Eve Gives Obama The Thumb Up

You thought you were too cool with your Obama t-shirt and car magnet. But you can do better than that. Yes you can. Just follow Eve and Solange Knowles' lead...rock Barack on your nails.



Minx has a few more ways to get political with your mani/pedi...

MAC Ungaro, Cremesheen and Holiday Swatches

Passions of Red: Fascinating Ruby 6 Smokey Eyes

Ungaro: See Thru Lip Color and Pastel Emotion Lipglass


Red She Said: Mineralize Eye Shadows in Inter-view and Persuasive

Red She Said: Miss Dynamite and Sugarrimmed Dazzleglass

Adoring Carmine: My Dear Lipglass


Passions of Red: Fascinating Ruby 3 Plum Lips

Red She Said: Crazee Lipstick
Cremesheen: Crosswires Lipstick

Adoring Carmine: Soft Spot and Real Treasure Lipsticks

Happy Halloween!

It's all tricks and treats in Philadelphia today. Not a lot of orange in my hometown this Halloween. Rather, a sea of red...

The treat: upwards of three million Phillies fans have descended on Center City Philadelphia, as The Parade of Champions makes its way down Market and Broad Streets. The last time a Philadelphia team won a major sports championship was in 1983, when the 76ers won the NBA title. The Phillies won their only other World Series in 1980.

The trick: navigating the crowds and getting my short ass home, where I could actually catch some of the parade action on television.

Happy Halloween, y'all!

Jin Soon Natural Hand and Foot Spa Doesn't Like Sending Customers Home Empty-Handed

Jin Soon Natural Hand and Foot Spa doesn’t like to send customers home empty-handed. During the month of November - visit one of the spa’s three NYC locations, choose one the following NARS Nail Polish shades for your mani or pedi…and you’ll go home with a full-sized bottle in that shade!

Participating shades include:


Arabesque


Bohemia


Candy Darling


Dovima


Edelweiss


Gimme Shelter


Jungle Red


M Butterfly


Saratoga


Schiap


Temptation

This promotion is available at all three NYC Jin Soon Natural Hand and Foot Spa locations.

Happy Halloween

Just a quick note to say HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Today's the best day of the year, so I hope you're having fun dressing up, watching scary movies, or just enjoying the fall.

Don't forget to enter my current contest: I've giving away a copy of Cosmo's Sexiest Beauty Secrets book. Click here to enter!

Recessionista's Fabuless Pick of the Week: L’Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara

Lately, I'd sworn off wearing mascara during the work week. You see, around 3:00pm, when my Cosi sandwich-induced stupor sets in, I absentmindedly rub my eyes…then scold myself and mutter expletives under my breath, upon realizing that I have just turned my doe eyes into racoon eyes.

But since being introduced to L’Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara (say that five times fast), I’ve ended my self-imposed, work week mascara strike. Double Extend Beauty Tubes mimics the look of lash extensions by combining a nourishing base coat with tube technology, once only found in prestige mascaras (Blinc and Fiberwig).


For half the price of the aforementioned mascaras, you get lush, lengthened lashes that won’t clump, run, smudge or flake. In fact, the other day, I accidentally fell asleep with my mascara still on (truth: went to bed without washing my face cuz I’m lazy) and when I awoke, my mascara looked ab fab and the color hadn’t migrated one bit.

I’m a gal who’s always running late, so I was initially skeptical about whether or not this 2-step mascara would fit into my free time-deptived lifestyle. So I was very happy to find that while Double Extend Beauty Tubes does involve an additional process, the extra time is minimal…the ‘Nourishing Base Coat’ doesn’t need to dry before you paint on the ‘Ultra Lengthening Tupe Top Coat.’
And here’s the best part…when it comes time to remove the mascara, all you need is warm water. No heavy duty makeup remover or elbow grease required. When washing your face (do as I say, not as I do), simply smooth the tubes away from your lashes with your fingertips, or hold a cotton pad soaked in warm water on the lashes for 30 seconds…the tubes will come off without leaving the surrounding area an inky mess.

The only downside to this mascara (and it’s a very nitpicky one) is the name. Because L'Oreal's decided against giving this new mascara a totally unique moniker, it could be confused with L’Oreal’s Double Extend Lash Extender & Magnifier Mascara, which features the primer…but not the tube technology. So if you decide to give Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara a try, look for the red and white packaging.

