BSB: Beauty news, makeup swatches and pictures, nail polish articles, makeup tutorials, product reviews, and how-to's from a MAC-trained makeup artist.

Save 20% at Sally Beauty online

Feed your addictions at Sally Beauty by using this info:

Get 20% off your entire order by
 using code 555902 at checkout.

Also being offered:
 free shipping for orders topping $50.

New from Estee Lauder | Pleasures Splash (3 scents); DoubleWear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme; DoubleWear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil

Lots of newness from Mama Lauder!

Pleasures Splash (3 scents)
 DoubleWear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme
 DoubleWear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil

pleasures Splash | Three new all-over body splashes that are perfect for sundress season! Nice and light, and all based on the best of the sheer floral scent pleasures (the original scent's notes: lilies, peonies, jasmine and baie rose).

• Baie Rose Peony Splash | A fresh floral - exotic and spicy baie rose merges with the soft floral of peony. Also: lily, green leaves, and warm skin accord.
  
• Jasmine Violet Splash | A green floral - fresh violet blends with sexy jasmine. Also: tuberose, cucumber, and a touch of spicy carnation.
• Sandalwood Amber Splash |A woody oriental - rich golden amber swirled with warm creamy sandalwood. Also: orange, lemon, karo karonde, pepper, and warm skin accord.

DoubleWear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme | Lots of love out there for Estee Lauder's DoubleWear line. There should be tons of excitement that the DoubleWear premise has been extended to cream shadows and eye pencils!

• Brilliant color that is stay-true for 15 hours. 
• Sets quickly and unaffected by humidity or heat.
• Contains antioxdants and also formulated to apply smoothy, so you don't have to tug your eyes.
• There are some GORGEOUS colors in this ShadowCreme and a few are LE, so hurry out and pick 'em up...

DoubleWear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil | So pretty! Eye pencils to coordinate with the cream shadows... YAY!

• No smudge, no budge. Stays in place for upto 12 hours.
• Creamy and quick setting.
• Silicones help hold the colors in place; pigment-rich for intense and saturated colors; Vitamin E and jojoba keep it smooth (no undue wear-and-tear on the eye). 
• Comes with a smudger (soft foam tip) and are sharpenable.

Interested in these? The idea of a splash sound great to you, or do you think it's going to be too sheer? Ready to try a great new cream shadow? Have high hopes for a liner that lasts 12 hours? Share with the class! 

I personally want to try these splashes, badly! esepcially intrigued by the Jasmine Violet and Sandalwood Amber! I'd be willing to give the eye products a shot, though I've got tons of supposed long-wearing products and would want a test-drive before buying. Though the colors... ah... the colors! And if these are as good as the rest of the DoubleWear line is reputed to be, they may be a new "must"!

Steals and Deals | 4.7.09

I've been busy contracting and "nesting" (which means folding baby clothes over and over), so I am behind on the news. Here's a round-up:

• Ok, I'm not a fan of this product, but it's a Cult Fave so I want to let you know about these deals Elizabeth Arden is having on their 8-Hour Cream collection. I must say, I'm diggin' the 60's retro packaging!
  
  
  
  
  So, that's a few offers:
  
  • The retro 60's stufl (8-Hour Treatment in a pot, and the 8-Hour Lip Protectant Stick)
  • The Value Set (Hand Treament, Lip Protectant Stick, 8-Hour Cream)
  • The online-only deal for Eight-Hour Cream Sun Defense for Face SPF 50 Sunscreen PA+++ (what a succinct name!)
  • And the Spring Glow Gift with any $25 or more order ('til 4/11, enter code GLOW @ checkout)
  • PLUS: FREE SHIPPING ON ANY ORDER OVER $75

• Benefit has gone a little mad! Recession busting deals galore to follow:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Get the kit above ($55 value) with any $50 or more online order. They're billing this as "a once in a lifetime offer" so take advantage if you a) love Benefit or b) have been meaning to try some of these products! Make sure you add this item to your cart before checkout, then use the code GLAMGOOD!
    • Set includes: "Insider favorites BADgal blue, the brightening blue mascara; california kissin', smile brightening lip shine; & silky powder eyeshadow in soft shoulder, a desert rose shade, all tucked inside a pretty pink shopping bag"
  • Also, check this out:
    
    

• Clinique wants to save your wallet with a few multi-taskers - and if you purchase any of them at Macy's  between April 5th and April 19th (or spend $21.50 on anything) you get a free 7-piece gift!  (Cute bag! It's always the bag that ropes me in!)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  PS: Don't wanna go to Macy's? There's an additional online offer - Free standard shipping for any orders over $40.
  
  Here are the multi-taskers:
  • Quick Blush - Sweet little compact blush-plus-brush combo. Simply twist, open, apply, and then stash the brush again. I like it, and so does Oprah. What more can you ask for!?  $21.50.
  • Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder is makeup and a treatment in one. I have heard RAVES about this Redness Solutions line, so if you suffer from mild-to-moderate rosacea or other skin redness, this is a must-try. The powder is $32.50.
  • Clinique's famous 3-Step System for skincare, tailored to your needs and certainly a Cult Classic in its own right.
  • Make your volumizing mascara (like High Impact Mascara) work double-duty by pairing it with a lengthening lash primer (Lash Building Primer).

