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

Jul 27, 2010

Hi, everyone! Hope your week is going well! Alas, mine is not... My computer is under the weather (again) and I'm typing this out on hubby's phone. Hope to be back online soon. Meanwhile, I'll reply to emails and comments when I get near this phone. :) Xoxo *jen

Public Service Announcement

My blogging platform, Typepad, and I had a lot of battles yesterday, so I apologize for not posting. And now I'm behind and may not be able to post more today! I have guests coming and a messy house, so that moved to the front burner. ;)

I do have a few looks to post and a couple of skincare reviews, so it's not lack of fodder or laziness that slowed me down! Stay tuned for some good stuff, SOON!

What's on tap for you today and this weekend?

Fragrance Review: Liz Earle Botanical Essence Eau de Parfum No 1

Another product for which the name just trips off the tongue.

"What are you wearing today? It's lovely."
"Why, this morning I spritzed on a bit of Liz Earle Botanical Essence Eau de Parfum No. 1. Thank you!"

This is natural skincare wizard Liz Earle's first bespoke fragrance. "Bespoke" is a word that's all over the press release and it irritated the hell out of me until I realized it's the British way of saying "custom-made". Here I was thinking it was all hoity-toity and annoyingly antiquated, but it's just a British thing. Or is it? That's what Wikipedia told me. I haven't ever heard a Brit say "bespoke," but then again I hardly hang around a lot of Brits who can afford to have something "bespoke" for them. ;)

PS: One Brit I know who could use some bespoking is Britney Spears. She needs a bespoke wig!

At any rate, this is one of those fragrance reviews where you may think I've bumped my head. Hard. Or you may agree wholeheartedly. It's difficult to predict!

I was curious what other people were saying about this scent, and I found quite a few people PANNING it. I saw comparisons to cat pee and old ladies (and sometimes both). It was really interesting!

Read on to see what I thought...

Open Letter to Britney Spears

Dammit, Brit!

Just because it's the back of your head and you don't have to see it doesn't make it OK.

And your bra gives you 4 boobs.

Please get back to me on this. I can help.

xoxo,

*jen

_{image via}

Three Custom Color Specialists:

I've had a brand-crush on Three Custom Color Specialists for awhile now. It started before I began blogging, back when I'd only read about them in magazines. Now that I've tried a few things from the line, I have to say my crush hasn't gone away.

Mental note: I need to finally get off my ass and send in that discontinued lipstick I have so they can mix me up a batch of it! It's my perfect nude lippie. What am I waiting for?

I ended up getting samples from their most recent collection, Get Away, and I'm pretty happy with them. I mentioned the collection here, and now I've got pics and swatches and a proper review.

Keep reading for more...

BSB Editorial: Brand vs. Blogger- a new trend?

This isn't an easy topic for me, because I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose some friends, but I received a few messages lately that make me feel that I need to comment recent happenings in the blogosphere.

Let me preface it all by saying that I have been a proud member of the beauty blogging community for three years, and I have nothing but respect for the bloggers in this genre. 

I want to catch you up quickly, so you know what the hoopla is about, then maybe we can chat about it a bit?

Recently a few reports of companies issuing Cease & Desist Orders to bloggers have come up.

*A Cease and Desist Order (C&D) is a request that a certain behavior be stopped or legal action will be taken. It's like a warning and paper trail all wrapped up in one.

In the post Cease & Desist with the Cease & Desists, British Beauty Blogger refers to multiple instances of C&Ds being issued to British bloggers, implying that the companies are small American brands. Then there are the C&Ds issued to several blogs by mega-brand OPI, threatening action if bloggers didn't pull down "sneak peek" promo pics of upcoming collections. 

Most recently, though, the nail polish community and quite a few bloggers are up in arms over a C&D issued by indy polish brand Ginger + Liz. The order was sent to a blog I had never heard of, called Daily Polish, which has been in action since Sept. 2009. (That's not a slur- she's probably never heard of me, either!) ;)

A big brand beating up on a little blogger? Keep reading for more...

White Heat: The book and the lipgloss

Cool collaboration alert!

