Now the make aficionado is at it again, teaming up with Estee Lauder for an amazing new product called Sumptuous Two Tone Eye-Opening Mascara. The new product is based on Pecheux’s backstage technique for a beautiful, wide-eyed look and brings a dual approach to lashes by combining two contrasting shades and two distinct brushes. So what’s Pecheux’s secret? He suggests dressing your upper lashes in a rich black and defining your lower fringe with a more subtle hue for an intense eye-brightening effect.

“My favorite woman is a woman who looks like herself at her best,” said Tom Pecheux. “I love eyes that are made up without looking too made up. This is a trick I’ve been using backstage and on ad shoots for years. The simple trick of using two different shades — darker on top, lighter on the bottom — works to really open up the eyes.”

The dual ended wand has the brand’s BrushComber brush, which defines, lifts and thickens lashes on one end and, on the other, it has a tiny micro-brush specifically designed to accentuate and define hard-to-reach lashes.

The wand comes in three shade combinations: Bold Black/Rich Brown, Limited Edition Bold Black/Rich Blue, and Limited Edition Bold Black/Rich Plum. Learn more about this newbie here!

Images: Estee Lauder

No related posts.

Even though they’re a major drugstore brand, I always feel like Almay gets brushed to the wayside in favor of the likes of CoverGirl and Revlon, which is unfortunate! Almay is unique because it was founded by a chemist and a dermatologist with sensitive skin in mind — something groundbreaking back in the 30s — and it’s one of the reasons why they’re one of the more reliable drugstore brands (for me, it’s up there with Yes to Carrots). Take a look at four products they’ve just launched!

Almay Clear Complexion Concealer + Treatment Gel, $9.99 (available in three shades)

This is a dual-ended concealer and treatment wand. It helps clear and prevent blemishes (it’s formulated with salicylic acid), while helping to cover up the ones you currently have. This stick is great because it’s super easy to use and I like that you can tackle blemishes without having to touch your face.

Almay Smart Shade Makeup, $13.99 (available in three shades)

I was a little skeptical about this one because it doesn’t have much in the way of color range, but the light shade not only worked well with my skin tone, it’s also lightweight and formulated with SPF. However, this doesn’t provide heavy coverage, so if you’ve got a lot you’re looking to conceal this probably isn’t the best choice for you.

Almay Intense i-Color Shadow Stick, $7.49 (available in four combinations)

For sheer convenience when you’re on-the-go, these are fantastic! They’re super easy to apply, blend well, the colors don’t crease, and if you layer them over an eye primer they’ve got long wear.

Almay Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer, $13.99

Primer is essential to keep your makeup in tact all day, and this one not only helps with wear, but also allows makeup — whether liquid foundation, powder or other — to go on smoothly, while working to prevent dryness (essential if you’re like me and prone to dehydrated skin when wearing makeup). It’s also made with color correcting green and lavender ribbons to help neutralize redness.

Image: Almay

No related posts.

There’s no joy quite like the one that comes with getting a package full of new products to play around with and when you can snap them up for yourself at guilt-free prices it’s all the better! With that in mind, here’s the lowdown on all the just-launched COVERGIRL products, which have been developed with the help of the brand’s global creative design director, Pat McGrath (she’s the famed makeup artist responsible for the runway looks we see at the like of Prada and Marc Jacobs). McGrath has access to some of the world’s most amazing skincare and beauty products, so her insight is surely invaluable for COVERGIRL. As an added bonus, she shot a few how-to videos with top model Jessica Stam to give us some tips on creating a bold lip, and another with tips on creating a smoky eye. Get them both using some of the new products below!

COVERGIRL Blast Flipstick. If you’re looking for a versatile product that lets you mix and match shades, while being portable, check-out these wands that Pat designed, each of which feature cream and shimmer shades.

COVERGIRL + Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation. This is one of my favorite drugstore finds because it combines foundation with a wrinkle fighter (ladies, it’s never too early to go into preventative mode!). This is a product Pat says she uses often on the runway.

COVERGIRL LashBlast 24-Hour Mascara. This formula doesn’t go on as smooth as some of the more expensive mascaras I’ve used (I’m thinking of Dior and Givenchy, both of which I love), but you can’t argue with the price (about $6), and the stiff bristles make clump-free application very easy.

COVERGIRL LineBlast 24-Hour Eyeliner. I’m finally back to wearing liner again! I was a little bit sleep deprived for awhile, and liner accentuates under-eye bags, so I was avoiding it for a few weeks. But now that I’m back from a four day trip to South Carolina I’m back to smooth under-eyes, and this liner supposedly lasts up to 24 hours (though I would never suggest sleeping with makeup!).

COVERGIRL LipPerfection Runway Shades. Pat hand-selected the 16 runway-inspired shades that just launched based on the trends she not only saw, but helped create!

