Tag: cosmetics

IT Cosmetics Hello Lashes disappoints

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I was turned off by It Cosmetics after trying its opaque yellow-tinged loose powder Bye Bye Pores, which I described as the most god-awful product that I’ve ever tried.  Marcia at beautyinfozone.com (see 6 beauty sites to follow) likes the product and applies it with a fan brush, which would provide a more diffused application.

Hellos Lashes mascara from It Cosmetics
Hello Lashes mascara from It Cosmetics

In fact, it was because of the raves of Marcia and Lisa at BIZ that I decided to take a second look at It Cosmetics.  BIZ listed It Cosmetics’ Hello Lashes mascara among its top 10 mascaras and published other articles on Hello Lashes.  What clinched the deal for me was that Paula Begoun’s Beautypedia team named Hello Lashes among its 10 Best Products of 2013:

If you’ve been disappointed in the past about mascaras claiming to make regular lashes look like falsies, then this mascara will change your mind. Hello Lashes doesn’t flake or smudge and is water-resistant, with an innovative brush that can reach all lashes (even those baby lashes on the lower lash line!). The end result is a mascara that exceeds expectations in volume, length, and separation.

Here is how It Cosmetics describes Hello Lashes:

Developed with leading plastic surgeons, Hello Lashes 5-in-1 Treatment Mascara revolutionizes and takes the place of five products–volumizing mascara, conditioning lash primer, lash-enhancing serum, lash tint, and a lash comb/curler! Hello Lashes offers the blackest of black color that lasts and doesn’t flake or fade. The triple-brush lengthens, curls, and separates lashes while the innovative Magic Wand lash ball detailer tip is designed to reach every last inner and outer corner lash. Utilizes technology to infuse a blend of lash-enhancing and conditioning ingredients, including peptides, collagen, proteins, acai, jojoba, green tea, and vitamins A, C, E, and B5. Paraben, fragrance, phthalate, and sulfate free. Made in the USA.

I have to say that I was disappointed with Hello Lashes. As a volumizing mascara, Hello Lashes doesn’t compare to L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara, which is still my favorite volumizing mascara. BTW makeup artist Sam Fine recommends L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara as a less expensive alternative to Chanel.

You may buy Hello Lashes for USD $24.00 through the It Cosmetics website.   One thing that I do like about shopping the It Cosmetics website is that there is a relatively low threshold (USD $25.00) for free shipping, so you might want to add another product to qualify for free shipping.  Hello Lashes is also available from www.aswechange.com (for the menopausal :-), qvc.com, beauty.com (no affiliate links), ulta.com, and select Ulta stores.

DHC Premium Lipstick GE delivers color and emollient benefits

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DHC. Quick – what do you think of? Its mail order catalog? Its Deep Cleansing Oil?

DHC is rolling out a new collection of color cosmetics this month. Take a look! The new collection includes 6 shades of Premium Lipstick GE, 4 shades of Face Color Palette EX blush, BB Mineral Powder, and Q10 Moisture Care Face Powder.

I’ve swatched the lipsticks on my arm (thanks to Mr. Style Page for the staging and post-processing).

DHC Premium Lipstick GE swatches
DHC Premium Lipstick GE swatches

From L to R:

  • Rich Raspberry (RS107)
  • First Blush (RS105)
  • Bold Persimmon (OR112)
  • Rose Gold (BE111)
  • Velvety Red (RD109)
  • Petal Pink (PK102)

There are no wash-out nudes or vampish dark shades among them: just simply complexion-flattering shades  There’s a slight but appealing sheen to the lipstick, which is apparent when applied to the lips.  DHC Premium Lipstick GE keeps your lips soft and supple with emollient ingredients such as macadamia, olive, and rice bran oils. If that doesn’t prove the power of makeup, I don’t know what does.

DHC Premium Lipstick GE costs $19 per tube and may be purchased via catalog or DHCcare.com.

Disclaimer: DHC Premium Lipstick GE and other cosmetics in DHC’s new collection were provided by PR.

An incredible season for makeup launches

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Jane Cosmetics is among the many makeup launches this season
Jane Cosmetics is among the many makeup launches this season

This has been an incredible season for makeup launches:

But wait, there’s more! 🙂  In the near future, we can expect new makeup lines from:

Also expect new collaborations from Jason Wu for Lancôme and Bobbi Brown and Katie Holmes (the Bobbi & Katie collection).

