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

3 Custom Color Specialists - special on QVC

See that up there? That's a 3 Custom-Color Specialists palette. 

It's chock-full of Crème Concealer/Foundation in 3 shades.

3 Custom just debuted their line on QVC with these Crème Concealer/Foundations, and sold out 3 of the 6 shades they demo'd! Can you believe it? Don't worry, they're making more and you can snap yours up. Meanwhile, if you've got a hard-to-match skintone, plan on tanning (or paling) soon, or are a makeup artist looking for a dependable staple with amazing versatility - you need these products!

That palette above, 3 shades of the Crème Concealer/Foundation, comes in two versions (one with deeper shades than the other).

You can get it at QVC.com for $61.36. 

Guess what? It's $67.50  on the 3 Custom color site! 

Dude. That's a good deal!

Read here to find out why I love this Crème Concealer/Foundation (an item I still use daily!).

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What is it: This concealer trio set includes three of our creme concealer and foundation shades to provide a flawless, customized finish. Comes equipped with mirror, brush, and spatula for custom blending.

Who is it for: Suitable for all skin types.

Why is it different: This product's unique, silky-smooth formula is completely goof-proof. Concealer trios are perfect to take you from summer to winter and back again and to target areas of the face with lighter or darker shades. The set comes equipped with a mirror, brush, and spatula for custom blending.

How do I use it: Use in isolated areas with our concealer brush or your fingers. To use as a full-coverage foundation, apply with a dry sponge, foundation brush, or fingers, pushing into skin. For medium coverage, apply with a moistened sponge or brush. For sheer coverage, mix with your favorite moisturizer to create a tinted moisturizer. Set with powder for extended wear.

From 3 Custom Color Specialists.

Light to medium is for fair to medium skin tones. Medium to dark is for medium to deep skin tones.

BPAL jargon exposed: Sniffies | (@BPAL, #FB)

Right, then. We've discussed "Imps" and "frimps" and "decants".  What's left?

Well, that's exactly the issue- "what's left!?" Sometimes we've got just a little left in a bottle or Imp and we swap it, gift it, or tempt others with it... And naturally, BPALers have a name for that!

A "sniffie" is just that: a bottle or sample container with just a drop or two (maybe less!) left in it. Just enough to let you get a sniff and see if you're intrigued enough to follow-up with your own bottle.

And there you have it.

Monday Musings | Celeb skincare spokespeople | 8.24.09

Take a look at the pics above. Cindy is gorgeous, no? But then read the words underneath...

The pic was borrowed from TheDailyNews, so their assertion that she's had botox, etc are theirs.

Nonetheless, if that's true, I'm pretty irked. You see, I have this whole "truth in advertising" expectation, as naive as it is, and Cindy promotes a product for skincare (Meaningful Beauty). In her ads, it is explicitly said that these skincare products are the only things she uses on her skin. 

So which is right? She's had botox, collagen and vitamin injections?

Or she only uses the skincare line she promotes?

They can't both be true statements, can they?

See the Meaningful Beauty ad here.

In other Illamasqua news: tidbits leaked about Fall/Winter collection!

 

The inspiration:

"The German director Fritz Lang’s masterpiece ‘Metropolis’ is a 1927 silent science fiction film that explored the civil unrest that was being felt by society in the 1920s and translated it into a metaphorical futuristic urban city. The cutting edge set design and directional styling has influenced a whole host of contemporary cultural references including Ridley Scott’s ‘Blade Runner’, Madonna’s music video for ‘Express Yourself’ and The Matrix movies. This dark and sinister world was a big part of the inspiration behind this collection."

Read more about Dystopia here, on the Official Blog of Illamasqua (one of my daily must-reads!).

My favorite bit:

"The products are a fusion of dark, twisted colours and hot, electric neons for surprising colour combinations; opening up a legion of possible looks."

Illamasqua celebrates the life and legacy of Sophie Lancaster

Above is gorgeous Sophie Lancaster.

Two years ago she was viciously killed for expressing herself through her appearance -

a right we should all have.

Support the right to self-expression by visiting

Illamasqua

today (or any day)

and purchasing a S.O.P.H.I.E. wristband or Sophie Medium Pencil (black).

Note: Illamasqua is not selling any products besides these today, out of respect for Sophie and the cause she inspired.

BPAL Appreciation Week extended! | (@bpal, #fb)

 

awesome little imp by dragontrap via deviantart.com

Hi, folks. First, I would like to say Welcome and Thank You to the BPAL community! I can't get over how many of you have come to visit this week! I certainly hope you'll stick around even when topics aren't so BPAL-centric. But since I enjoy the topic, and you seem to, too, I'm starting a new feature:

BPAL of the Week

which will run every Wednesday. I hope you enjoy!

