would you wear body splash?

Remember Jean Naté After-Bath Splash? It was that light, florally-citrus, all-over body scent that was so unmistakably 80s. And even though I probably haven't thought of "bath splash" since the big-hair decade – (and I was amazed to know that Revlon still makes it, albeit in a mist version) – I was reminded of this "clean-never-felt-so-fresh" little gem when I noticed that Marc Jacobs has his own line of splashes (they're a little more upscale, of course).

The brand has been creating body splashes for the last couple of years, and this season, they come in refreshing-sounding sorbet scents like basil, grapefruit and pear. While I haven't tried them yet, and have never been known to partake in the "after-bath-splash" phenomenon, I have to admit they look delightfully retro and fun to use (and of course, a great scent choice for summer, when you don't want to drown in a heady cloud of fragrance).
So, what say you? Would you wear a splash?

fixation: korres body butter

My love of body butter is well-documented, and there's nary a butter I haven't loved. Part of the fun of course, is scooping up that creamy-rich goodness and slathering it on, which is great when you've the time to indulge, but us time-pressed gals know that it also involves more work (and time lost). Korres, a natural beauty line from Greece, has the answer with its new Body Butters, all housed conveniently in a sleek pump. It's got the same thick, hydrating power of a body butter – and this one, which just melts into skin, is divine – delivered with the flick of a finger. Made with sunflower, almond and avocado oils, you'd think it might be greasy, but the texture is lovely: with a mix of aloe, vitamins and antioxidants, it's smooth and softening, and not at all slippery. The Butters come in the usual mix of Korres' typically foodie ingredient scents such as fig and guava, but I'm loving the Jasmine scent, a heady floral that smells of fields of jasmine. The scent is so present, in fact, that I don't even need to wear any added fragrance and can forgo my usual perfume if needed. A solution for the time-pressed, indeed.

beauty duty 4/29/08

A Touch of Blusher reviews ck Calvin Klein's new mineral-based loose powder.
All About the Pretty is still in love with Tom Ford and his new Neroli Portofino fragrance.
Teri from Beautiful Makeup Search tells all about her visit to the Kiehl's flagship store.
GlamBlush and Rita Hazan share 10 Rules for Being a Brunette.
KRiSTOPHER is loving, hating, and wearing snakeskin accessories.
Have you ever purchased a Sephora Brand product? Lipstick, Powder 'n Paint shares the latest offerings from Sephora that will rock your eyes and make your lips pop.
Makeup Moxie has beauty lust for the new Tarte 4 Day Stay Lash Stain.
Product Girl is giving away 2 pairs of Tweezerman Animal Print Slant Tweezers. Go enter to win!
Spring is in the air and lust abounds! The Organic Beauty Expert shares how the ladies can lube it up the natural way!
WE LOVE BEAUTY.com met up with celebrity manicurist, Melissa Bozant to discuss the latest mani & pedi trends.

hero worship: style.com hails the superhero

Lately I've had superheroes on the brain. And it turns out I'm not the only one: The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is gearing up for its Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy exhibit on May 7 and the buzz has been near deafening. I for one, couldn't be more excited, as I've been known to "geek out" over fantasies of donning a splendid lycra and latex costume with cape. As if the amazing "Super-Coco" spread in this month's Vogue weren't enough, style.com has created an amazing, comicbook-style online slideshow featuring superhero-esque fashions and their inspirational counterparts. While some of the inspirations aren't technically superheroes – (Uma Thurman's The Bride from Kill Bill and the band KISS come to mind) – they all have that amazing theatricality and/or slinky sense of cool that befits a superhero. Needless to say, there's plenty of Thierry Mugler's metal body armor and wacky Grace Jones headgear to go around. Plus, MASKS!, CAPES! and BOOTS! With so much selection, what's a caped crusader to do?