New From COVERGIRL Queen Collection:

The Queen Collection has won a ton of “Best of Beauty” awards, so I wouldn’t expect anything less from the new products:

• Lasting Matte Pressed Powder, which come in a variety of shades.
• Vivid Impact Eye Liners, which were designed specifically for women with deeper skin tones.
• Lash Fanatic Mascara, which has a specially designed brush to help create volume while separating lashes.

All these products are getting me super excited to see what’s going to be cooking backstage at this season’s New York Fashion Week shows!

Image: CoverGirl

No related posts.

It has been a rough few weeks. Why? One boy’s particular actions near lead me to cardiac arrest! Ahhh…we’ve all been there, I’m sure…

The worst part about feeling down is that it usually means you (or at least I…), want to sit at home sulking, watching Bravo TV, when the last thing anyone needs is to be watching more Housewives! However, on a recent eve when I was feeling the urge to do just that, I got a delivery that included two of Urban Decay’s Pocket Rockets and I near jumped out of my desk chair. Given that my job entails mostly writing about beauty products, I come across countless, but few that are as smile-inducing as these UD lip glosses (the only one that comes close is this). Each shade of the gloss comes with a different male image pictured on the cap; just tilt the gloss tube and the dapper hunk is stripped to his undies (the cap is double-sided so there are front and rear photos).

It’s just one of those beauty products that puts a girl in a good mood and, with that, I packed two in my bag and headed to a party my friend Meg helped organize for Stylecaster. I immediately gave one to Meg and her excitement was proof positive that this is a gloss that could put a smile on most any gal’s face (especially since the male on the gloss I gave her had a construction worker pictured…I kept the doctor for myself!).

Given that the tube is the main draw of this product, it would be easy to think that the gloss formula would be a throwaway, but that’s not at all the case. The gloss is creme brulee flavored, high-shine, relatively long-lasting, and not super sticky. The formulation also contains hyaluronic spheres, known to improve cellular function, prevent dehydration, and fill in lines and wrinkles.

Ladies, go out and buy two — one for yourself and one for a friend! A Pocket Rocket is something any lady could use…

Image: Urban Decay

No related posts.

First up is Opening Ceremony’s collection of tops. How adorable is the Kermit t-shirt?! In accessories, nOir came out with their Muppets collection last week, and it includes some stellar rings and necklaces (this Kermit necklace is my fave…obviously I’ve got a little crush on him).

On the beauty side, hands-down the best limited edition buys are the Muppets x OPI polishes. The line features six shimmery reds and neutrals, as well as six glitter-packed shades. For someone like me who spends the bulk of the day typing on a computer, there’s nothing better than seeing cheery, glittery nails out of the corner of my eyes. I’m partial to a few of the shades, but particularly Gone Gonzo! (aqua-blue glitter), Fresh Frog of Bel Air (green glitter), and Divine Swine (magenta glitter). Better yet, at $9 they’re a guilt-free buy and the perfect little something to cheer-up just about anyone’s holidays.

Also worth mentioning is MAC’s Muppets collection. Miss Piggy is now one of their “spokespeople” and they created a special three-piece eye collection around her that includes Lash in 36 (faux lashes), Penultimate Eye Liner in Rapid Black, and Eye Shadow in Miss Piggy Pink. Lastly, there’s The Balm Cosmetics limited edition Muppet Palettes. There were only 1,000 palettes made, each of which is numbered, and the brand used a lottery system for ordering. The kit looks cute enough, but honestly I didn’t find it to look like it would be worth the hassle especially for $45 (plus $20 shipping!). The palette contains 16 eyeshadows, 2 multipurpose lip and cheek colors, and 1 lipstick. Please share your thoughts if you happen to be one of the 1,000 who got one!

Images: nOir and OPI

No related posts.

Come December 26th all of Smashbox’s lipsticks will be completely re-formulated! Factor promises that we’ll love ‘em so I’m curious to try them out post-holiday. Factor also promised that their website will continue to be updated with online tutorials to help fans re-create their favorite red-carpet looks.

Now, for the fun stuff! Among the best buys for Holiday 2011 from Smashbox is their set of five eye liners priced at $22 ($62 value). They go on super smooth, are easily blendable (I’ve actually been using the sapphire shade as a layer of shadow), and stay put all day.

As for lip glosses, two six-piece limited edition sets are offered this holiday season — one is $29, valued at $77, and the other is $30, valued at $96.

There are countless other holiday value sets on Smashbox’s website (plus Ulta and Sephora both stock exclusives), but the last one I wanted to highlight is the Behind The Lens Prime & Set Kit. At $39 (with a $50 value), it’s not the biggest bargain, but it’s certainly a worthy buy because primer makes all the difference when it comes to streak-free, long-lasting foundation, and this set also comes with a powder to help set your look.

Images: Smashbox

No related posts.

No related posts.