Spoiled Pretty's Talk Is Chic Giveaway, Sponsored by Stila!

Spoiled Pretty and Stila invite you to fully realize your inner makeup artist potential…this week, they partner to bring you the Talk Is Chic Giveaway!

One winner will receive the following glam goodies:

Day to Night Palette
Stash a makeup artist in your desk drawer. When you need to go from the boardroom to the black tie gala, or even a night on the town, she will take you from day to night in the time it takes to shut down your computer. Featuring a complete look for eye: base, crease, contour and lid shadows as well as Convertible Color for lip and cheek, this has the essentials to amp up your beauty volume. Extra credit: It’s a great value, coming in at $28 less than the cost of buying products separately.

Smoky Eye Palette – The Emeralds
Push the button and the palette literally talks you through 5 easy steps to the perfect smoky eye. It's complete with artistry tips and what brushes to use - all in under a minute. The Emeralds includes four shades: the base is a new shade that is vintage champagne shimmer, a new shade that is golden olive shimmer for the lid, and shade june bug that is a rich emerald shimmer as the contour and shade poise that is an iridescent purple as the liner. This is a palette that literally gives new meaning to the term 'beauty talk.'


Paint Your Pout Red Talking Palette
Stila introduces the first Talking Palette for your pucker- this can take lips from Plain Jane to Sultry Siren in under a minute, flat. Start with the lip smoother, and then, dip the enclosed retractable lip brush into your choice of the three tones of red provided.


Lip Color in Sonya (berry velvet creme)


Lip Glaze in Mocha (sheer plum brown) and Praline (shimmering peachy brown)


Kajal Eye Liner in Onyx (black)

This giveaway prize is valued at $204! Enter to win these Spoiled Pretty-approved products…

Send an email to spoiledprettycontests@gmail.com. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address. The subject line should read "Talk Is Chic Giveaway." The contest ends at midnight (EST) on Wednesday, November 5th. One winner will be chosen at random from among the entrants. On Thursday, November 6th, I'll announce the winner's name. Please, only one entry per person; duplicate entries will not increase your chances of winning. Contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.

Good luck!

Have A Ball: Ojon's Tawaka The White Ball

Ojon new Tawaka The White Ball is a rich, decadent body cleansing and conditioning treatment that produces a creamy lather that can be used in the bath or shower to purify and nourish the skin to silky perfection. Formulated without fragrance, artificial color, sulfates, silicones, or preservatives, The White Ball is a lavish luxury that conditions dry, winter skin.

The unique blend of ingredients, including a high dose of White Cocoa Seed Butter with wildcrafted Ojon and Swa+ oils, lets you "roll your way" to velvety-soft skin.

Available exclusively at Sephora stores and sephora.com.

Scents and Sensibility

Perfume is one of the most personal beauty products out there. Your signature scent may smell amazing to you, but be completely repellent to those around you. When it comes to fragrances, you have to know what you're doing. Not only do you need to find the scent that suits you best (and there are so many fragrances on the market it can make you a little crazy!), you also need to know what type of product to buy, and how best to wear it.

Thanks to some advice from Allure magazine, here's all you need to know about the world of fragrance.

SELECTING YOUR FRAGRANCE

• First know that finding the right perfume takes time. You need to figure out how a product wears over a period of time. There are different scent "notes" that require a certain degree of consideration...the fragrance world is almost as confusing as the winery world! I am by no means an expert on perfume, so you may want to check out a few scent-centric blogs out there to learn the lingo.
• Don't bother trying out scents you don't like. I am not a big fan of floral scents, so I wouldn't want to waste my time sniffing rose-scented perfume. Let the salesperson know of any preferences (likes/dislikes) you know you have.
• When shopping for a scent, don't spray directly on your skin. First try the scent on a test strip. Let the product dry a minute and then sniff it. Sniff it again after a few minutes to see how to scent changes and opens up. After 10 minutes, you should have a feel for the full range of elements in the fragrance.
• Clear your nose and your head! Sniffing coffee beans between fragrances helps to neutralize your "palette" for lack of a better word.
• Once you have two to four favorite scents picked out, try them out on your skin (on your pulse points--different areas of your arm) to see how the fragrance reacts to your personal biological makeup.
• Give yourself plenty of time to find "the one." You want to let the scent open up on your skin for about 10 minutes. If you like the way it smells, you're all set. If not, it's back to the spraying and sniffing.