Photo: Christopher Moore / Catwalking.com / Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

naturopathica balancing plant milk mist: fresh and lovely in an instant

Remember those Evian water face mists? I used to be obsessed with them when I heard that supermodels would use them in between fashion shows to perk up their skin and keep it looking dewy. But I have to wonder whether they actually do anything for my skin, since it is only water, after all. I've since found a face mist that's a toner and skin reviver in one: Lavender Honey Balancing Plant Milk Mist by natural beauty brand Naturopathica. This mist has floral waters drawn from essential oils of lavender, a natural astringent, so it tightens and tones pores, leaving skin fresh and hydrated. Spray it on, and the lovely aroma immediately awakens your complexion, as well as your mood. Trust me, this stuff is addictive: I'm thinking of keeping a bottle at my desk for those necessary midday pick-me-ups. Plus, love the old-school apothecary vibe of the blue medicine bottle packaging (which would look really nice on my desk).

stila convertible color gets the boyfriend stamp of approval

A little while ago, I held a giveaway for Stila Convertible Color – that lovely multi-tasking lip and cheek color that was named one of InStyle's Best Beauty Buys. Well, one of the ten lucky winners, Shayela Hassan of Springfield, Virginia, was so enamored with the product that she wrote in, and of course, I had to share her lovely little anecdote:

"I just wanted to let you know how AMAZING it is -- if I hadn't won this, I might've gone out and bought it. The peach-brown shade actually looks fresh and natural on my tan skin, and it really brightens up my face. In fact, I was talking to the current guy in my life about what to wear the next day, and he asked 'Were you wearing makeup today? I couldn't really tell, but it looked really nice.' If that's not proof, I don't know what is. Thanks!"

I'll have what she's having....

the superhero of hand creams: la mer the hand treatment

You know that fun quiz, "What superhero are you?" (coincidentally, I'm a Wonder Woman – "a beautiful princess with great strength of character"). Well, today I'm playing that game with beauty products, and if a hand cream were a superhero, its name would be La Mer The Hand Treatment. Its super-power? Creating a magnetic shield around hands – via the electrifying mineral magnetized tourmaline – to soothe, energize and relieve stress. Seriously, I didn't even know this luxe cream had this capability until I tried it, and felt it emanating an energy around my hands, enveloping them in a calming, cocoon-like shield. La Mer's patented "smart seaweeds" and marine-charged waters, plus a silky formulation made my hands feel smoother too. It's also got that unmistakable, perfumey La Mer scent that just makes you feel like an A-lister when you're using it. Since it's La Mer (maker of the venerable, celeb favorite Creme de la Mer), it does have a hefty pricetag, so I'll only turn to this superhero on those days when my hands need some extra lovin'.

styleshock: diane kruger at a night of a thousand lights

What is it about Diane Kruger that just makes her seem like royalty? She just seemed to sweep in from out of nowhere to enchant us with her regal air (and as far as I know, she isn't even Hollywood royalty). Here she is looking divine at the A Night of a Thousand Lights event for Design Cares in New York this week. She's sporting a couple of my fave trends of the moment: a fuchsia lip and flushed pink cheek. It's amazing how natural and unassuming a hot-pink lip can be - and on her, it doesn't look in-your-face trendy, but rather like a new classic. And the pretty pink cheek gives a lovely glow, with just a little more drama than a post-workout flush. (It's the perfect match to her impossibly natural-looking tan.) She usually forgoes jewellery embellishment (perhaps for fear of diverting attention away from her stunning frocks) but this time she sports a bit of sparkle and of course, it works for her, and then some.