Whew!  So many launches, so little time! 🙂

What’s “natural”?

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The titling of products as “natural” (see my comments on Natural Essentials Healing Dry Oil) is a pet peeve of mine.  I’m not a purist, but I think that many (including me) would not think that compounds made in the laboratory are “natural.”

The problem is that there’s no agreed-upon definition of “natural.”  There are definitions of what qualifies as “organic,” for example, through the USDA’s National Organic Program.  Here is a USDA fact sheet on labeling Cosmetics, Body Care Products, and Personal Care Products as organic.

The FDA does not have a definition for the term “organic.”

Bottom line: read the labels, including the ingredient list, and determine for yourself if the product meets your definition of “natural.”

Asian beauty stores in the DC Metro Area

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The DC Metro Area hosts a large Asian community, and there are many stores that cater to this market.  Today I’ll introduce you to some Asian beauty stores in the DC Metro Area.

– to see place markers

More Shiseido in Fairfax Circle carries Shiseido, Clé de Peau Beauté, Enprani skin care and makeup, skin care sets, face mask sheets, Darkness beauty implements from Korea, and some unexpected items (underwear!).

Lotte Plaza in Chantilly features a comprehensive selection of international foods.  Grocery shopping in its produce section is a contact sport.  There are so many shoppers there that you can’t maneuver.   Bunny LaRue wrote:

Lotte Plaza is great. I have seen no less than two fist fights there. When they first opened I made the mistake of trying to get some shrimp, I nearly lost my arm. The lady that runs Cinderella is really nice.

Which brings us to the next shop off the beaten beauty path: Cinderella, which is located in the courtyard of Lotte Plaza.  Cinderella carries a wide variety of face mask sheets (which I predict will be the next big thing to come out of Asia after BB cream), Korean skin care, Darkness beauty implements, and cheap costume jewelry.  Don’t let the crowds and craziness dissuade you from going!

While I love shopping at Lotte Plaza for the all the fun things that I can find, Super H Mart in Fairfax is brighter, lighter, and, dare I say, cleaner than Lotte Plaza.  Never mind that when I entered the store, Gangnam Style was blasting through the speakers!

Within Super H Mart is the Amore store, which carries high-end cosmetics and skin care brands from Korea’s Amorepacific Corporation.  The displays are as elegant as anything you’d might find in an upscale department store: skin care sets from Sulwhasoo, Laneige, and IOPE are presented on back-lit display shelves.  I was surprised to find the Sulwhasoo face powder compacts that I wrote about at the Amore Store.  IOPE color cosmetics are also found there.  As can be expected from a Korean beauty emporium, Amore carries Darkness beauty implements and face mask sheets.

Sulwhasoo LE powder compacts
Those Sulwhasoo LE powder compacts!

Across from Amore is the Shiseido store, which carries Shiseido and Clé de Peau Beauté color cosmetics and skin care from Shiseido, Benefique, Qiora, and SK-II.

BTW SK-II is actually a P&G brand, which is why Allure mentions SK-II’s pricey face mask sheets with MUA Pat McGrath, who’s P&G’s global creative director for its beauty brands (Cover Girl, Max Factor, Dolce & Gabbana, and SK-II).

Make Up Plus within Lotte Plaza in Silver Spring carries  Clio makeup from Korea and, of course, skin care, face mask sheets, and Darkness beauty implements.

eCosway is a shoppers’ club in which you pay a $20 VIP membership to get discounts.  For $60, members can recruit other members, who can recruit other members … in other words, a MTM or MLM scheme.  Cosmetics and skin product lines include Beauty Code, Bioglo, L’élan Vital, and Colour Sense.  I suspect that these are all eCosway brands. eCosway also sells cleaning supplies, nutritional supplements, and more.  Does it sound like Amway, but with a brick-and-mortar store?

Tangee Natural lipstick

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Tangee Natural lipstick is an iconic lipstick: just read the testimonials from women even older than The Style Page (!) They fondly remember Tangee Natural as their first lipstick.

First of all, let’s get one thing out of the way: “Natural” refers to the lip color, not the ingredients. While Tangee Natural is bright orange in the tube, it turns to a soft blush rose on the lips.

Tangee Natural lipstick
Tangee Natural lipstick

The soft blush rose color stays on, and Tangee Natural feels comfortable on the lips.  This lipstick would suit women with fair to light skin tones with blonde to light brown hair.  As I have dark brown hair (from the bottle!) and a light complexion, I need a deeper shade of lipstick.