KNOW WHAT YOUR BUYING

• Perfume: Perfumes contain the largest percentage of perfume oil, about 20 to 25%. Because of this, perfumes are the longest lasting and most expensive. They come in small quantities and should be applied with care. One or two drop will last 8 to 12 hours.
  
• Eau de Parfum: This usually comes in a spray form and contains 15 to 18 percent perfume oil and will last 6 to 8 hours.
• Eau de Toilette: This is the least expensive and least concentrated formula. If you want just a light scent, this is your best bet since it only contains about 4 to 10% perfume oil.
• Cologne: I always think colognes are just for men, but they're for both genders! They are more diluted than perfumes and can be used as a spray or a splash.

GET THE MOST WEAR-TIME FOR YOUR BUCK
Extend the life of your favorite perfume by following these tips:

• Wear the right amount. If you're wearing a perfume, you only need a drop or two. For eau de parfum, no more than three sprays; no more than four sprays of eau de toilette, and no more than six sprays of cologne. You don't want to over do the amount of fragrance you're wearing because doing so can be offensive to others.
• Know that you are not a good judge of how much you have on. After a bit, you get used to your fragrance and are desensitized to it. As such, it's easy to over do it. Just stick to the number of sprays listed above and you should be ok.
• Apply fragrance to your pulse points (wrists, inner elbows, neck, behind ears, behind knees).
• Store your fragrance wisely. Heat and light will breakdown the compounds in your product, so store it in your bedroom or linen closet. Perfumes last anywhere from one to eight years after opening, depending on the scent.
  

Aniruddha Chakladar Talks Diwali Make-up Trends

“The key is to look casual and the make-up should complement that,” feels make-up artist Aniruddha Chakladar. Diwali is early this year, and therefore more humid, he cautions. “So keep the base to a minimum. Use some eyeshadow, coordinating the colors with your outfit. Blend in a bit of neutral black and brown. Use black kohl on the upper lid. No kohl for the lower lid, just a touch of silver or gold or white, unless your eyes are very big. Finish off with black mascara,” he explains. “Add a touch of blush in neutral shades like peach, unless you are dark, in which case stick to browns. Finish with a dash of fresh gloss in a toned-down shade.” adds Aniruddha.

Dominic Cruz for Kryolan Talks Make-up Trends for 2009

Make-up is more than just a dash of color. Used well, it can transform you. As it does on screen, on the ramp and in real life.

Kryolan, one of the leaders in professional make-up, has almost everything you would need for a bit of color or a complete disguise: a range of beauty and skincare products to blood, scars, burns and prosthetics for special effects in films.

The brand held a workshop in the city recently, conducted by make-up artist Dominic Cruz who is a part of Kryolan’s educational and international design team.

Make-up items we should always carry in our purse?
Moisturizer, neutral lip color, lip pencil, eyeliner, a base foundation, mascara and lip balm.

What is the biggest make-up faux pas?
Foundation that clashes with your skin tone, the wrong shadows applied in the wrong manner and wrong brow shapes.

What are the top international trends in make-up?
The trend seems to be going back to the 1970s with influences of the mod look, Afro and crazy shadows. There are different looks to go with the different seasons that range from a varied, bright, color palette and tangerines for the spring season to UV colors with lots of yellows and pinks for summer. The fall season has more sober monochromes that go back to the 1930s and 1940s and to top it all off, there are the over the top bright burgundy shades for winter that emerge as a change from a conservative look.

What should we watch out for while buying make-up?
It is always important to keep in mind what your skin needs and what your look is going to be. Do enough research, look at magazines and study your face and get the lines and colors right. Find a good salon and get professional help to stay abreast of new trends.

What are effective ways to conceal facial flaws or deformities?
The Dermacolour line of products is meant for this purpose and can be used by professionals as well as non-professionals. Waterproof and high pigment-based make-up can camouflage abnormalities like basic discoloration, pimples and post surgical scars.

Who do you dream to work on?
Angelina Jolie with her classic angular look would be a pleasure to work on. Cameron Diaz with her bleached Californian look also has an interesting face.

Which celebrity has the worst make-up?
Ellen DeGeneres. I think her looks could be much enhanced with the proper kind of make-up.