my fair ladies: beauty blog network reads

For your weekend reading pleasure, some lovely recent reads from the Beauty Blog Network:
Can't figure out those false lashes? The Daily Cookie gives her step-by-step on how to apply lashes in a breeze! A Touch of Blusher loves the Golden Dior pendant. StyleBell uncovers the Top 5 Flat Irons that work best with curly hair. Beauty Anonymous invites you to the springtime nail colors of OPI 2008 Beyond Chic Collection . 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic check out Kiehl's Vital Sun Sunscreen and decides it has great broad UV spectrum coverage! Beauty and Fashion Tech creates a great look using items from the new Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Cosmetic Line. Product Girl asks What's in Your Bag? Check back daily for a new beauty blogger's bag each day! The Muse gives her first impressions of the coveted MAC DressCamp Collection! Beauty411 shares her review of Klean Bath + Body's Blue Hawaii Sugar Body Polish, which smells like a tropical island and exfoliates your skin, too! Forget virgin daiquiris, The Beauty of Life is all about the gorgeous polishes from the new Extra Virgin Collection from Dashing Diva! Need some luxury in your life? Beauty Junkie in SF finds her current high-end beauty favorites. Want to take your hair from Flat To Fabulous? Then check out what The Makeup Divas recommends. Win a gift set packed with Ferro Cosmetics mineral makeup goodies at Bionic Beauty! Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog discovers Chanel's Leopard lipstick, a coral color that makes her go rrrrrraooow! Beauty Banter discovers a healthy, inexpensive, sun and streak-free way to get your bronzed glow! Toya of The Life of A Ladybug asks "What's your 'thing' right now?" Beauty Blogging Junkie recommends these product picks for the most relaxing bath ever. Makeup Junkie finds a new best friend in Chi's Pink Flat Iron! Glossypink shares her Holy Grail lipgloss! Kitiya of Mischo Beauty has a reader who shares her favorite organic conditioner! Beauty and Personal Grooming shares a few homemade antiwrinkle creams. Makeup Moxie reviews Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo Spray. Spoiled Pretty is giving away five bottles of Guess by Marciano Eau de Parfum. Contest ends Sunday, April 27th. Go get you some!

trendshock: royal flush

A rosy cheek is always in style and a great way to liven up your face (even when you're not wearing any other makeup). But with the love of all things 80s making a big comeback this season, cheeks are amped-up in bright, dollface hues of fuchsia and hot pink. Just witness Betsey Johnson's girly, prom-worthy take on the trend at her spring 2008 show, where color-pop cheeks were paired with baby blue eyeshadow and bubble-gum lips, creating a decidedly valley-girl look.

While I wouldn't recommend going whole-hog and wearing all these crazy hues at once, don't be afraid to try your hand at a bright cheek, which can look surprisingly natural and pretty just on its own. I'm loving Mally Beauty's Get Cheeky Dewy Blush in Fely's Flush, which looks like a fuchsia-red in the compact, but actually delivers a vibrant rose hue that's really wearable. It's a creamy blush you swipe on with a brush that gives a veil of dewy color to your skin that's more pretty than promlike.

Source: imaxtree.com

a whole whack of MAC, all for a good cause

If the waterworks come easily to you, I suggest you grab your tissues now. A fellow beauty blogging friend is going that extra mile to help raise money for a very good cause. Shannon from A Girl's Gotta Spa is hosting several online beauty auctions through to the end of May to benefit Meadow Quinn, a 7 year old girl who has a disease called neurofibromatosis. She has several inoperable tumors and has been on a feeding tube for 18 months. She is an active little girl--like any other 7 year old, but there is a 4 week feeding clinic at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that can help her to learn to eat like any other child her age and help her to come off the feeding tube – however her insurance company has refused to pay for it. It costs $70,000. So far $42,000 has been raised. Many of the beauty auctions contain products from MAC Cosmetics's limited edition collections (Fafi, Heatherette, Antiquitease, N, etc.), while others have great products from Elizabeth Arden, Solessence and Nars. So get on over to Gotta Spa and get all the details to go place your bid!
You can also make a direct donation to Meadow either by mailing a check (details to where in the post).

are you one of the golden ones?

