Category: cosmetics

Natural Beauty inspired by Carmindy

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Carmindy – love her hair, love her earrings, love her eyes, love this photo!

If I tune in to TLC’s What Not to Wear, it’s for the last half hour when Nick Arrojo and Carmindy work their magic. I find Clinton Kelly bland, and quite frankly, Stacy London irritates me. I don’t sense compassion and caring on Clinton and Stacy’s part for their subjects. In one espisode, the subject wept because she couldn’t believe that she could look this good. Stacy’s reaction was so feigned and smarmy that I’ve tuned her out. The “Fab Five” of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy or Trinny and Susannah, for that matter, would not have been that insincere.


Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy

Carmindy has now teamed up with Sally Hansen, best known for its nail products, for a complete line of colour cosmetics called Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy. First, a caveat: “Natural Beauty” more accurately refers to the look favored by Carmindy, rather than to the cosmetics, which contain synthetic ingredients in addition to natural ingredients. Regardless, I was pleased with the two products from Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy I sampled:

Color Comfort Lipcolor in Adobe – A cream lipstick with a soft, not slick, finish.

Sheerest Cream Bronzer in Miami Glow – this feels more slick than the Suki Pure Natural Creme Stain. It indeed is sheer and as with cream blushes and bronzers, melds with the skin. Even my husband sees something different when I wear cream blushes and bronzers. He says that I look great, although he can’t pinpoint what makes me look so good.

Does this brand have legs? Sally Hansen had a color cosmetics line called Healing Beauty that was discontinued 2 years ago. By and large, users didn’t like Healing Beauty products. From what I’ve read on MakeupAlley, Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy has had good user reviews. I suspect, however, that Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy will last only as long as TLC’s What Not to Wear is shown on TV.

Products I’m excited about

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Generally, I am pleased with the cosmetics I try and use. However, here are three products that genuinely excited me:

Illuminare All Day Eye Color in Espresso and Cafe Americano. I’ve already raved about Illuminare All Day Eye Color as an eyeliner. I’m always on the lookout for products to tint my eyebrows that provide full coverage, as the color applied at the salon when I get my hair colored doesn’t last. I’ve tried various solutions, such as eye shadow or eyeliner, LORAC Brow Wax, and Laura Mercier Brown Definer, but Illuminare All Day Eye Color in Espresso or Cafe Americano is the best solution I’ve found to date.

Beautyblender– see my February 6, 2008 review.


Suki Pure Cream Stain in Clay

Suki Pure Natural Creme Stain in Clay. I’ve always relied on powder blushes, but it’s true that creme blush seems to meld with one’s skin better. Here is one example where a “natural” cosmetic functions as well as conventional cosmetics. The Suki Pure Natural Creme Stain is described as a “[very] versatile chocolaty pink rose neutral with brown undertones,” but I think that this description overemphasizes the brown in this creme. It’s better described as a pink subdued by brown undertones.

All the shades of Suki Pure Natural Creme Stain look beautiful. You may find Suki Pure Natural Creme Stain and other Suki products at Futurenatural.

Even better Re: Bio-fond makeup

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After trying Bio-fond makeup, I found a creme makeup that I like even more. It is Goddessy Rx 4-in One Smart Makeup.


Goddessy Rx 4-in-1 Smart Makeup

Why do I like Goddessy Rx 4-in One Smart Makeup better?

It lacks fragrance. The packaging is very functional, with a large mirror, a cover for the makeup itself, and a perforated well for the sponge.

Plus, I found a better shade match. I initially tried three different shades of Goddessy Rx 4-in One Smart Makeup on my fingertips:

#2 – light shade, nearly the same intensity as #4, more pinky than #4
#4 – light shade, with yellow undertones
#3 – deeper than #2 and #4, appeared orangish

#4 was the best match for me. I err on the side of yellow undertones. On the other hand, the Bio-Fond makeup shade had pinkish undertones. To say nothing about the fragrance!

Thanks to Jennifer for giving me the chance to sample this product. You may shop Goddessy Rx at Amazon.com.

Paint Me Gorgeous: Green eyeshadow with nude lips

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I’m fascinated with “ethnic” beauty. Some might accuse me of being a patronizing, romanticizing “orientalist.” When I had the makeup application at the BellaPierre kiosk, the girl who did my makeup was of eastern Asian origin. She had a very pretty wash of green eye shadow.