Which celebrity has the best make-up?
Cher

What Kryolan products are most suitable for desi skin?
The Dermacolour range survives heat and humidity and is waterproof. It covers dark circles which seems to be quite a problem around here and with over a hundred shades, there are enough tones for all kinds of skin color. This apart, the Shimmering Events collection with bronze and gold tints are quite flattering for desi skin tones.

What are your plans for opening more stores?
We have just launched our whole range here which will be available at select cosmetic stores, salons and through our distributors.

How competent are make-up professionals in India compared to international standards?
The styles are very different and the Indian style of make-up is largely traditional. As far as professional make-up is concerned, it is still the pancake style which is heavy and this workshop was trying to inform them about lighter professional make-up and the options it affords.

Tell us a bit about make-up as an art form...
It is important to create the right skin tone by blending colors and gliding the brush over a face, which is a lot like being an artist. The idea is to enhance natural beauty as well as address the client’s needs and achieve what they are looking for! As far as make-up for the stage is concerned, high definition cameras can be quite brutal and unforgiving and make-up is a must! Also, the actor can portray different characters and different moods not only with his/her acting skills but also with the help of make-up.

Is Kryolan restricted to professional make-up?
Kryolan provides make-up that can be used by ordinary people with proper instructions and skincare items that can be used on a daily basis.

What is Kryolan’s contribution to theatrical make-up?
Kryolan makes high-definition make-up for high-resolution cameras. We study the face and human body and then work with the cameramen, actors and lights people to come up with the right look that will work under the arc lights. For example, for special effects or when you are trying to age someone, the wrinkles need to be properly created.

Make-up or no make-up? What is best for skin?
At the end of the day, no make-up is the best thing for your skin as it allows your pores to be free and your skin to breathe.

Jurlique's New Biodynamic Beauty Range: Now Available at Sephora

Jurlique’s age-defying, high-performance Biodynamic Beauty Range is now available in Sephora’s Natural Section. The new facial skincare collection is clinically proven to deliver dynamically different results to help maintain and improve skin’s youthful properties and maintain hydrated, smooth, firm and radiant skin. The Biodynamic Beauty Range includes:

Eye Cream ($45): Helps treat fine lines, under eye puffiness and increase moisturisation. Botanical ingredients in the eye cream include Beech Tree Buds, Blue Algae, and Hibiscus, which firm the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The formula increases skin firmness in 88% of test subjects, and 71% of respondents noticed that the area around their eyes felt firmer after only six weeks.

Refining Treatment ($35): Helps enhance cell renewal, while gently uncovering a more even, luminous skin tone and glowing complexion. Botanical ingredients in the Refining Treatment include Willow Bark Extract, a naturally gentle source of Salicylic Acid, to help promote cell renewal, Apricot Seed Powder to help with the removal of dead skin cells, and Calendula for its skin soothing and healing properties.

Serum ($75): Diminishes the appearance of dark spots and discolorations; brightens and evens skin tone to enhance luminosity and clarity, and reduces fine lines and wrinkles for a smoother more youthful appearance with continued use. The formulation features Jurlique’s proprietary Biodynamic Blend of Black Elder and Licorice to combat puffiness, redness, help fade discolorations, and brighten skin for increased radiance. Clinically proven to reduce major signs of aging. In just six weeks, visible lines and wrinkles were reduced by 34%, 77% of users noticed firmer skin and 73% of respondents cited smoother skin.

Night Lotion ($55): Improves firmness, moisturisation and the appearance of wrinkles. Botanical ingredients in the moisturiser include Marshmallow for intense hydration and skin smoothing properties, and Calendula for soothing and calming the skin. An increase in skin firmness appeared in 89% of users and a high number of respondents reported a significant increase in moisturisation after six weeks of use.

"The range offers beneficial results of hi-tech, artificial anti-aging products – but with all natural formulations,: says Marie-Pierre Stark-Flora, Jurlique’s SVP of Global Marketing.

The Biodynamic Beauty Range is available at 12 Sephora locations throughout California’s Bay Area, Central California, Los Angeles and Orange County as well as online at sephora.com and jurlique.com.

Aveda Giveaway Winners Revealed!

Congratulations to Geneva Tatem, the grand-prize winner of Spoiled Pretty's Aveda Smooth Infusion Giveaway. She has won Aveda's Smooth Infusion Kit ($107 value), a 4-step smoothing system, with a smoothing brush. This set of smooth operators softens and defends against humidity for up to 12 hours.