As if you needed another reason to waste time on facebook (or to junk up your fb page even more), there's a new application to assess how perfect you and your visage truly are. From the marketing folks behind plastic surgery show Nip/Tuck comes the Nip/Tuck Golden Ratio application, which lets you upload your photo to get your very own computer-generated attractiveness assessment. Mark up your face with a faux Sharpie pen to highlight the key attractiveness areas, just like the godlike surgeons do. Then, submit your scrawled-upon face to the app, which spits out your hotness percentage rating. And in the ultimate battle of vanity, compare your rated mug to others. Harmless fun or self-esteem crusher? You decide.

the bee's knees: apivita propoline pedi care cream

Apparently, the global honeybee population is dwindling fast. Why? A nasty virus known as Israeli acute paralysis is affecting already stressed-out, overworked bees, and destroying their colonies. This is not cool on a number of levels (it's not just about the honey - bees are essential to our food chain). But one natural skincare brand from Greece is showing the bees some love by seeking to learn from their self-sustained hive communities. Enter Propoline by Apivita, a line of skincare based on propolis, which bees produce to build a protective wall around the hive. How does this relate to skincare? Propolis is a skin-healer that's been used for centuries and is known for its antibiotic, anti-inflammatory properties. Apivita's Propoline products are also infused with the bees' main bag, honey (also known to be anti-bacterial), as well as a host of other natural extracts such as rosemary, soapwort, calendula, and St. John’s Wort. I tried the Apivita Propoline Pedi Care Cream, which is further loaded with fruit acids, olive oil and salicylic acid to soften and slough off hardened skin layers on feet and elbows. I used it overnight and was pleasantly surprised at how it smoothed my rough heels, even without a having done a manual exfoliation first (and without having done a pedicure in months!). It smells decidedly medicinal (and not necessarily pleasant) but to me, that shows it's working. In short, this stuff is the bee's knees.

want to be an online beauty editor?

Here's something cool for my Canadian girls: glow magazine, Canada's best beauty and health read (and my former haunt), wants you to tell them what beauty booty reigns supreme. It's time once again for the Reader's Choice Best in Beauty and it gives us Canadian gals a chance to cherry-pick our favorite beauty products. And yes, there are some glorious prizes up for grabs: a makeup bag filled with gold medal products* (minimum value of $400) and three chances to win 100,000 Shoppers Optimum PointsTM prize packs (that's a lot of shopping!) Just go to glow.ca and sound off!

girl gone wild: kate hudson for david babaii wild aid

I love when celebs use their power for good, especially when it's of the insanely cute kind. Recently, Kate Hudson lent her shimmering star power to David Babaii for Wild Aid – a line of natural haircare developed by hairstylist David Babaii with proceeds going towards WildAid, an organization that protects endangered species around the world.


As far as I can tell, Kate didn't have much to do with actually creating the products, other than serving as a product guinea pig (she graciously allowed her luscious blonde locks to be laundered with the Volcanic Ash- and Cupuacu Butter-based shampoos and conditioners). But I gotta give it to the girl for being involved in a such a project nonetheless, since, if this Hallmark-style picture of a luminous Kate piled with lion cubs doesn't sell hair products, I don't know what will. Win-win for all.

ticket to paradise: lavanila vanilla coconut

While I've resisted the temptation to pull out the flip-flops during this freakishly balmy, summer-in-April weather we've been experiencing (it just seems wrong on so many levels), I've still been dreaming of skipping off work and basking in the sun on sandy beaches, so I decided it was high-time to change up my fragrance to better channel those midday fantasies. My pick: Lavanila Laboratories Vanilla Coconut, which to me, just smells like summer on the beach. The fourth entry and newest scent from Lavanila Labs, known for creating good-for-you, rich vanilla-based natural beauty products, Vanilla Coconut is a yummy mix of Madagascar vanilla bean ("Lavanila" is what the natives in Madagascar call vanilla), young coconut and the white flower Tahitian tiare. That floral note was a great addition, since this scent could have otherwise turned into pina colada territory (which maybe isn't a bad thing?) and tempers the sweetness to give a subtly sophisticated bent. It's surprisingly light, so you won't suffocate yourself (or those around you) in the stifling summer heat. A plus: known as "the healthy fragrance," Lavanila scents contain a mix of good-for-your-skin vitamins and antoxidants like the buzz-worthy Goji berry, while being free of the not-so-pleasant parabens, phthalates and sulfates. Nice.

