makeup line from celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal (she’s the one who makes Beyoncé always look fabulous). Originally available through QVC, Mally Beauty is available at Amazon.com. Mally Beauty City Chick Smokey Eye Kit comes in five different color themes: Brownstone (browns), Skyscraper (slate/gray), Central Park (greens), Nolita Navy (blues), and Plum Chelsea (guess). Each palette comes with eye shadow base and eye liner pencil.

Pop Beauty Eye Class – Smokey Eyes is the most diversified palette of the lot, and features these shades: jet black, smokey steel gray, sapphire blue, silver, deep plum, deep violet, burnished bronze, emerald green, olive gold, nude glow, opal gold, and sparkling white. Examples of application are provided with the palette.

Lip tips

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After posting Great drugstore finds, I realized that I needed to revise my advice on lips on The Style Page website.

Concerning lipliner that it is not obvious, I had written:

  • Another solution is to line the lips using a lip brush with the color you intend to apply: this is especially useful for applying highly pigmented matte lipsticks. [This advice originally came from Bobbi Brown]

  • ArtDeco, a cosmetics company from Germany, offers a Color & Contour Lip Duo, which features lipstick at one end and contour at the other end for lining the tips. This is a highly pigmented lip color, so blending is still necessary.

Now I think that both techniques result in an overly obvious line, which is why I now prefer clear lipliners or lipliners that perfectly match the color of one’s lips (which is why MAC’s Lip Pencil in Spice has been so popular).

I’ve since discovered that companies other than Revlon and Paula’s Choice offer clear lipliners, but at a higher price: DuWop Reverse Lip Liner and CARGO The Reverse Lipliner.

Living Beauty by Bobbi Brown

as seen in the March 15, 2007 edition of USA Today.

Lastly, the March issue of InStyle featured an excerpt from Bobbi Brown’s latest book Living Beauty. Bobbi Brown wrote that the most flattering lip color is two shades darker than the natural color of your lips. I can vouch for her advice, after a lot of experimentation (and a lot of money spent!). One also has to take her complexion, hair color, and clothes in account when selecting lip color.

I’m light to medium in complexion, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. While I had been classified as a “Winter” (using the seasonal color typing that was so popular in the 80s), I tend to favor rich warm colors over cool colors. Some of my favorite lipsticks are Bourbon from last year’s limited edition Catherine Deneuve color collection from MAC and Bésame’s Enchanting Lipstick in Chocolate Kiss, particularly when wearing brown. In fact, I favor lip colors that are “ambiguous,” that is, not too cool, not too warm.

Another tip is to apply lip color just slightly inside your mouth (I would name the source of this tip if I could recall it) so that there won’t be any apparent demarcation lines; also, this application suggests fuller lips.

Pai skin care

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Chamomile & Rosehip Sensitive Skin Cream

Pai is a new skin care brand from the UK (via New Zealand) that uses natural ingredients such as chamomile and rosehip in this lotion. Other faves from Pai include the Bergamot Lip Balm.

Pai was developed by Sarah Brown, who had suffered from skin rashes and itching and decided to create her own plant-based skin care line.

Pai is available only in UK, but plans to expand internationally later this year. For more information about Pai and its products, visit Pai’s web site at www.paiskincare.com.

UPDATE 11:36 PM
Sarah writes, “I’ve had a few enquiries from the US over the past month or so, so am planning to get my an international orders function set-up on the site over the next few weeks.”

The triumph of marketing over all else

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Here are a couple of products that represent the triumph of marketing over anything else:


Stila Smoky Eyes Palette

This $40 compact embeds a one-minute recording explaining how to create the smoky eye look – with named Stila brushes. In other words, you’re paying $40 for advertising, the same reason I find logo tees so stupid.


Cargo Daily Gloss

Cargo Daily Gloss is an example of making money from a product that had previously been given away free – Mary Kay and Merle Norman provided blister packs as a hygeinic means for customers to test lip colors. Similarly, CARGO’s ColorCards™, upon which eyeshadow color has been embossed, is yet another means of commercializing what had been given away for free.