Paint Me Gorgeous is a blog from Malaysia. Here’s a picture of the blogger with green eyeshadow and nude lips, which reminded me of the BellaPierre girl’s makeup:

So perfect. The look was created with Shu Uemura products – Shu Uemura eye shadows are the silkiest I’ve tried.

Terracotta Tajine Eye Shadow from Guerlain

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‘Terracotta’ Tajine Eyeshadow from Guerlain

This ‘Terracotta’ Tajine Eyeshadow from Guerlain was featured in the April 2008 issue of Lucky. While Lucky said that it was available through Sephora.com, I couldn’t find it there. However, it’s now available through Nordstrom. I also found it at Dillards in St. Louis.

While the packaging is great, I wouldn’t pay $35.00 for this eye shadow. Don’t be misled by the shade names: Blonde Metal is pinkish, Brown Metal is golden, and Dark Metal is purplish.

Bio-fond makeup

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I shopped MakeupMania.com to buy the World Girl eye shadow palette that I coveted, only to find it out of stock. The lovely Eva volunteered put together a package of products for me to try, the centerpiece of it being Bio-Fond Cream Make-Up from the Swiss brand Gerda Spillman.


Bio-Fond Cream Makeup from Gerda Spillman

I had not tried cream makeup before, so I agreed to try Bio-Fond. Simply apply the makeup with a dampened sponge. For additional coverage, apply the makeup with the pads of your (clean!) fingers. I was impressed by the finish of the makeup – Eva describes it as “a foundation that is like skincare,” and she’s right. This makeup is particularly appropriate for maturing skin. My face did feel smoother and softer. My one objection to Bio-Fond is the fragrance – I don’t want fragrance in my color cosmetics or skin care.

The pinkish shade shown above might dissuade women from trying Bio-Fond. Bio-Fond comes in 15 different shades. I’m sure that Eva will help you to identify which shade is right for you if you describe your complexion to her.

Eva tells me that MakeupMania.com will be completely revamped later this spring. The current site is quaint, but it’s also kind of appealing. I hope that the revamped site won’t be too sexy, with lots of Flash. The New York bricks-and-mortar store for Makeup Mania is being expanded as well.

Illuminare

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After Ruthie Malloy of Illuminare Cosmetics wrote to me concerning my article on Mineral Madness, I was curious to try her products. I sent off for the 3 Foundation Formulas in 3 Middle Shades – Introductory Pack of 9, All Day Eye Color Trial Kit, and the Fast Application Pad.



Top: 3 Foundation Formulas in 3 Middle Shades – Introductory Pack of 9
Bottom: All Day Eye Color Trial Kit

Illuminare is described as ‘liquid mineral makeup.” The selling point is that these products are rated SPF 21. The sunscreen is provided by minerals such as titanium oxide and zinc oxide that provide a physical barrier to solar rays.

Actually, the consistency is thicker than liquid – it’s more like cream. Illuminare is certainly the most opaque makeup that I’ve ever used, but that’s the point, as it provides a physical sunscreen. It will take me time to get used to the coverage. I used the Portofino Porcelain shade for my light complexion, applying it with the flocked Fast Application Pad.

I found the Latte eye color shade too light for me, but Cafe Latte was great as an eye shadow base. Precision is needed to use the middle shades in the crease – you’ll want to use brushes here. I found the middle shades too dark for the crease. One can mix these shades with Latte, Perla Blanca, or Perla Rossa to lighten them. Nonetheless, I wish that Illuminare would create shade variations between Cafe Latte and the middle shades for the crease.

My favorite Illuminare eye color is Espresso, as it’s the sort of brown-black I like for creating the smoky eye look; moreover, it creates a thick line. I’ll be a repeat customer for this one.

More mineral madness

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When I went to Target last week, I was surprised to see Bare Escentuals kits at the end of the aisle. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Target always strives to be up-to-moment, with its tie-ups with various designers. As for Leslie Blodgett (as she’s the CEO and face of Bare Escentuals, I’ll target her), she never misses an opportunity to push her product, whether it’s through TV ads, half hour informercials, QVC, Sephora, Ulta, or Bare Escentuals boutiques.

My previous article Mineral Madness struck a chord with readers. Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog commended me on the article. I was surprised, however, to receive messages from founders of startup beauty lines who were glad that someone had finally called out companies on claims about mineral cosmetics.

