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Learn the 26 tricks we picked up from top hair, makeup and nail pros
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 We asked hair, makeup and nail artists backstage at Fashion Week for their best kept secrets. Read on to find tips that will help add a little runway glamour to your signature style.
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Category: cosmetics
Simply pass it up
CoverGirl Simply Ageless Anti-Aging Foundation
The marketing campaign for CoverGirl Simply Ageless Anti-Aging Foundation features Ellen DeGeneres, whose signing as a spokesmodel has been the most hyped of anyone whom I recall recently: the first openly gay model to sign! Ellen, with her blond hair and blue eyes, is actually a throwback to the bad old days when CoverGirl promoted that beauty ideal with the likes of Cheryl Tiegs, Cybill Shepherd, and Christie Brinkley.
Enough about Ellen. What about Simply Ageless? It’s described as makeup with Olay Regenerist (was this an intended pun?) serum mixed in. Cream foundation is not my favorite type of makeup to begin with, and even though this makeup is intended for mature women, it is excessively matte and drying.
At $13.99 (Walgreen’s sells it for $15.99), it’s more expensive than other CoverGirl offerings. Simply pass up Simply Ageless.
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Missing IsaDora? Found.
Cover of February 2009 Allure
I was surprised to see a reference to IsaDora eyeshadow in the “Black and Blue” photo spread that appears in the February 2009 issue of Allure. Over a year ago, beauty advisors at Walgreen’s (which had been the exclusive distributor for IsaDora in the U.S.) told me that IsaDora decided against shipping to the U.S.
I checked the credits in the back of the magazine, which indicated that IsaDora was available through walgreens.com. A search of walgreens.com did not yield any results for IsaDora.
The good news is that IsaDora is now being sold through Cosmeticmall.com and Amazon.com
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Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Airbrush Finish
Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Airbrush Finish
Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Airbrush Finish foundation is a find! It does what it promises – it delivers a soft matte “airbrush” finish.
I also like the pump mechanism that dispenses a measured amount of product and the locking mechanism that prevents leaking. It’s great for travel. At $8.79, Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Airbrush Finish is a great value.
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What clumped, what ran and what truly transformed our real-woman testers |
 We had 12 beauty-junkie members of our Total Beauty Squad test out so-called lengthening and volumizing mascaras. Their verdict: You could spend a fortune on the best — but you don’t have to. See what was tops.
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Holiday Make-Up Is A Deal – Don`t Buy
This article Holiday Make-Up Is A Deal – Don`t Buy confirms what many of us know: that many cosmetics last long after recommended replacement dates (for example, 3 mos. for mascara).
What is stunning, however, is the admission by Estee Lauder representatives that makeup is a safe bet to apply six years after purchase.
The recommended shelf life for cosmetics sounds a lot like the received wisdom for “shampoo, rinse, repeat,” which was to encourage people to go through shampoo quicker so that they buy more often.
This article provides tips on salvaging cosmetics. In her monthly newsletter , Carmindy offered another great tip: salvage crumbled eye shadow by putting into a container. Sifter jars, sold by Sephora, or empty containers for loose mineral cosmetics, are excellent for this.
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Best Beauty Buys
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If T3 blow-dryers and Viva La Juicy are too far out of your budget, here are great alternative investments |
 In times like these, we don’t want to waste our money on a lame product. Enter the TotalBeauty.com editors’ guide to fun yet practical (read: affordable) items worth a bit of your hard-earned paycheck. |
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Nordstrom Holiday 2008 Cosmetics Trend Show
Last Saturday, I attended the Holiday 2008 Cosmetics Trend Show at Nordstrom Tysons Corner outside of Washington, DC. The show began at 8 am. The first person arrived at quarter after 6.
The event was like a pep rally, and Nordstrom Midwest/Capital Beauty Director Julianne De’Chaump was head cheerleader. The show had three scenes, in which representatives from various cosmetics companies showed their latest products. While each of the scenes focused on makeup looks, attention was also given to skin care, bath & body, fragrance, nails, and hair products.
Scene One: Bright Metallic Textures was best exemplified by Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Brick from her Copper Diamond holiday collection:
Bobbi Brown ‘Copper Diamond’ Shimmer Brick Compact
This compact features shimmering shades of candlelight, gold, copper, beige and sand that would be great for highlighting the browbone, inner corner of the eyes, and top of the cheekbone.
Scene Two: Winter Berry Lips was exemplified by lip colors from MAC’s Red She Said collection:
MAC Red She Said Collection
Scene Three: Black, Smoky Eyes was best exemplified by Laura Mercier’s Eye Colour Quad in Tuxedo:
Laura Mercier Eye Colour Quad in Tuxedo
This eye shadow quad features both shimmer and matte shades of black and white, just like its namesake. It’s from Laura Mercier’s Black Tie Collection.
Actually, all these trends are perennials for the winter holiday season.
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Black Lip Color
Soon after I blogged about Obsessive Compulsive’s expanded range of coloured lip balms, including its Tarred lip balm, I discovered the Black Tie Optional lipstick and sheer lip gloss from Poppy King’s Lipstick Queen.
As with Obsessive Compulsive’s Tarred lip balm, this lip color is not intended to be goth: it’s intended to deepen your lip color.
Thanks to jamiem from ThisNext for this discovery!
Aaron de Mey is the new Makeup Artistic Director for Lancôme, after the departure of Gucci Westman for Revlon. Picture below is the limited edition lip color set that he created for Lancôme. It features ‘Le Rouge’ Color Fever lipstick in a balanced red and Piha Black Color Fever Gloss. The Piha Black Color Fever Gloss was inspired by the black volcanic sands of Piha Beach in Aaron de Mey’s native New Zealand.
Aaron de Mey for Lancôme
For reviews, see We Try It: Black Lip Gloss from the Beauty Counter blog at style.com.
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Blushes as Bronzers
Bronzer isn’t just for summer; it’s great for warming up pallid or drained winter complexions. Sometimes, however, products marketed as bronzers are simply too brown and muddy. Tawny or reddish brown blushes might be a better choice.
Here are four price-friendly blushes that can work as bronzers (note that the shades as portrayed may not be true):
Revlon Powder Blush in Sandalwood Beige 08 (top left) is great for fair to light midtones.
L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Blush, Neutral in Sweet Ginger N7-8 (top right) is marketed for deep skintones, but would be right for medium skintones.
Rubiglo in Earth (bottom left) would be great for dark reddish skintones, as would Iman Luxury Blushing Powder in Sable (bottom right).
What are your favorite bronzers and blushes for your skintone?
Cold Cream 'n' Roses 
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