Tangee Natural’s appeal is that it’s an iconic lipstick.  This is one lipstick that cries out for retro-packaging: Gabriela Hernandez, are you listening?

Tangee Natural lipstick sells for $15.00 a tube, exclusively through the Vermont Country Store.

Christopher Drummond Beauty Nature’s Pink SS13 LE collection

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Here’s a pretty in pink yet subtle SS13 LE collection from Christopher Drummond Beauty:

Christopher Drummond Beauty SS13 LE Nature's Pink collection
Christopher Drummond Beauty SS13 LE Nature’s Pink collection

The rundown:

  • Matte Summer Titanium Oxide-free Blush: peachy tan with a hint of pink
  • Charisma Lipgloss – milky, opaque nude pink
  • Nature’s Pink Eyeshadow Trio – Pink Beige Matte, Pink Champagne Shimmer, and Plum Brown Matte

I corresponded with Christopher when his only products were his Veludo loose powder foundation and Saúde Pele Radiance Booster, a pale yellow-gold loose shimmer powder.  Today, as you can see, he has a complete line of cosmetics.  He also appears on ShopNBC.  Congratulations, Christoper, on your success!

Powerpuff Girl-inspired eye makeup by MUA Dayane Zanni

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I was a fan of the Powerpuff Girls when it aired on Comedy Central in the 1990s.  I especially enjoyed talking about the TV episodes with my nephew in India:

Q. How did the Powerpuff Girls defeat the Rowdyruff Boys?

A. They kissed them.

Then, Neil reviewed the episode scene by scene.

My husband was amazed that Neil and I had the same cultural references, even though Neil was in India and I was in the U.S.

The Powerpuff Girls must have been a global phenomenon.  Brazilian makeup artist Dayane Zanni created these eye makeup looks inspired by Lindinha, Docinho and Florzinha. otherwise known as Bubbles, Buttercup, and Blossom.

Bubbles-inspired eye makeup
Bubbles-inspired eye makeup

Bubbles is the sweet, girlish Powerpuff Girl.  Here Dayane uses a blue and yellow eye makeup design inspired by Bubbles.

Buttercup-inspired eye makeup
Buttercup-inspired eye makeup

Buttercup is the most temperamental and “kick ass” of the three.  Here Dayane uses a green, black, and white eye design inspired by Buttercup.

Blossom-inspired eye makeup
Blossom-inspired eye makeup

Blossom balances out Bubbles and Buttercup.  Here Dayane uses an orange and red eye design inspired by Blossom.

Images are reproduced with the permission of Dayane Zanni.  When I asked her if I could do a blog post on her Powerpuff Girl-inspired eye makeup looks, she wrote Olá! Claro que pode Querida, fique a vontade! Beijão, that is, Hello! Of course you can Honey, you’re welcome! Beijão (meaning XO). Thank goodness for Google Translate!

Cover Girl & Olay Concealer Balm

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Leave it to the master marketers at P&G to take a pink lotion (the original Oil of Olay) and build an brand with several skin care lines around the Olay name.  Then there’s the cross-branding: Cover Girl & Olay and the Gillette Venus & Olay razor.  Cover Girl & Olay Concealer Balm is a recent addition to the Cover Girl & Olay line promoted by Ellen DeGeneres.

Cover Girl & Olay Concealer Balm
Cover Girl & Olay Concealer Balm

I have a confession to make: I have never mastered concealer under the eyes.  Many MUAs think that concealer is a basic and essential part of makeup.  However, when I apply concealer, what looks good at one angle doesn’t look good at another angle.  Then there’s the problem of blending.

So how do I use Cover Girl & Olay Concealer Balm?  To cover red spots on my face.  After my husband made remarks about my makeup looking like a mask, I went for a nautral look.  First, I used Mally’s Skin Perfecting Tinted Liquid Face Defender to even out my skin tone.  I then applied Cover Girl & Olay Concealer Balm over the red spots and blended it with the end of a moistened Beautyblender.  Presto!  Cover Girl & Olay Concealer Balm melds with the skin.

Cover Girl & Olay Concealer Balm comes in 6 shades:

  • Fair
  • Fair/Light
  • Light
  • Light/Medium
  • Medium
  • Medium/Deep

Cover Girl & Olay Concealer Balm is widely available at supermarkets, drugstores, and big box stores.  Watch out for coupons and in-store sales for discounts.