Ruthie Malloy of Illuminaré Cosmetics wrote, “Most women are judging mineral makeup brands by which is most “pure”, or which doesn’t have parabens or bismuth oxychloride and yet they totally are missing the most important feature and benefit that mineral makeup should provide,” namely sunscreen. While Bare Escentuals’ bareMinerals has obtained the seal of the Skin Cancer Foundation for being rated SPF 15 (another brilliant marketing ploy by Leslie Blodgett), it’s hard to believe that a light dusting of its powder foundation will provide adequate sun protection.

Jennifer Bradley of Goddessy Rx wrote, “I am so happy to hear that someone is finally mentioning how the mineral makeup companies are using the terms ‘mineral’ and ‘all natural’ in such liberal terms. These companies are merely scamming the average consumer with this marketing ploy. Talc, of all things, is for one, an all natural occurring mineral. It is not even toxic, as many of these companies claim!” Indeed. Talc has been used in cosmetics safely for years.

Both Ruthie and Jennifer make excellent points. Be skeptical about the claims for mineral makeup, know your ingredients, and recognize that “mineral” is just another marketing construct.

Organic wear™ 100% Natural Origin Tinted Moisturizer

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Organic wear™ 100% Natural Origin Tinted Moisturizer

It is such a great concept: a organic cosmetics line certified by Ecocert that you can readily find at Walgreen’s, CVS, Rite-Aid, big-box retailers, and supermarkets with a comprehensive beauty department.

However, Organic wear™ 100% Natural Origin Tinted Moisturizer is one of the worst products that I’ve bought and used recently. While it contains good-for-you plant oils, it also reeks of alcohol and the amount of alcohol is sufficient to dry the skin. My face felt tight after I allowed the product to dry. Why alcohol? This FAQ from Miessence, a direct sales company from Australia which sells organic products certified by Australian Certified Organic, provides some clues:

… alcohol is used to extract plant materials. … Alcohol carries active plant extracts into the skin. A natural emulsifier and stabilizer, alcohol acts as a preservative.

Still, the product packaging states Shake Well Before Using, no doubt to mix the water and plant oils. I didn’t see that the first time I used this tinted moisturizer.

I’m taking Organic wear™ 100% Natural Origin Tinted Moisturizer back to the store!

Friday roundup – March 7, 2008

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It’s Friday, and time for the Friday roundup, for the fourth week running! The Friday roundup highlights blog articles written by Friends of The Style Page in the past week.

SugarShock loves the Pop Beauty Eye Class in Brown Eyes. She writes, “While the shadows looked kind of sparkly in the kit, when you apply them they actually have a nice iridescence that’s not too glimmery, but just right.”

Pop Beauty Eye Class in Brown Eyes

Mischo Beauty announces the debut of her Facebook page.

Scandalous Beauty features Whitney and Bobbi!! No, not Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston’s ex-husband. Rather, Bobbi Brown. Scandalous Beauty recommends the new Bobbi Brown Nudes Collection to recreate Whitney’s makeup (but not that Carol Brady hairstyle):


Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston had been on a downhill slide since she married Bobby Brown in 1992. I was routing for her comeback when she filed for divorce in 2006.

It should be evident to regular readers of this blog that I share i♥make-up’s love of Indian beauty. I’m not Indian, but my husband is. In Recreating the Sixties’ Look, i♥make-up discusses how to recreate the dramatic winged eyeliner look popularized by Indian actress Sharmila Tagore:


Sharmila Tagore

TV presenter (and ex-wife of Salman Rushdie) Padma Lakshmi recalled that she spent hours trying to recreate Sharmila Tagore’s look.

The late Bengali film director Satyajit Ray discovered Sharmila Tagore when she was just a teenager. He cast her as Apu’s bride in the third and last film of his Apu trilogy that won international acclaim and brought attention to Indian cinema. Ray must have been prescient about his actresses: similarly, he discovered Aparna Sen and Jaya Bachchan nee Bhaduri, both of whom had gone onto major careers in Indian cinema, when they were mere teenagers. Non-Indians might remember Sharmila Tagore as Meena’s mother in Mississipi Masala, about the unlikely romance between Meena, a young Indian woman (played by Sarita Choudhury) and an African-American man (played by Denzel Washington).