Monthly Archives: June 2009

If you don’t already love e.l.f. cosmetics, I’m going to give you five fabulous reasons to familiarize yourself with the line asap.  Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

1. Everything from their original line is only a dollar! No lie, you can get a full face of makeup without breaking the bank.
2. Their website is always offering great promotions. Currently, e.l.f. is celebrating their fifth anniversary and are giving 50% off their mineral line.
3. They recently launched a prestige studio line that’s chic and cheap.  (I’m talking $3 cheap!)
4. Their makeup brushes are super soft and you can get five for $5.  
5. They have a bright red mineral lipstick called Cheerful Cherry!  

My current go-to e.l.f. products are the Hypershine Gloss in Vixen and Mineral Booster. Have you ever tried e.l.f. cosmetics?  What do you think?

What makes you feel comfortable in your skin?  How does laying on a beach in Aruba with three of your best friends sipping skinny girl margaritas sound?  That would make me feel comfortable!  As long as I was smothered in SPF of course.

Cetaphil just launched an online contest called ”Comfortable In My Skin,” where you can enter to win a tropical vacation to either Aruba, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, Grand Cayman and many more destinations.  The choice is yours.

All you have to do is tell Cetaphil what makes you comfortable in your skin, then you get to make a fun collage by choosing photos of the tropical destination you’d like to visit, a bag by Kate Spade, your beach essentials and favorite Cetaphil products. (That’s my entry on the left).

The grand prize is the trip for four, your choice of a Kate Spade bag, Cetaphil products (including their new UVA/UVB Defense SPF 50 for the face, which you’ll need to bring with you) and a $500 gift card to purchase all of your vaca essentials. 

After you enter, pass your entry along to your friends and have them vote for you.  Go to http://comfortableinmyskin.com to enter and view other entries.  Good Luck! 

It’s not often that I do an at-home mani, but this weekend I was rushing around packing for one of my sorority sister’s weddings all the way out in PA and I didn’t have time to get one thanks to the train schedule.  Lucky for me, my nails were neat, but in desperate need of a polish change.  As I was running out the door I threw a nude polish into my bag and a new product I received from Cutex, the Manicure Correction Nail Polish Remover Pen, $4, at drugstores.

Sitting in my hotel room before the wedding I was able to paint my nails as carefully as possibly (I’m not much of an artist). And yes, I did end up with polish on the skin around my nails, as I knew I would, but the marker-like point allowed me to remove it neatly.  Now I can say sienora to the days when I used to try to clean up my hands with a cotton swab full of nail polish remover and end up wiping of my newly finished paint job.  

The spring/summer 2009 runways were filled with fresh looks and creative, new trends by makeup artist, Pat McGrath, a hero in the beauty industry.  Spotted on the catwalks of Miu Miu and Lavin this constructed lid look was one I couldn’t ignore.  Celebrity makeup artist, Molly R. Stern, gave me the scoop on how to recreate the look that instantly sexifies your eyes. 

“The key to achieving this strong eye is applying a thick wing of liquid liner to the top lash line that angles out,” comments Stern.  Next, apply the liner to the inner corners and bottom of your eye.  If you want to tone it down a bit, try drawing a thin line as close to the lash line as possible.  She recommends using a liquid liner with a felt tip pen like CoverGirl LineExact in Black.  The felt tip helps in creating the perfect line.

To finish the bold eye, give your brows some contrast by filling them in with a brow pencil that’s a few shades darker than one you’d normally use.

Not too crazy about using liquid liner?  Neither was I until Stern gave me some helpful hints.  Before applying, test the liner on your wrist to make sure it’s clump free.  Then, starting with the inside corner of your eye, draw a line outward in one clean swoop following your lash line.  Just pretend you’re tracing.

“It’s fun to create a bold statement with a bright lip and subtle cheek when doing a strong eye like Pat did with the red lip at Miu Miu,” Stern added.   

This morning I was on NBC’s The 10! Show in Philly speaking about summer’s beauty and fashion essentials with a twist, they’re all good for you and the environment. 

First, I spoke about Kiss My Face Organic Sunscreen (not only is it organic, but it’s 100% paraben free too!) and then Glowelle, which is an all natural beauty drink that supplements your daily skin care regimen.  I drink it every morning because it’s clinically proven to fight free radicals and prevent aging.  The glass bottles are recyclable, but they’re also very cute so I use some as vases in my kitchen. 

Then, I was so excited because I got the chance to speak about shoes (one of my guilty pleasures)!  A variety of La Canadienne wedges were displayed in all different colors.  The shoes are hand made in Italy with non-toxic dyes and the cork on the wedge is sustainable and actually made from trees in Portugal and Spain.  Who would have thought such a fashionable/eco friendly shoe even exists?  And since it was pouring in Philly, I was also able to show off La Canadienne’s Pulley rain boots.

As the segment went on, I mentioned Paul Mitchell’s new hair care line made with organic tea tree oil, and surprised the audience when I said I discovered organic beach accessories at Whole Foods (yes, I’m serious).  Finally, I was proud to speak about Patagonia, a clothing line made with organic cotton that donates 1% of their sales to preserving and restoring the environment.  And to top it all off, I showcased a few pairs of all-natural sunglasses made by iwood Eco Designs that created out of recycled exotic woods.  The segment host loved them and tried them on.

All in all, the 5 1/2 minute segment felt like 30 seconds and I’m a true believer of the green movement.  Afterall, green is the new black! 

 Check out the segment here.