Meanwhile...

BPAL Appreciation Week would seem to be, by definition, one week long. However, due to incredible response combined with the fact that I didn't post two days of the week, I'm pleased to announce we'll be going into next week with our BPAL coverage!

I really can't apologize enough for dropping the ball at the end of this past week. As I mentioned yesterday (but will repeat for those who didn't see it), I have a toddler who's getting her molars in and that makes her cranky, plus a 3 1/2 month old who is going through her own teething plus a clingy phase. And then, Thursday, I did something to my eye and couldn't see well. PLUS, since that wasn't enough, Typepad (my blog platform) gave up the ghost the other night.

So... many apologies. I plan on much more fun and a BPAL GIVEAWAY! So stay tuned!

Meanwhile, maybe you can tell me what you are liking in this series, what you could do without, and what you'd like to see next week...

I look forward to your comments!

Catching up....

Sorry for low posts yesterday. We had a clingy toddler, teething infant, eye injury, then blog platform crash. I'm trying to catch up now. Stay posted!

xoxo

*jen

MAC - Make-up Art Cosmetics collection: Marilyn Minter

FALL ’09 AS SEEN BY MARILYN MINTER, PHOTOGRAPHER

Marilyn Minter, equally at home in art and fashion, has a penchant for iridescence that made her a perfect candidate for M·A·C’s glitter pigments, putting them to utterly seductive use. Minter’s erotic imagery zooms in on a succulently wet, red lip, a dappled, sequined eye, or a silverized stiletto splashing in the mud. The Whitney Biennial Artist says she’s “Never met a model who actually thinks she’s beautiful,” and that observation goes a long way to explain how she connects to what M·A·C wants to say about all-inclusiveness – we’re ALL beautiful sometimes. Pigments in Push the Edge and Copper or Gold Glitter have the power to make anyone feel like they WILL be seen – and desired.

Details after the jump...

MAC - Make-up Art Cosmetics collection: Maira Kalman

FALL ’09 AS SEEN BY MAIRA KALMAN, ILLUSTRATOR

Famous for her whimsical visual diaries, Maira Kalman performed a bit of magic with M·A·C's new Technakohl Eye Liners and Eye Shadows, instantly drafting a captivating look at a stranger. Cheeky, witty, always amusing, Maira’s illustrations are cute and colourful, wonderfully child-like, playful…and sophisticated all at once. Warm and eccentric at the same time, Maira’s faces are full of cock-eyed optimism, with the tiniest smidge of city-girl-snobbism…simply, scrumptiously, stupendously sublime!

more after the cut...

BPAL jargon exposed: CnS | (@bpal, #fb)

One of the most excited types posts you'll see on the BPAL forums (BPAL.org) is discussion on CnS. 

No, it's not a type of scent. It's not some delightful goody someone just smelled. It's quite simple, actually: it's notification that your order has been shipped!

The United States Postal Service is how you're going to get your package here in the States, and when the order is leaving The Lab an email is generate to tell you it's on the way. USPS calls this a Click-N-Ship, and so the acronym CnS was born.

The reason this is so exciting is that -- well, clearly you're only days away from having your nice sniffies. But also, since The Lab brews your concoctions especially for you after your order them, sometimes it can take a little while. Especially around Lunacy or new releases.

So, join in the fun and report your CnS receipt. There's a spot on the forum just for this, so you can  gloat shout with glee!

MAC - Make-up Art Cosmetics collection: Richard Phillips

FALL ’09 AS SEEN BY RICHARD PHILLIPS, PAINTER

Richard Phillips surprised even himself with this project. Using the expert skills of a photo-retoucher, he subjected his own painting to a M·A·C makeover with the new eye shadows, blushes and lipsticks. Andy Warhol did a cameo on The Love Boat in 1985…and in the same spirit, Richard Phillips’ 1998 painting, Spectrum, made its debut on an episode of the scandalous Gossip Girl – a sign of the times! Recycled and re-imagined ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s advertisments and images, and every colourful issue ever considered when pondering the question of “identity” is what Richard Phillips is all about. His bold and beautiful portraits are highly technical, a refinement of precise, academic painting, so relevant to everything M·A·C artistry is all about. A collection of Eye Shadow quads, Lipsticks, Lipglass, and The Perfect Cheek Blush just leap off the canvas!

read more ater the cut...

Why today is glorious (or: MAC releases a collection called Make-up Art Cosmetics)

Did you know that MAC stands for Makeup Art Cosmetics? Meh, you probably knew that. Well, then you know saying "MAC Cosmetics" is redundant, like saying "ATM Machine." That annoys me. That doesn't have anything to do with the fact that MAC is going back to its roots by basing its latest collection on collaborations with three artists. No-- I didn't say "makeup artists". I said "artists". Yay! It's about time!