beauty duty 4/22/08

A Touch of Blusher loves the Golden Dior pendant.
All About the Pretty has found a way to keep refreshed after yoga class with International Orange Balancing Deodorant .
GlamBlush wants you to enter to win a Mother’s Day brunch with the Hiltons! Yes, that’s Paris, Nicky, and Kathy!.
KRiSTOPHER hunts for - and kills - the latest Fendi Spy bag.
Product Girl asks beauty bloggers "what's in your bag?"
The Organic Beauty Expert shares her thoughts for a beautiful Earth Day and every day!
Lianne from TheMakeupGirl has gone green for earth day with Ojon's Tawaka Shampoo & Conditioner
WE LOVE BEAUTY.com's own celebrity stylemaker, Rachel Goodwin recreates Hilary Duff's classic premiere beauty look for WLB TV!

origins goes to the farm

Often when you think of mom-and-pop shop-type natural or organic products, you might expect that the product quality isn't going to be on par with its non-organic counterparts. And sometimes, that can be endearing (such as when the packaging has that home-made, written-on-with-felt-markers touch); other times, when the product performance just tanks or isn't sudsy or moisturizing enough, not so much. But organic products have made huge strides in the last few years, and now you can get that down-home, made-on-the-farm-quality feel, but with a luxurious bent, using the best quality ingredients.

Enter Farmaesthetics, a line of organic products that was literally made on the farm but that's now sold in high-end Origins stores. I've tried one of their products before (the Nourishing Lavender Milk), and I'm continually impressed with the line's 100% natural beauty care founded by Brenda Brock, the daughter of a farming family from Texas. Housed in gorgeous glass bottles with homey-feel paper-label packaging that looks handwritten, Farmaesthetics evokes a simpler time and features traditional herbal skincare recipes with astonishingly short listings of ingredients. I recently tried the Midnight Honey Bath & Beauty Oil which contains just a handful of ingredients - (if memory serves, it's honey, oil and vitamin E, and that's it) and loved its wonderfully skin-silkening properties and non-greasy feel. Its subtle honey scent softly lingers on the skin without being overpowering (so you can still wear fragrance without fear of scent-clash). Plus, it has a shelf-life of two years, which is almost unheard of for many organic and natural products. Since this stuff is luxe, it's a bit more expensive than most, but you get what you pay for, no?

natureshock: an ode to dr. bronner

"ENJOY ONLY 2 COSMETICS, enough sleep 4 Dr. Bronner's 'Magic Soap' to clean body-mind-soul-spirit instantly uniting One! All-One! Absolute cleanliness is Godliness! ... Breathe deeply! Health is Wealth. Within 9 min. you feel fresh, and clean, saving 90% of your hot water & soap, ready to help teach the whole Human race the Moral ABC of All-One-God-Faith!"
– Dr. Bronner
If you've ever used Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap, these words will be familiar to you; you may have read and reread them, along with all the other bits of wisdom and wacky ravings, from the side of the bottle's label, while sudsing up in the shower. A favorite of granola-crunchers everywhere, and one of my personal all-time favorite all-natural products, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps are a classic in eco-friendly products and my Earth-Day pick. Created by hand 60 years ago by German eccentric Emanuel Bronner, these soaps are known as much for their enigmatic creator (there's a documentary about him, fittingly called Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox) as for their unique formulation of organic extra virgin coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils which suds up amazingly without being harsh (no synthetic foaming agents or preservatives are used in the process – no small feat).
The soap is completely biodegradable and scented with amazing essential oils like lavender and eucalyptus, while the packaging is made of post-consumer recycled bottles. Gotta love that. What I love most about Dr. Bronner's (besides his mad scientist appeal; seriously, check out his photo on drbronner.com, where he looks like he's sporting X-ray specs) is that the soap is the ultimate multi-tasking product, hence its All-One name, with 18-in-1 uses: Mop the floors, wash the car, clean your dentures, brush your teeth - there's really nothing this soap can't do. I've rediscovered this product again after years of being introduced to it and am once again entranced by Dr. Bronner's philosophical musings about the “Moral ABCs” and “Space Ship Planet Earth.” Wacky though he may have been (he passed away in 1997) this guy was way ahead of his time.