Three Custom Color Specialists
Lip Gloss in White Heat

New York Times Best-Selling Author
Brenda Novak's newest book: White Heat*.

Both debut on July 27th!

For reviews of both and a few special deals, keep reading

BSB Editorial: How young is too young?

It's all over the blogs: 18 year-old Filipino singing sensation Charice Pempengco is getting Botox and another fairly heavy-hitting beauty treatment in order to ready herself for her appearance on Glee.

18 years old.

Botox.

And a 30-minute Thermage "face tightening" procedure.

This irritates me for countless reasons, the least of which being that Charice is only 18 and couldn't possibly need to Botox anything into submission.

For those of you not familiar with Thermage, it promises "tighter, smoother skin, softened wrinkles and lines, and an overall younger looking appearance."

Charice is quoted as saying that she is "very proud to be an Asian, very proud to be Filipino," and yet she underwent the Thermage and Botox to make her "naturally round face" more narrow, according to what celebrity cosmetic surgeon Vicki Belo told ABS-CBN television. So there's pride for you, huh? So proud she wants to change a fairly ethnic characteristic. Doesn't sound like she's trying to smooth her skin or even look younger (is there anything younger than 18 year old skin?!), though. Charice has been widely quoted as saying "All people will be anticipating how will Charice look. Is she good enough to pit against Rachel Berry? So of course there is tremendous pressure." Well, if that's what's needed to "compete" against Lea Michele, why not jump in with both feet and enbiggen* her nose to take on that Jewish-Italian look so unique to Ms. Michele?

_{*Yes, I know this isn't a real word. I like it anyway.}

I'm sure there's a lot of pressure to remain perfect in Hollywood. I can't even imagine the pressure. But 18 is awfully damn young and at that age I wasn't even thinking about proper moisturizers, much less anti-aging strategies. Granted, that was the dark ages, waaay back in the 80's, but the point is most teens who aren't battling acne have little to fret over. A simple routine of cleansing, moisturizing, and SPF should help them glow and look as youthful as they really are.

So, racial issues aside (a large topic for another day), I'm curious to hear what you think. When is it ok to start cosmetics procedures? I'm not talking about truly repairing a deviated septum or fixing a drooping eye. I'm referring here to Botox, Juvaderm, and other injectables, along with other in-office procedures like Thermage, laser resurfacing, and so on.

Surf's Up! Fall news sneaking in...

Hi, everyone! We're back from vacation. We're a bit tanner, a bit tired, and a lot full from all of the good food! Naturally, we're sad vacation is over but a tiny smidge glad to be back in our own beds. The girls were all over their toys and I was happy to see that I got a few packages of goodies while I was gone!

Today is all about catching up. We're all trying to put things back where they belong, get adjusted to being home, and gearing up for the week. As you all know, one of the things you have to do when you get back from a vacation is go through email! I'm working on that and all of the great blog posts and articles I missed while I was gone.

Take a look...

• Chanel's taupe-purple nail lacquer, Paradoxal, is taking the beauty world by storm! I must get my hands on it, STAT. Here are some swatches by The Non-Blonde, Vampy Varnish, Scrangie, and All Lacquered Up.  Meanwhile, I didn't realize that Illusion D'Or is still available. Maybe I'll be picking up a two-fer.
  
  image at right courtesy of Vampy Varnish
  
  
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• China Glaze has two things going on this Fall and sadly I wasn't able to get press-samples for either. Boo! I'll be swinging by the store, though, to pick up the Halloween set and the set that is released just before Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
  
  Fight Like a Woman is a genius name for a collection, especially one for which directs some of its proceeds  towards World Health Organization agency "International Agency for Research on Cancer" (IARC).
  
  Colors are Encouragement (baby pink shimmer), Endurance (raspberry shimmer), and Empowerment (cotton candy creme).
  
  Look for the collection in September. Swatches can be found on Makeup and Beauty Blog. If you know of others, please let me know!
  
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  Then there's Awakening. Despite the vampire theme (I'm getting a bit over it), it's going to be another must-have!
  