Christina Kelly and Amanda Tracy are the lucky runners-up. They will receive Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother, which protects against surface damage from heat styling, defends against humidity for up to 12 hours, and makes styling faster and easier.

Thanks to everyone who entered this contest, and to the generous folks at Aveda - without whom, this wouldn't be possible.

And check back later for another unbelievable giveaway...one that will have everyone talking!

I'm Baaaaaaack

Hi, everyone. Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been in the hospital, without access to a computer. It's been killing me to be out of touch.

Anyway, thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, I'm doing better and back at home resting.

So let's get this show on the road, shall we?

Mickey Contractor's Step-by-Step Smoky Eye Tutorial

Face

Mickey stresses on moisturizing the skin lavishly with M.A.C Studio Moisture Fix. “Start with lots, you can remove the excess with tissue later,” he says. Go easy on the oily parts of the face. Apply more around the jaw to prevent blotchy make-up. Let it soak in, it makes blending easier. Dot the T-zone with M.A.C Select Cover-Up and then blend all over. Then mattify it down with M.A.C Select Sheer/Loose Powder. The concealer from the T-zone spreads evenly as base to the rest of the face at this stage. It is best to blend the powder with a brush with light, even strokes; excess powder can be buffed away. Use the powder that is the same color as your foundation. Don’t forget the neck. If needed, use more powder on the neck to bring an even tone. To compliment the smoky eyes mix M.A.C Gingerly Powder Blush and M.A.C Mocha Powder Blush and brush it on the cheeks, finish lightly on your chin and forehead as well. Also touch it over your hairline to get rid of any residual powder. You don’t need 20 colors, buy four or five like peach, pink and brown, mix and match from there. Cream blush is best dabbed with fingers, don’t forget to matte it out with some powder.

Eyes

On the eyelids, Mickey uses M.A.C Creme Colour Base in Shell and then brushes some powder over it to bring it to the same texture as the rest of the face. He then uses M.A.C Blacktrack Fluidline, and smudges it a bit. He then applies M.A.C Folie Eye Shadow, a brown matte, and blends well, leaving no sharp lines. He then outlines the eye (top and bottom lid) from the inside with M.A.C Blacktrack Fluidline for a black kohl effect. M.A.C Folie Eye Shadow is again applied with M.A.C 219 Pencil Brush under the lower eyelids to elongate the eyes. He then takes M.A.C Carbon Eye Shadow on a slant brush and blends over M.A.C Folie Eye Shadow on the lower lash line. Curl your lashes and apply a mixture of M.A.C Fibre Rich Mascara and M.A.C Plush Lash Mascara for a false eyelash effect. Then use M.A.C Brown Down Eye Shadow with the 266 Small Angle Brush and go over the eyebrows. A second coat of mascara and this finishes the smoky eyes. The Creme Colour Base acts as an eye shadow base. The shadow won't move and neither will it crease. If make-up smudges, clean it up with a wet Q-tip. An eyelash curler is essential. “Actresses always carry one in their bag!” Hold your lashes in an eyelash curler. Count till 20.

Lips

Use M.A.C Spice Lip Pencil to outline and fill in the lips with M.A.C Viva Glam 5 Lipstick, and top it off with M.A.C Viva Glam 5 Lipglass. Don’t sharpen the lip liner too much. Always round the tip off. Dual tone lips need to be filled with lip liner. Filled-in lips makes the lip color stay on long.

Tips and Trends

• Play down lips with smoky eyes.
• Stained lips are the ‘it’ look of the moment.
• Puffy eyes can’t be covered with make-up. Just hold your chin up to make sure it doesn’t show!
• Keep your make-up fresh for long by avoiding the sun. M.A.C Fix + is water for the skin, it makes the skin look instantly fresh.
• Treat problematic skin. Make-up is not the remedy.
• Since it is not possible for any brand to make 600 shades of foundation, buy the shades closest to your skin tone and mix. Do a patch test around the jaw line and step out in natural light before you decide to buy.
• M.A.C Studio Fix is the best make-up for ladies on the go.
• There are no make-up rules. Make your own trends!
• Blending is super important. The trick is not to show where it begins and ends.
• Invest in four or five good brushes. They will last a lifetime. Mickey adds, "Now is the time to get those M.A.C Holiday Brush Sets! It's a great way to start collecting brushes"
• Natural light is the best for applying make-up. At night, yellow lights work, tube lights don’t.