the best little mascara in texas

It's hard not to love Dolly Parton. True, she's had some work done, but she's still a tiny little firecracker with a perma-cheshire-cat-grin and a sweet yet powerful voice. Plus, she's a pretty darn talented songwriter too (and we didn't even mention her girls). So she's got it all (and then some) and this country crooner is one busy lady of late: not only is she touring for her new album Backwoods Barbie, writing the score for the musical version of 9 to 5, working on an autobiographical musical, kids' TV show as well as books and music for kids, she also wants her own cosmetics line, she tells Billboard magazine.

MAC, are you listening? I could so see her as a Viva Glam girl. Or, even better, how about a Dolly-themed capsule collection full of rhinestones and fringe that would make the Heatherette and Barbie collections seem staid. Funnily enough, the singer actually had a line of cosmetics for Revlon, marketed through infomercials, back in the early 90s. Guess it didn't do so well. In the meantime, here's a mascara I could picture Dolly using: Cargo's Texas Lash – for lashes as big as Texas!

Source: eonline.com

it's not you, it's your shampoo

Lately, I've had the altogether unflattering problem of tangly, rat's-nest hair post-hair-washing. Aside from dousing my roots in conditioner to smooth it out (which is not a really an option, since I have fine hair that would just get weighed down), I've had to make do with spray-on leave-in conditioners to actually run a comb through it. But since using salon brand AG Hair Cosmetics' Colour Savour, I've realized the problem wasn't me – it was probably my shampoo.
Turns out many shampoos, mine included, contain the detergent ingredient sulfate in its many guises, and it tends to be an all too effective cleanser, stripping away those much needed natural hair oils. AG's Colour Savour Shampoo is sulfate-free and the difference in my hair after washing was uncanny - I could run a comb through it without having to douse it in added product. It makes me wonder: Why aren't all shampoos sulfate-free? The subtly-sweet grapefruity scent is also a pleasure to use, especially on a groggy Monday morning and it just so happens to protect my hair color by nipping those color-sapping free radicals in the bud. And the conditioner works wonders to smooth tangly ends. This was my first experience with AG Hair Cosmetics, a Canadian salon haircare brand that was recently a featured product in the 2008 Grammy gift bags, and I can't wait to try more! Colour Savour hits salons May 1.

styleshock: gossip girl's leighton meester at new year's in april fool's fete

I'm so excited, it almost feels like Christmas in April! Why, you ask? Oh, it's only the return of the Best. Show. Ever. Yes lovelies, Gossip Girl returns to primetime tomorrow after a way-too-long hiatus. Meantime, thought I'd whet your appetite with a little Leighton out and about at the New Year's in April Fool's Fete. She looked simply radiant rocking a metallic eye and flawless, glowing skin. Love the shimmering champagne around her eyes which makes them pop, while the subtle brown liner along top and bottom lashes gives definition and grounds the shimmery effect so it doesn't look too preciously Waldorf-like. She wisely keeps the glint n' gleam only on the eyes, since anything other than creamy lips and cheeks would have been overkill.