Giveaway time! Lisa Hoffman Spa Bath & Shower Collections! Post a comment to enter...

AND THE WINNER IS:

GAIL!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Gail, please email me at [email protected]

so we can get your prize to you!

YAY! Another contest!

 

On April 3rd - FRIDAY - Lisa Hoffman will be launching on the Canadian Shopping Channel! You can catch her at 9AM, 12PM. 4PM, and 9 PM, while she introduces her Spa Bath and Shower Collections. She's also adding Japanese Agarwood and Madagascar Orchid to her Fragrance Variations...

These products are designed to be travel-sized luxury items, and are completely airline-friendly (not to mention luscious).

To celebrate this launch, I have the opportunity to give away these:

 

Each Spa Bath & Shower Packet, shown above, is worth $35, and we're giving away TWO! 

Spa Bath Packette: Each airtight ampoule contains the following products: Bath Soak, Body Wash, Body Polisher, Body Cream, and Hand & Foot Butter. Each product aims to cleanse, protect, nourish and moisturize for a softer and more radiant finish

The Spa Shower Packette features all five of the Spa Shower formulations (Cleansing Gel, Body Scrub, Body Oil, Body Lotion, and Hand & Foot Cream.). Each product aims to cleanse, protect, nourish and moisturize for a softer and more radiant finish. Plus, each formula contains ingredients harvested from the rainforests in a sustainable manner.

And you don't have to enter a pie-eating contest to win, either. Simply enter a comment here or anywhere else on the site between now and midnight on April 3rd (EST). As always, our very exclusive advanced and scientific selection process* will be utilized.

*Ara will pick a name out of a hat (or maybe an Easter basket to add some seasonal flava).

Good luck!

And be sure to tune in to see Lisa Hoffman

on the Canadian Shopping Channel this Friday, April 3rd!

"Great references" added...

We've just added a new page, easily accessed through the nav bar at the top of our page, which will be a stopping-point for everyone looking to find some of the great resources about makeup and fragrance and nail polish that I've discovered! Take a look and don't hate me if some of them suck a lot of your time!

PS: This list is just recently started, and will be built on tons as time goes by. I haven't even put in my myriad fragrance references yet!

GREAT RESOURCES

Stila is fine, ya'll...

Just got off of the phone with a Rep from Stila, and was assured the company is NOT going bankrupt, and all is good in the world. So while I urge you to go pick up your favorite Stila products, there's no need to hoard them. Be patient - the website will be back soon, after routine maintenance is completed. And Stila isn't going anywhere!

Please - if you see anyone passing along the bankruptcy rumor, correct them, will ya? This is harmful for a company...

If you have any questions, contact me @ [email protected]!

Why, La Mer? WHY? | Body Refiner

 

I just had the fabulous opportunity to try some more La Mer (boy, do I love when they release a new product!). In fact, I got to try two things: The Body Refiner and The SPF 30 UV Protecting Fluid.

Listen, I don't want to recommend expensive products. I really don't. I like using expensive products, mind you, but they're not something I trot on out to scoop up with my (non-existant) Platinum Card. But some things are expensive because they work, or because the superior ingredients inside are worth the buckage. So, when I find 'em - I can't help but rave.

La Mer isn't something I think is "affordable" for most people, but I'm not going to lie: they're good products. And I'm here on this blog to tell you what I think works and what I think doesn't. So you get the occasional La Mer post! And maybe you'll find them to be splurge-worthy or at least something to pop onto the special occassion wish-list!

At any rate, let's talk about these products! Today:

• The Body Refiner     

Dirty, Sexy .... toes? Here's a NOTD with Misa and OPI polishes in blue-greens

Maybe it's a pregnancy thing, but I'm obsessed with nail polish at the moment.

Below, pics of my nails earlier this week.
Yes, I said "earlier this week" because the tips have changed again already...

I also just removed acrylics (hence the banged-up nature of the nails).
A) I want to rock natural nails so it's easier for me to change polishes frequently;
B) Saving money time - I can still get pedis but will scrimp on manis since I can do them myself
 (I suck at pedis)
and
C) When Lulu gets here, I'm not going to have time/energy to go get fills!


Below, on tootsies, Misa's Dirty Sexy Money. Love it!
I've never worn greens/blues before and now I can't figure out why!
This shade is a dusky, greyed-out teal and it's perfection.

On tips: a discontinued OPI called Blue Moon Lagoon.
It's an amazing holographic polish in a soft blue-green.
I can't stop looking at it when I have it on!





Blurry pic, above, but it nicely shows the holo.

Not to mention, Lancôme has some great sets on sale, too...

 Lancôme just notified me of some great deals on sets! Take a look, then buy them here.

Mother's Day sets from Clarins (my favorite skincare company)

I ♥ Clarins. And I'm a mom. So I would never turn down a gift from Clarins for Mother's Day, right? And there's a set for every mom...

Mother's Day isn't 'til May 10, but I wanted to let you know about this so there's plenty of time to order! (And, also, I may be in labor when it's a more appropriate time to write this up!)