Rest Your Weary Eyes, Part 2

Yesterday I told you about eyeSlices, a new product to relax your eyes. Today I'm going a little higher-tech with the Eye-Soothe Tension Relieving Mask.

What it does: Warm/cool massaging eye mask soothes away tension and pain. The Eye-Soothe mask uses Air Inflation Technology to gently massage around eyes, forehead and sinuses, alleviating pressure and working away stress. Removable gel insert can be chilled to provide a gentle, cooling sensation or warmed for soothing heat therapy. 15-minute auto shutoff timer. Includes storage pouch. Uses three AA batteries (not included).

What I liked: The minute you put this thing on, you're forced into relaxation. The mask provides instant darkness and encourages you to close your eyes, sit back, and let your mind drift away. Air inflates around the eyes providing varying amounts of pressure. The building up and then the releasing of the air pressure provides stress relief and feels pretty good. After using the mask, I felt relaxed and revived.

What I didn't like: The air filling up and then releasing in the mask is a little noisy, which could harsh my mellow if I let it.

Overall: Not bad! I think this would feel good if I had a sinus headache, because it does make me feel better when I'm not suffering from congestion or head pains.

Price/availability: Available at Brookstone for $50.

Sameera Reddy's Beauty Must-haves

• My handbag always contains
  Sunglasses, Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55, Chanel Pin-up Lip gloss and Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer
  
  
• My favorite perfume
  Gucci Envy
  
  
• My shampoo
  Kerastase Bain Volumactive
  
  
• My conditioner
  Kerastase Care Volumactive
  
  
• The length of my hair
  Till my waist
  
  
• The texture of my hair
  Silky
  
  
• The color of my hair
  Black
  
  
• I admire/ envy the hair of
  Dimple Kapadia
  
  
• My hair-care routine comprises
  A visit to a hair spa once a week, hair wash and conditioner every other day. Head massage for distress.
  
  
• My tip on hair care
  Protein treatments.
  
  
• My favorite brands in make-up
  Chanel and Bobbi Brown.
  
  
• My favorite shade in make-up
  Girls love pink.
  
  
• The features I like to conceal while doing make-up
  Nothing
  
  
• The features I like to highlight while doing make-up
  My eyes
  
  
• While not shooting my make-up comprises
  Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15
  
  
• My tip on make-up
  Use a lot of mascara, my favorite is Chanel Exceptionnel Mascara, but less liner

Rest Your Weary Eyes, Part 1

I don't know about you, but after working all day under florescent lights, staring at a computer screen, my eyes feel stressed out and tired. Over the next two days, I'll share information about two new products designed to leave your eyes feeling refreshed. Today: eyeSlices.

What they do: eyeSlices are innovative eye treatment pads that combine the natural essence of nature with bio-innovation to bring about an all-in-one solution to all common eye concerns. eyeSlices is a global first in cryogel polymer technology. These dermal delivery eye masks reduce the appearance of red eyes, dark circles under eyes, tired eyes, wrinkles and puffy eyes within 5 minutes of use. These professional spa and in-home anti-aging eye skin treatments lock in moisture and are unique in that they provide an instant cooling sensation without a fridge and are re-usable!

What I liked: eyeSlices are a snap to use. You put them over your eyes for a few minutes, lay back, and relax. They feel cool and soothing and they can be used over and over again. According to the packaging, they're even better when you store them in the fridge (I tried that and I thought it was a tad too cold for my liking!) and they'll last about two weeks or so. Mine are in good shape almost three after opening. They leave the skin around my eyes looking brighter and more vibrant.

What I didn't like: nothing. They're great! They do exactly what they say they will. The only thing I am not crazy about is that they're not yet widely available for retail (but I'm sure that will change soon!).

Overall: What's not to like?

Buying information: Like I said, they are just coming to the states. A case with a pair of eyeSlices costs $19.99; refills run $14.99. If you are interested in ordering click here or contact EyeSlices USA at 908-769-4350.

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm Works 22 Different Ways!

It’s a good thing when a beauty product does one thing really well. When it peforms double duty, even better. And when a product can be used more than twenty different ways, you ask yourself, “Is it my birthday?”