my fair ladies: beauty blog network reads

For your weekend reading pleasure, some lovely recent posts from the Beauty Blog Network:
15 Minute Beauty Fanatic finds a great new gel eyeliner! makeup loves me is helping you get ready for wedding season, by giving away 10 sets of french manicure fake nails! StyleBell tries the CHI 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protecting Spray and loves it! A Touch of Blusher is putting gold on the lips. The Makeup Divas reviews and falls in love with La Mer foundations and powder. Beauty Anonymous loves the natural-looking makeup from Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad Eye Shadow. Girl Gloss loves the all natural classic flavored lip balms from the Badger Company. Beauty411 reviews Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser and Toner and has the 411 on the upcoming Kiehl's Earth Day promotion! Find out why the Muse is loving Givenchy's Perfect Again! Corrector Palette! Cybelesays helps you get stick straight hair with this 6" Powerhouse. Stylish Opinion finds cosmetic bags that are actually eco friendly. The Beauty Blog Network welcomes and interviews it's newest member, Beauty 411. Elke reviews the "Gilette Venus". Is it worth the hype?
The Beauty of Life smiles pretty after discovering the tartly terrific Lemonade Smile Toothpaste by GoSMILE! Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog checks out Goldrush, Dior's newest summer makeup collection, and gives you pictures and swatches!The Daily Cookie digs shu uemura's new Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine lip colors - check out why! Beauty Blogging Junkie knows you'll love this news: no need to drop $300 on a T3 Hair Dryer anymore. The brand has come out with a $119 version that works JUST AS WELL but takes just a bit longer to dry. Mischo Beauty shares her recommendations for an at-home skincare regimen to maintain the health of your skin in-between facials. Kia of Yummy411 tries out MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Loose Foundation. The Beauty Bug reviews the best exfoliating cleansers that all leave your skin soft, retexturized, and glowing! Beauty Junkie in SF discovers great things come in small packages. Beauty Banter asks super hot Rock Mistress Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy to dish on her favorite skin products for a pore-free complexion! Glossypink has found an amazing sunscreen that doubles as a makeup primer! SPINLASH - the mascara with a rotating brush - promises to simultaneously separate, shape, coat, lengthen and volumize eyelashes. Does it deliver? Spoiled Pretty finds out! Toya interviews her first beauty lover of color - Angie! Do you want to be interviewed, too? Pursebuzz.com teams up with Beauty from the Earth for a fantastic contest. The winner will win 10 jars of multipurpose mineral makeup of your choice! Click here to enter. Good luck!!! Makeup Moxie craves a luxe tropical vacay after trying Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean Breeze Body Shimmer.

burning question: how important is product purity?

A while ago, I was gearing up to test a product by spa skincare brand Renee Rouleau and I happened to notice the ingredient label on the side - it was peppered with parabens in its various forms. While I was taken aback that parabens, a cosmetic preservative that's been linked with breast cancer (results have been inconclusive, but yikes!) would appear in a product line that's deemed to be "the best of nature," I went ahead and used it anyway (although I didn't use up the entire product - it's still sitting on my bathroom shelf, half-used). I was reminded of this today as I read In Women's Wear Daily that niche beauty brand Lalicious is relaunching its products without parabens. And Lalicious isn't the first to remove the ingredient from its products: Origins has recently also reformulated to become paraben-free and is currently phasing in products as we speak.
But all this got me curious to ask my readers about this: How cautious are you with beauty product ingredients? Do you steer clear of anything with parabens? Is green better?

fragrance notes: jaqua pink potion

I've known and loved Jaqua's products for its delectably sweet, confection-inspired body products. But this brand isn't just a one-note gourmand wonder: perhaps aware that buttercream frosting may not be everyone's bag (how could it not be, I ask?), Jaqua has introduced its latest scent, Pink Potion, based on white florals. The scent is a mix of jasmine, tuberose and amber, so it's still delightfully girlie as ever, but with a more sophisticated bent. I also get a sense of magnolia, and whenever I wear the Hand Cream or Body Butter, I feel a bit like Southern Belle, luxuriating in a flower-packed garden on a hot summer's day, with parasol in hand, of course. Yes, it's that dreamy. And the products feature the same great moisture-packed recipes as the Buttercream Frosting line, which I've always been a fan of.