  There are three new colors, which will be sold in a set alongside Fast Forward Top Coat. Those will be in most stores, but if you stop by a Sally Beauty Supply you can see the 18-piece display (which I assume means you can buy the colors separately).
  
  Colors are Zombie Zest (mossy green with gold flecks), Ick-A-Body (dark green with lotsa orange glitter), and Mummy May I (vampy wine-purple with hot pink glitter flecks).
  
  The press release didn't specify when the Awakening collection will be in stores, but I am guessing September? Swatches to be seen: Scrangie, Temptalia, and Chic Profile.
  
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• Have you seen Lancome's Fall collection, French Coquettes, yet? Amazing promo pics by Mario Testino! Stunning. Look at those magenta lips! The smokey eyes! The gorgeous purple, silver and black shadows! The soft and romantic cheeks! Aaron de May, the line's artistic director, has knocked another collection right out of the park here.
  
  (Click on either image to enlarge)
  
  
  
  
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• Womanity by Thierry Mugler. Not at all a strange bottle design. *gives it the side eye*
  The concept: "the invisible bond between women." The name is a blend of femininity, humanity, and city. The notes: a tricky combination of savory and sweet including fig, fig wood, and caviar. The bottle: meant to show the links between women with a gothic-meets-art deco flair, and a sculptural frieze meant to embody "all women". The fragrance is on-counter now.
  Visit the product's site here for more strangeness. I can't wait to smell it!
  

  click on the image to see it larger and weirder
  
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• Zoya's Fall '10 collections (there are always two) are called Wicked and Wonderful. The former is chock-full of glittery foils, while the latter is all sexy cremes. The Nail Ninja informs me she is planning on hauling Edyta, Stacy, and Kelly (shown in that order below). You can see swatches at KarlaSugar, Vampy Varnish (part 1, part 2), and Scrangie.
  
  

     
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
• Essie is usually known for pale, work-worthy nail shades. Check out this cool mini-collection based on the Addam's Family Musical! Shades are Bone Chilling White ("death is right around the corner"), Blood Curdling Red ("certain to scare the crows away"), and Midnight Tango ("certain to keep the passion alive"). Get the Morticia's Nails collection here. _via
  
  

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• I am mad for Armani, and this Fall is going to render me broke. A pretty pink and raspberry blush duo, several Rouge d'Armani lipsticks (in deep ruby, soft pink, and black purple!), and a new liquid lippie called "Lip Skin" (I'd have expected "Lip Fabric", but "Lip Skin"?! Hopefully this was lost in translation somewhere 'cause um... ick.). Eyes to Kill Mascara (which I haven't tried yet!) will make an appearance in blue-grey, and two eye palettes (one in blues and taupes, another with purple and black) round out the nocturnally-themed collection.
  _{The images below are courtesy and property of KarlaSugar, who was also my source for the info.}
  
  

  
  

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• More Karla Sugar News Network breaking news, this time about Chanel. Expect gorgeous lips and nails this Fall, dolls, with 4 new Rouge Allure lipsticks (Best.Lipstick.Formula.Ever.):  Confidentielle (rose), Insolente (candy pink), Excessive (red), and Emotive (raspberry). Fatale (brown red) is a repromote. Karla cautions that she's not sure if these are part of a line-expansion or are LE. Meet a new long-wear lipgloss formula, Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss, that promises shine and pigment along with that long-wear. The shades: Imaginaire (fresh pink), Insolence (candy pink), Genie (coral), Insouciance (nude), Exces (red), Emoi (raspberry), Fatale (brown red), Impertinence (chocolate), with Confidence (rose) being the only known LE choice. Three Rouge Allure Laques will also be repomoted (Ming, Santal, and Dragon). Chanel's impeccable nail polish formula will show up in three new shades: Rose Insolent (candy pink), Rose Confidentiel (rose), and Rouge Fatal (brown red). I promise to try to resist Emotive and Emoi, the raspberries, and Rouge Fatal lacquer (an early holiday gift for The Nail Ninja!), though I don't know how successful I'll be. ;)
  

  
  
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• The Nail Ninja has a few Misa polishes, and she tells me they're really lovely. Fall's collection, What I Like About You, looks gorgeous! The shades: Quirky Smile (shimmering Prussian blue), Like It Like That (candy apple green), Spinning Out of Control (a brooding cobalt blue-violet), It’s You! (multilayered iridescent smoldering forest green shot through with copper ribbons), Perfect Kiss (vibrant fuchsia, and When U Say My Name (sultry rust).
  