The collection is each artist's interpretation of Fall '09. Let's take a look, shall we?

This season M·A·C celebrates the idea of the Artist in every shade and stripe…makeup as art form. M·A·C has selected three individuals who exemplify this idea through both the subjects they choose, and the wildly individual styles and colours used to convey them. Bold, heroic, big; giggly, playful, clever; dramatic, original, abstract: Fall ’09 as seen by Richard Phillips, Maira Kalman, and Marilyn Minter. Be inspired!

Since this is a 3-part collection, I think the best way to do it is to break it down into 3 parts here at Beauty School.

Click the names below and be transported to the artist's vision!

1. Richard Phillips (lipsticks, lipglasses, mascara, blush, 3 4x-shadow palettes)
2. Maira Kalman (eyeshadow singles, eyeliners)
3. Marilyn Minter (pigments, reflects glitters and regular glitters)

 

In M·A·C culture, the human face and body are the ultimate canvas for makeup artists. Makeup and brushes are quite literally the tools. M·A·C Artists are influenced by all forms of art from painting to photography to images in film, using makeup as their means of expression. Like fine artists, they create depth, sculpt contours, brush on highlights, blend textures, mix colours, or apply pigment straight from the tube like Van Gogh. But in this case, the canvas talks back.

“We are M·A·C … Make-Up Art Cosmetics. Every face is a canvas to us, a glorious chance for spectacular transformation. It’s nice to be pretty, but it’s so much more fabulous and interesting to be a persona, something once out-of-grasp that has, through the power of art, become thrillingly real,” says James Gager, Senior Vice President/Creative Director. “In keeping with our art heritage, it made sense to ask these three artists to participate in a unique collaboration with us for fall. Working in their individual mediums – drawing, photography and painting – each applied a different colour palette to a portrait, with inspired results.”

Gordon Espinet, Vice President, Makeup Artistry adds, “Art has no boundaries. Art appeals to ‘all ages, all races, all sexes! Art is ultimately all about individual expression. M·A·C makes no distinction between the fine artist and the makeup artist and gives every artist the power to tell their story with makeup.”

Everything at M·A·C is built around the idea that anything is possible when self-expression is honored, exalted, allowed to rise to its ultimate aria. This season M·A·C celebrates the idea of the Artist in every shade and stripe…makeup as art form. M·A·C has selected three individuals who exemplify this idea through both the subjects they choose, and the wildly individual styles and colours used to convey them. Bold, heroic, big; giggly, playful, clever; dramatic, original, abstract: Fall ’09 as seen by Richard Phillips, Maira Kalman, and Marilyn Minter. Be inspired!

BPAL jargon exposed: Scent Twins | (@BPAL, #FB)

So, say you and I are both chatting about our BPAL addictions, and we have one of those moments where we realize we like all of the same notes and scents. You know that kind of conversation, right? It goes a little something like this:

You: I love Morocco.

Me: OMG. Me 2. Have u tried O?  [I talk in text language]

You: I'm wearing it now!

Me: LOL.

You: How about Dee? I love that one.

Me: ROTFL - I haz two bottlez aging at home. BTW, u can buy me BPAL for Xmas, k?

Ah... Voila! You and I are Scent Twins. We like the same scents and, presumably, they work well on both of us.

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This post is part of our BPAL Appreciation Week --- read more here!

Shape's Sept. issue announces their Beauty Award Winners - and we have the list!

I love best-of lists, don't you? Even if half of the items are out of my price range, it's cool to see what people like, don't like, what I've tried and what I haven't. This year's Sept. issue of Self has their Beauty Award Winners, and it's the kind of "best-of" list I like the best - they give a "high end" and a "not-so-high end" option.

I'd give you my opinion on these, but I haven't tried most of them. I'm stunned. I do love the Lancome eye cream - it's great. And I wrote up a glowing review of the Crest Advanced Seal whitening kit. And we know I loves me some MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes! As for the rest--- I guess I need to get to testing!

Take a look at the full list after the jump.

Home Hair Color 101 - doing it yourself ( + Dying your brows: do it or skip it?)

 

image source

My President says the recession here in the States is over, but I personally am still feeling the pinch. I'm doing my hair at home (though I've done that for years, anyway: I like the creativity and the cost-savings gives me more cash for lipgloss!). Over the years I've learned some lessons and come up with some hints. I may as well share them in case they help some of you.

By the way, you're not supposed to tint/dye your eyebrows, because there's a risk of damage if it gets in your eyes. However, just because I'm doing my color at home doesn't mean I have to have brows that don't match my hair! That's just ridiculous. I've found that by being careful, I can do my own brows and get salon-perfect results. This does not mean I advocate you doing your own.