bumble & bumble conquers fashion head-on

I don't often write two posts on the same product in one day, but today I'll make an exception to give you a bit of eye candy that is the website for Bumble & Bumble's Spray de Mode. To promote this big-hair-getter hairspray, Bumble's first new product in two years, the brand created a very cool street-meets-couture website featuring the transformations of a bunch of L.A. street hipsters. These ten artsy types get Bumble-&-Bumble-ified with the help of expert milliner Stephen Jones (who has worked with designers Marc Jacobs and Dior). Meet Nicole, a goth-rocker bookstore owner (with more than a passing resemblance to Joan Jett) and her post-makeover persona at left, The Glam Fatale. You can watch videos of the in-progress makeovers as our cast of commoners get tousled, teased and primped (with Bb. products, of course) for hours on end. My only question? Since Bb. was born in New York, why the L.A. peeps?

bumble & bumble spray de mode: hairspray gets a makeover

I've never been much of a hair product girl. Actually, scratch that - not since the 80s, and experiments with Dep hair gel, Alberto mousse and the shellacking qualities of Aquanet hairspray (to achieve unmatched hair heights, of course) was I a true product girl. These days, when I'm at the salon, I tend to cringe when the stylist pulls out hairspray to "finish" my style - I much prefer to be able to run my hands through my hair and not get stuck mid-hair-flick. Alas, I was more than leery of trying Bumble & Bumble's new hairspray, Spray de Mode. But it's promise of being "uncannily flexible" and that you can actually run a brush through it while styling wet or dry hair had me curious. And now, I'm a – dare I say it – hairspray convert.
Why do I love it? It's a super-fine, quick-drying mist that can give you either soft hold or a stronger fix. I like to lightly mist it on to give my fine hair more body and bounce and that vavoom volume that was all over the fall runways. Spray de Mode is also the bomb for making a salon blowout last and last (that alcohol acts like an oil sponge, keeping your hair fresher longer). This stuff was tested and fine-tuned by couture hairdresser Laurent Philippon over three seasons backstage at fashion shows, where hair has to be styled and re-styled again, so you know it's going to deliver.

fragrance trend: eau de bébé

Recently, I wrote about Flower by Kenzo, a new summer fragrance which I described as a fresh and modern, albeit powdery-floral scent. And while I was struck by it's retro-feel courtesy of its very powdery notes, little did I know how much of a throwback it was: to my own childhood, in fact. It's all part of trend for recreating that "new baby" smell - think that sweet scent of baby powder and lotion, which incorporates that unmistakable powderiness as well as hints of florally violet and musk. And it's not just Kenzo's Flower that fits the scent-of-a-baby trend: Insolence by Guerlain and Sensi by Armani are a couple of others. There's even a fragrance called Baby Powder, courtesy of Demeter Fragrance Library, known for recreating the elusive smells of dirt and laundromats.
Source: Canadian Press

cargo blu-ray mascara: not just for news anchors

I keep hearing about news anchors running scared over the advent of HD cameras (and how they expose every wrinkle, every blemish, every pore) and all I can picture are backstage diva freakouts that would make Anchorman's Ron Burgundy seem altogether modest. To help assuage their anxiety, enter HD makeup, which purports to deliver flawless results that can stand up to the camera's scrutiny. But we're not talking thick, spackle-like, pancake makeup of old: Cargo's blu-ray collection uses light-diffusing properties to give a natural finish, so you're not just seeing layers upon layers of makeup (which means it's perfect for us commoners). And when it comes to mascara, who really wants the spotlight shined on unsightly black clumps? Cargo's blu-ray mascara has a genius comb-like wand that coats lashes in color to provide perfectly precise definition. While I've usually been of the mindset that a mascara should have a really huge wand – the bigger the better – to give immense volume, I'm kind of loving this novel, you-but-better approach. It may not amp up lashes as much as the big guns, but it's bye-bye clumps, hello naturally flawless you!