  
  Image below courtesy of Scrangie, who is also my source.
  
  
   
  

More coming soon! Stay tuned...

China Glaze Vintage Vixen Re-cap (Fall '10)

So we've come to the end of the China Glaze nail swatches for Fall's Vintage Vixen. In all, a great collection! Aside from any problems with colors and your skintone, there are no clunkers in the whole set. That's why The Ninja loves China Glaze! She'll be sporting these colors this Fall and for a long time to come.

Review:  Each color is incredibly well-done. The Ninja gives every color a ★★★★★ FIVE STAR rating for quality! Below, each color is rated just in the parameters of this collection (meaning- a few of the colors are stand-outs), but one must keep in mind that as far as the big picture these colors are all streak-free, easy to apply, and well-wearing with no major application problems.

The collection: 

• Riveter Rouge – Deep red shimmer ★★★★☆
• Foxy – Burgundy frost with shimmer ★★★★★
• Goin’ My Way – Brown frost with copper shimmer ★★★★★
• Classic Camel – Khaki crème with gold micro glitter ★★★★★
• Swing Baby –  Taupe frost with silver micro glitter ★★★★☆
• Ingrid – “Greige” crème with copper micro glitter ★★★★★
• Hey Doll – Rose frost with shimmer ★★★★☆
• Bogie – Plum frost with shimmer ★★★★☆
• First Class Ticket – Deep purple frost with shimmer ★★★★☆
• Midnight Mission – Navy blue frost with silver micro glitter ★★★★☆
• Emerald Fitzgerald – Turquoise green frost with shimmer ★★★★★
• Jitterbug – Grey chrome with silver micro glitter ★★★★☆

Back-up worthy:
Foxy is an incredibly beautiful wine-red base with a warm shimmer. The color is probably close to universally flattering, and a real winner in The Ninja's book. Ingrid is a winner not just for being another mushroom shade, but because it brings something original to the table: a bit of a green undertone and a lovely copper shimmer. Goin' My Way is a lovely coppper-loaded brown that's perfect for Fall. It really sings when well-lit but doesn't lose it's charm in regular lighting, either, which is no mean feat. Emerald Fitzgerald is a deep blue-green (not emerald!) with just the right amount of shimmer and should be a big hit this Fall. The Ninja bets that wil be the first color to sell out on most China Glaze displays. And then there's Classic Camel - a stellar shade that is very, very unique. The only downside is that aside from nail collectors and the rare person who finds this a match to their skintone, this cool color will probably be overlooked. A shame, because it's really unusual and pretty!

Swing Baby:

Ingrid:



Goin' My Way:
Riveter Rouge:
Jitterbug:

Bogie:

Hey Doll:

Midnight Mission:

First Class Ticket:

Foxy Lady:

  Classic Camel:

Emerald Fitzgerald:

The end of Beauty & the Beach

Thanks for sticking by us this week for our Beauty & the Beach series. I hope you enjoyed it? If you have tips for the other members of our community, please share!

Here's a recap of the stories in the series:

• Get Ready Before You Go
  Getting beach-ready!
• Shore Up Your Makeup Routine
  What to wear and how to pull it off.
• Taking Care of Your Hair
  Keeping it gorgeous even in the salt air!
• The Skinny on Skincare
  Working that sexy skin and keeping it safe.
• Sunscreen: You're Doing it Wrong
• Nailing down your tips and toes
  How to pick the right colors and keep them looking sexy!
• Fragrance
Smells like vacation!

Beauty & the Beach: Fragrance

Do you wear fragrance at the beach? I do! And not just the aroma of sweat and suntan lotion!

But perfume at the beach is tricky... It's hot, it's sticky, there are a lot of beautiful smells around (and often a lot of people!).