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm is an all-in-one, on-the-go beauty essential with over 22 uses from your nose to your toes. Enriched with organic butters, organic plant extracts, vitamin E and nourishing organic oils, this multi-tasking solid moisturizing balm softens, smoothes and protects skin.

Some of its 22 uses include:

* Relieving chapped lips
* Soothing dry spots
* Softening lines
* Feeding parched nails
* Combating flaking skin
* Taming unruly eyebrows
* Fighting free radicals
* Preventing stretch marks
* Smoothing flyaways
* Conditioning hair
* Nourishing dry cuticles
* Calming skin irritations
* Conditioning dry hands
* Sealing in skin moisture
* Priming skin for makeup

All-Over Body Balm reminds me of Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15, on account of the lemony sugar scent. But for $6 more than Fresh’s cult classic, you get 21 additional usages.

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm is a Beauty.com exclusive and retails for $28.

'Tis the Season...Almost

What in the world is going on? It's not even Halloween yet, and already Christmas merchandise is creeping into retail stores. The economy is in the toilet and people are panicking about money. Consumer sales are down, so retailers are trying to push the holiday seasons up...so we'll spend more money than we planned, no doubt.

Whatever.

If you're starting to make your holiday wish list or if you're already starting your holiday shopping, here are some beauty treats to add to your list from the beauty gurus at Sephora:

SUGAR PLUM FAIRIES
From brilliantly bold to barely there, monochromatic shades of purple reign during the holidays. A pinky pout will keep the look sweet, while smoldering violet eyes will amp up sex appeal for those stolen moments under the mistletoe.

Korres’ Sugar Plums Limited Edition Kit has arrived just in time for the party season. With a plum lip butter, a plum cherry lip gloss, and a plum sunflower and evening primrose shimmering eyeshadow, this kit creates any look for a girls night out from dark gothic to a subdued sophisticated palette.

Not strictly limited to lips and lids, lashes come out and play in this passionate color story, flaunting hints of the hue. Benefit’s Bad Gal Plum Mascara thickens and lengthens your lashes with this beloved color and “BAD-itude”.

THE GLITTERATI HAS ARRIVED
Killer heels and fab frocks aren’t your only arsenal for resembling the glitterati. Now you have metallic shades with glitters galore that will instantly take your look from zero to 100, especially when sported all over.

The key to this look starts with bareMinerals Extreme Glimmers, a five-piece collection that contains three new high-impact, extreme glimmers that can be worn together or alone, a new customized Extreme Glimmers Brush for expert application, and a starter size bareVitamins Prime Time Eyelid Primer.

For a sparkly lash line to match you sparkling lids, turn to Sephora’s Electro Liners that are micro-infused with glitter. Our favorites for this season are Mauve Electro (matte plum), Electro Night (metallic midnight blue) and Metal Electro (metal dark grey) because they’ll have you ready to party in sync with the latest color trends.

To seal the deal on this scintillating look, opt for Kat Von D for Sephora’s Lightning Lip Gloss. With 11 glitzy shades to choose from, this lip gloss adds dimension to your pucker with a sparkle-inflected sheer gloss. Designed by the star of TLC’s LA Ink, Kat Von D, the gloss works on top of lip color or on its own and brings an edgy glamour to your face.

If you’re in search of something less flashy, we have an alternate method of shining. Dior’s Black Diamond Diamond-Effect Powder for Face and Décolleté is the perfect amount of shimmer for any woman that loves to indulge in luxury. Cased in a Dior-logo engraved compact with crystal-shaped gems, this finishing powder illuminates the complexion with an exclusive formula that features an intense concentration of mother-of-pearls. Sweep your face and décolleté with this powder to create an instant festive glow.

HEAVEN-SCENT
Even if you aren’t vacationing in any place exotic this season, you can still smell as if you did. TOCCA Beauty’s Brigitte is their latest fragrance inspired by screen siren and icon Brigitte Bardot. The perfume takes you to a scene of breezy bike-riding in the south of France filled with the intoxicating scent of the spice market in Marseille. With top notes of ginger, rhubarb papaya, middle notes of Moroccan rose, iris and saffron, and bottom notes of sandalwood and musk, Brigitte evokes images of baskets filled with rose petals and of course, the beauty herself.

I'll be updating you with more holiday-list worthy beauty products each week. I can't believe I'm already thinking about this!