Buttered Up Lips for a Great Holiday Gift!

L’Occitane Shea Butter Lip Balm Stick .07 oz / 2g

My Beauty Match In-house beauty junkies swear by L’Occitane Limited Edition Shea Butter Lip Balm to keep your sexy lips hydrated all Winter long! Shea butter is the fat from a nut and therefore provides intense moisturization. L’Occitane’s limited edition Shea Butter comes in a gorgeous chic tube! This is great as a holiday gift (under $20) or just a gift for yourself!

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OPI What’s with the Cattitude Nail Polish – NLB90

A Sea of Blue!

Trend alert: All over the runway this past week at New York’s fashion week blue was seen everywhere! On the nails and the eyes, every shade of blue was represented. For a really fresh but sexy looking eye try a thin line of liquid blue liner across the top of the entire eyelid. Try drawing it out into almost a cat eye for a dramatic night effect. On the nails try a darker navy blue with a hint of sparkle! Check out OPI for the nails and Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner (See all Eyeliner) for the eyes.
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Review submitted by our product reviewer Eleni

I didn’t know what to make of this bottle of primer in an overly-pigmented apricot shade when I first got it.

I knew I had to test it in many situations – day, evening, office and exercise, but I was very reluctant to paint a layer of what could only be described as tanning salon fake’n'bake on my face.

I could just imagine walking into my office one Monday morning only to have the cute young 20-somethings snickering behind my back…and my favourite one – Lia, leading the pack and demanding to know why I looked that way! It’s not like she hadn’t already laughed uncontrollably at an early ‘80s pic of me on the beach with a perky figure (back then) and a mahogany tan. It was hilarious trying to explain the SPF only came in a 4 at the time and we actually sat out in the sun for hours.

Review submitted by our product reviewer Eleni

We love products that beautify and disguise all at the same time.

One thing about getting older that’s not so hot is looking tired even when you feel great. It’s even worse when people comment on how run-down you’re looking. Anything that can hide and improve that scenario all at the same time is absolutely welcome in my arsenal of cosmetic tricks.

Developed by plastic surgeon, Dr. Michelle Copeland, this perfect under eye concealer contains Dr. Copeland’s Rewind Eye Formula, which has an exclusive blend of age-defying ingredients for the eye area and has been successful in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and puffiness around eyes.

Review submitted by our product reviewer Eleni

I was asked to do a review on a blush from a cosmetic line that I had never heard of – Micabella and I said “why not?” Blush is normally a straightforward product to play with. I would say I’ve used it every day since the age of 15, so I know what I like and what works for me.

Before beginning the review, I wanted to read a bit about this company and found out that Micabella products consist of all natural powders which are made of 100% pure mica and minerals and that sounded great to me. They don’t pack their products with any preservatives, chemical dyes, talc, oils, or other fillers so all skin types should do fine with this makeup. In addition, Micabella claims that “their makeup has a high antioxidant level to help protect skin from future damage, premature aging and reduce the appearance of damaged skin.” I liked that and I was ready to give it a go.

Review submitted by our product reviewer Eleni

I was asked to do a review on a blush from a cosmetic line that I had never heard of – MicaBella and I said “why not?”

Blush is normally a straightforward product to play with. I would say I’ve used it every day since the age of 15, so I know what I like and what works for me.

Before beginning the review, I wanted to read a bit about this company and found out that MicaBella products consist of all natural powders, which are made of 100 per cent pure mica and minerals and that sounded great to me.

I know Paula Begoun, author of “Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me”, snubs primers and thinks that you should only need a good moisturizer, but I bet you a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes that the makeup artist who prepped her for the “CityLine” Show I saw her on surely used a primer.

You can read more of my beef with some of Paula’s views here: I don’t agree with Paula Begoun author of “Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me”.

I don’t know too many professional makeup artists who don’t swear by primers because they see what it does for their clients’ skin and as long as a primer helps my skin look flawless … I’ll be the first one to whip out my credit card to buy a tube.

Primers are fantastic and they actually do make a huge difference in not only how easily you apply your makeup by they also make a difference in how smoothly your makeup stays on throughout the day.

I would never dream of applying makeup before an important event without using a primer first (PERIOD!).

I’m a woman who usually does the oh-my-God-I’ve-got-to-run-five-minute-makeup job before dashing off to events or to a meeting with a friend so you can imagine how much of a thrill it is for me to sit down with a renowned makeup artist and get the same treatment models get backstage during Paris … or Milan … or London … or New York fashion week!

MAC Cosmetics’ Senior Artist Jane McKay is a whiz with her makeup brushes and she’s one hell of an educator as well!

Last month, I highlighted my first meeting with Jane. If you missed all that incredible information and all those makeup tips for women over 35, you can still catch the posts here:

Should women over 35 continue to wear MAC Cosmetics makeup? (part 1)

Should women over 35 continue to wear MAC Cosmetic makeup? (part 2)

Since this IS the party season of the year it made perfect sense to me to sit down with Jane and talk about makeup tips for the holiday and also play with MAC’s Holiday 2008 “Red She Said” collection.

I liked ColorOn Eye Envy so much that I decided to create a video to share my thoughts:

I will admit to being VERY skeptical when it comes to this product. I had seen it featured in a Sephora newsletter and I thought it was a bit comical in essence, but I still decided to try it out and see how it looked. Boy, was I ever wrong!

Color On EyeEnvy is a very smart idea and it really only takes about five minutes to apply the little colour pads on both eyelids and before you know it … you’ve got a smokey eye in your favourite shade of colour.

Spending time with Senior Artist Jane McKay from MAC cosmetics is like sitting down with an encyclopedia of makeup.

Her knowledge is so vast that I could barely keep up writing all tips she was sharing with me.

I hope you read part one of this incredible feature and here’s part two!

5) What about ethnic beauties? How can Asian women, Latinas and darker skin beauties work with makeup trends as they age?

* It’s very important that you choose a concealer and a foundation that will help achieve an even look. Ethnic beauties usually have a hard time at it with dark spots on their face and it makes such a huge difference when you even out the skin.

* Ethnic beauties MUST invest in the right foundation and the right texture for their skin.

* Ethnic beauties usually have a yellow undertone and using pink will seriously brighten and open the face.

I’ve been wearing MAC Cosmetics for a long time now. I mix some MAC colours with my other makeup items and I cannot remember when was the last time my makeup bag didn’t include at least three to four MAC products.

Lately, I’ve been wondering if MAC Cosmetics was a line that was still appropriate for women over 35. When you look at a cosmetic line like Bobbi Brown where all the colours are greyed down it’s easier to see how women of a certain age would gravitate towards that line.

MAC Cosmetics has much brighter and bolder colours and I wanted to understand how women needed to approach the line as they age.

I met with Senior Artist Jane McKay for a little MAC education.

During my meeting with her, I had some precise questions and she in return had very precise answers. She also managed to give me a 15-minute face that completely hid all of my hyperpigmentation spots (you’ll see the photo at the end of part 2).

Senior Artist Jane McKay from MAC Cosmetics makeup and beauty tips:

Review submitted by our product reviewer Eleni

I checked out this product recently and immediately noticed that it felt light and the colour was a natural, believable shade of sunny sand (I tried #430 in Shimmering Sand).

This loose mineral powder can be used all over or just as a natural-looking blush on the apples of the cheeks.

You’ll never get great results by using the puff/applicator that comes with any product, so please forego that and always use a good brush – it does make a difference.