Disclaimer: I take NO responsibility for your results, I'm just sharing my experiences.

Please keep reading or more info.

Passing the savings on to you....

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Gwen Stefani rocks the white mani trend

InStyle talks nail trends

Check it out. InStyle breaks down three Fall nail trends and tells you how to get 'em.

They go over the moon mani (shown above), the ombre mani, and mixed metals.

BPAL jargon exposed: Decant vs. Imp | (@BPAL, #FB)

Once one delves deeply into the realm of BPAL, one realizes there's a whole language that belongs to that world. Two of the most frequently heard words are "decant" and "Imp". Let's demystify them:

An Imp is a sample-sized container of BPAL oil. Specifically it's 1/5 of a dram, 1/32oz, or just about 3/4 of a mL. This term is unique to the BPAL products. Samples from other companies are called other things (example "Possets"), and if you're referring to some other tiny little vial, it's best to call it "an imp-sized sample" or some such.

Imp is actually short for "Imp's Ear", which is how big the sample is and also the name of BPAL's sampling program.

The term Imp has also been known to be twisted. You know how you say "I Googled..."? Well, same kinda thing. I've seen people say that a particular scent is "not impable", which indicates that you can't get an Imps for it (it's probably an LE scent). That means many scents are impable, which is a relief!

Here are some of the scents that are non-impable include Limited Edition items, Carnival Diabolique, Lunacy scents, Neil Gaiman scents (including Stardust, Good Omen and one assumes The Graveyard Book scents), Shojo Beat scents, TAL oils, and BPTP scents. You can buy Imps for Panceas, Chakras, and The Salon, but only in sets.

 

Imp. Source

A decant, on the other hand, is different. The verb "decant" essentially means to pour or drain some liquid from one bottle to another. Since not all bottles are impable (BPAL does not offer Imps on certain items and on Limited Edition scents), fans will decant some bottles and trade or swap or sell the resultant samples. Those resultant samples are referred to as "a decant". Most decants are Imp-sized, so if you're decanting into another size vial you need to say that!

So, in summary: while one may buy or swap an Imp from the General Catalog, one may actually beg, borrow or steal (or swap!) a decant of an unimpable BPAL. 

See? It's simple!

Bonus definition: A "frimp" is a free Imp provided by the Lab in your order. You usually get several. :)

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This post is part of our BPAL Appreciation Week --- read more here!

BPAL review: Dragon's Milk | (@bpal, #fb)

A truly fae nectar! Dragon's blood resin and honeyed vanilla.

Shockingly, this is not actually from milking a dragon as one would a cow. (I know! I fell over in a dead faint when I found out! lol) 

Apparently, there was an ale called "Dragon's Milk" back when Shakespeare was a lad. The fact that I know that little fact is proof that BPAL does things to a person: it makes me Google and try to figure out where the Lab's head was when the product was designed and made! (I'm weird like that)

There's also an author, Susan Fletcher, who wrote The Dragon Chronicles, a series of books including Dragon's Milk.

There's also a beer with this name (rated B+ by Beer Advocate). Cool.

Google is an odd thing.

Well, I'm here to say that none of those things have a clear impact on the scent of this oil. What's in the oil, though is Dragon's Blood, made from the resin of any of the following species of plants: Croton, Dracaena, Daemonorops, Calamus rotang, and Pterocarpus.

I like those plants, and I surely like Dragon's Blood! The smell is distinct - and hard to pin down. The best I can do is to say it's spicy, deep, rich, and somehow exotic. And it's the base of all of the scents in BPAL's Ars Draconis section - which is where you'll find Dragon's Milk.

As noted above, the scent is Dragon's Blood resin and honeyed vanilla, and that's pretty much how it smells. Sorry - no completely unique or groundbreaking insight coming from me on this one! In the bottle to me it's mostly the resin, but once it's on it fleshes out with a stunning depth due to the vanilla. It's not crazy vanilla... I wouldn't describe it as "foodie". It's just luscious and sexy and beautiful. It's not terribly strong on me to start off with and certainly stays close to the skin as it dries, however hours and hours later I can still smell the slightest bit of Dragon's blood mixed with a bit stronger of a dose of vanilla. This is an incredibly cozy scent, but still sensual.

DRAGON'S MILK
A truly fae nectar! Dragon's blood resin and honeyed vanilla.
.purchase 5ml.
.view cart / check out.

SEE THE REVIEWS, HERE

Have you smelled Dragon's blood resin before?

Tried any of the Ars Draconis? Share your stories with the class!

 

image source

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VISIT THE REST OF OUR BPAL APPRECIATION WEEK ARTICLES BY CLICKING THE IMAGE TO THE RIGHT. --------------->

READ OUR OTHER BPAL POSTS HERE.