Chanel may have developed the most iconic fragrance, but, when it comes to lipstick, Chanel’s reds have nothing on Elizabeth Arden’s classic reds. In fact, Arden is so synonymous with red that her famed Fifth Avenue spa is not only called the Red Door Spa, but it actually has a red door!

I recently was fortunate enough to get a goodie bag filled with some of Arden’s best-selling finds and was immediately drawn to the brand’s Exceptional Lipstick in Red Diamond ($19.50). The packaging is sleek, the color is creamy and rich, and it’s light enough that you can layer a gloss over it. It will definitely be a go-to when I head to Miami for the holidays (I mean, what says “fun, holiday, and Miami” more than a red lip?).

For winter in NYC, however; the Ceramide Ultra Lipstick in Rouge ($22.50), is the better option. I’ve already lamented the fact that my lips have been parched lately, and this lipstick is particularly moisturizing (designed to provide 20 hours of moisture), which is crucial since you don’t want your lipstick to undo all of the work you’ve put into hydrating your lips! This shade works with my lip balm to keep my lips from looking like a crackly mess, and the only thing worse than cracked lips are cracked lips covered with cracking lipstick!

The Ceramide range actually includes hydrating skincare, so it makes sense that this would be the best wintertime buy.  I didn’t feel like my lips appeared noticeably fuller after applying it, but it does have a plumping agent in the formulation (luckily, though, it doesn’t tingle like so many other lip plumpers do). As for the case, it’s inspired by Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door – very chic!

Images: Elizabeth Arden

No related posts.

Since then, countless popular brands have capitalized on the fact that women want to buy into their brand’s image and have branched out with non-fashion ventures. Among them is Paul & Joe. Based in Paris, the brand is dazzlingly Parisian in style, which is to say effortlessly chic (no wonder Kate Moss is a fan). The aesthetic which designer Sophie Albou brings to her fashion line (Paul & Joe is named after Albou’s two sons), extends to her beauty range, which I recently tried out for the first time.

I was sent one of the new nail enamels and one of the Fall 2011 color palettes to try out and was happy to see that they completely fall in line with the designer’s signature aesthetic. The products come in sleek, understated packages, but they have frills — which, in the case of beauty, means that the palettes come with brushes (a rarity these days, even among luxury designer cosmetic palettes) — and you have a balance of light and dark shades so you can go from your day to your night looks using the same palette. There are three palettes in all, each of which comes with four shades for eyes and one blush. The shades have a bit of shimmer, imparting skin with a healthy glow, so you might not need to layer a highlighting powder over your blush.

As for the nail polishes, the new shades just launched, and I’m loving “Big Apple.” It’s a shimmering, deep red that just screams “I’m perfect for the holiday season!” They’ve also got a shimmery pink and a deep purple in the collection. Check-out the whole Fall 2011 line-up on b-glowing.

No related posts.

Gwyneth Paltrow always looks gorgeous on the red carpet. While Gwyneth Paltrow’s midriff baring two-piece Emilio Pucci outfit may be an acquired taste, there’s no arguing with the fact that the actress always looks fantastic, beauty-wise, on the red carpet. For the 2011 Emmys, her makeup was done by celebrity artisit, Kate Lee, who says that what the star opted to wear inspired the look. “It was very fashion forward, with a nod to the 30s,” she says adding, “I wanted to keep her looking youthful and radiant, with an edge.” To get Paltrow’s look, follow the steps below outlined by Lee:

1. Kate prepped Gwyneth’s skin with CHANEL Beauté Initiale Eye Gel and Le Blanc de Chanel Sheer Illuminating Base, followed by CHANEL Perfection Lumière Long-Wear Flawless Fluid Makeup SPF 10 (launches in October), and Kanebo Sensai Brush Concealer.

2. Focusing on the eyes, she lined the eyes with CHANEL Le Crayon Kohl Intense Eye Pencil in Noir. She curled the lashes and covered the entire lid with CHANEL Illusion d’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Emerveille, letting a little go into the inner corners of the lower lid.

3. Then, she used CHANEL Illusion d’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Fantasme to add a bright shimmering highlight to the center of the lid. She added a soft line of black Shiseido Liquid Eyeliner at the base of the lashes to make them appear fuller, and finished the eyes with a generous amount of CHANEL Inimitable Intense Mascara in Noir on the top and bottom lashes.

4. The brows were perfected with CHANEL Crayon Sourcils Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil in Blond Clair and Anastasia Brow Gel.

5. Kate highlighted the cheekbones with By Terry Rose de Rose Sheer Liquid Blush in Coral Rose and accented the apples with Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Moist Glow Blush in Euphoria.

6. To finish the look, lips were defined with Kevyn Aucoin The Flesh Tone Lip Pencil in Medium and Kiehl’s Lip Balm.

Image: Courtesy of Chanel

No related posts.