The other thing one must consider is that most of beach life is down-played. Clothes are more simple (no suits, heels, binding waists). Shoes are casual. Hair is loose and free...

So what does one spritz or spray to accentuate the relaxed glory of the shore?

Keep reading to find out...

Beauty & the Beach: Nailing down your tips and toes

Cute isn't just about the bikini and the tan. You gotta have cute toes to show off your flip flops, wedges, and hawt (healthy) tan!

And don't forget the manicure. Not only does that look nice, but it also puts you in a pampered mood. Perfect for vacation.

If you missed my post on How to Have Less Ugly Feet for Summer, you should go check it out. It talks about whipping those dogs into shape (the only dog whipping I advocate).

When it comes to color choices, I've called in The Nail Ninja. Take a peek past the jump for more!

Sunscreen. You're doing it wrong.

Beauty & the beach: The skinny on skincare

So, we've talked about the important stuff already, right? Nails... makeup... bikini waxes. Now let's get the crucial but not as fun stuff out of the way!

We have to keep our skin healthy by getting rid of the dry, flaky bits and keeping our circulation going. We have to hydrate our skin or suffer the consequences (aging, wrinkles, dull and lackluster appearance). We also have to put on the SPF!

What are your routines when it comes to skincare on vacations?

Some of mine are after the jump.

Beauty & the Beach: Taking Care of Your Hair

Let me start by saying that this isn't going to be yet another article about creating beachy waves. Those articles are all over the place! We don't all want that 'do, though I will share some tips for those who do, but let's talk about other things, too.

Well, if you're like me you've put thought into your hairstyle of choice (and maybe even you hair color) and you don't want one week of swimming and sunning to throw it all out of whack, much less result in a few hundred dollars worth of repair time at the salon when you get home!

There are a few key topics to consider when it comes to haircare:
-Keeping hair healthy
-Keeping your hair color
-Keeping your hair looking good

Let's dish...

Beauty & the Beach: Shore up your makeup routine

You don't need makeup at the beach. The glow you get from the sun and fresh air is enough! But, if you're like me, it's never enough. ;)

I don't wear makeup on the beach itself now, but I have been known to in the past. I surely wear a touch when I go out to have drinks, shop the shoppes, or pop out for dinner (seafood, of course!). I mean... it's the beach, not jail!

If you want some tips for pulling off some beach makeup without ending up looking clownish or drippy from the sweat, keep reading.

And if you have makeup tips for the beach, let us know in the comments!

Beauty & The Beach: Get Beach-ready before you go

So you're going on vacation? Yay!

I know you plan where you're going to stay and you plan what you're going to wear, but do you plan your beauty routine?

I am a big planner and list-maker, so I try to line things up before I leave. If you're like me, you plan so you aren't stressed out, right? Well then, explain to me why I never feel stress-free! lol

Anyway, here are some things to keep in mind to before you head off to your vacation. Keep reading, will you? And if you have any tips, please share them with us!

Beauty and The Beach

Hi, ya'll! I am beach-bound today and couldn't be more excited. It's been years since I had a vacation, and I miss the beach so much!

While I'm gone, there will still be a few BSB posts. I've scheduled some in a series I'm calling Beauty & The Beach that will be -you guessed it!- vacation and travel themed. If you have any tips to add, please do!

I may post here and there throughout the week, especially if some celeb does something nuts beauty-wise. And I'll try to reply to comments, too.

I hope you have a geat week. I'll miss ya! I'll try to bring each and every one of you a souvenir from my trip. ;)

In which The Ninja gets drunk on champagne! (China Glaze: Swing Baby from Vintage Vixen)

Did The Ninja save the best for last with the China Glaze Vintage Vixen collection? She just might have...

Swing Baby is a taupe frost with silver microglitter, according to China Glaze, but The Ninja would call it a champagne shade with a foil finish.

The application was smooth, but the coverage may drive some of you nuts as there's slight VNL after the third coat.

 Read more about the Vintage Vixen collection here!

It may not be The Ninja's absolute favorite from the collection, but it's in the top 4!

Take a look...

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