Move over Gillette, because Schick has something to give you a run for your money! Just last week the brand unveiled the Schick Xtreme3 Eco, the first disposable razor to use 100% recycled plastic in the production of its handle and 100% post-consumer paper in its packaging.

Fittingly lightweight and green in color, the Xtreme3 Eco is manufactured and shipped out of the company’s 99.9% landfill-free facility in Milford, CT, and the brand estimates that their new design will help save over 103,000 pounds of virgin plastic material and 15,500 pounds of virgin paper from going into landfills each year by using recycled materials. I have to say I’m guilty of wasting a lot of plastic (I have yet to get a reusable water bottle/Brita filter…don’t hate me!), so I was glad to try out these new razors to feel like I was at least doing some good!

The razor is not only awesome in its design — among the items retrieved and recreated in the Eco razor handle are hangers, buckets, and pails — but I didn’t feel like I was sacrificing anything in the way of convenience or effectiveness when I opted for this over the four blade Gillette I was using before. The three-blade design is flexible and lined with Aloe and Vitamin E to minimize dryness/razor burn. Of course it would be more eco-friendly to opt for a reusable razor, but if you’re set on a disposable one this seems to be the best socially conscious one out there.

The razor is currently only available, for both men and women, at Wal-Mart stores but come April it will be more widely available.

Image: Schick

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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

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The solid colors were inspired by runway trends and they include both full-coverage cream as well as metallic shades:

Cho: Full coverage, vanilla shimmer metallic

Farah: Full coverage, latte beige cream

Bevin: Full coverage, pale sage green cream

Skylar: Full coverage, silvered slate blue metallic

Tru: Full coverage, gilded purple orchid metallic

Lotus: Full coverage, light lotus purple metallic

No matter which of the shades you opt for, they all work well layered underneath one of brand’s new flecked glazes. The glazes can be worn alone but, personally, I always feel like there’s something missing when I wear glazes solo so I would opt to layer them over a full coverage polish. The new glazes this season are:

Maisie: Blue tint with mylar green fleck effect

Opal: Green tint with mylar green fleck effect

Chloe: Pink tint with mylar green and gold fleck effect

Ahh…gotta love the endless possibilities!

My fave combo is Bevin and Chloe, and while I haven’t worn any of these shades long enough to speak for them directly, I’ve worn a ton of Zoya hues and they usually last me about a week (note though that nail chemistry varies from person to person so polishes don’t always last equally long for everyone).

Images: Zoya

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When it comes to nail polish collaborations, it’s pretty much impossible to top OPI. They’ve teamed up with everyone from Katy Perry, to Glee, to The Muppets and, come early 2012, they’ll be launching a killer collection they’ve created in partnership with bright-color-loving singer Nicki Minaj. Seriously, the only performer that could top this is Lady Gaga.

Fittingly, the limited edition collection includes brights and sparkles, my favorite being a neon lime that I’ll be wearing next week when I’m in Miami. I was able to preview the six shades and, like all OPI nail colors, they’re super long-lasting (even the non-glitter ones), and despite Minaj’s out-there style, the hues are surprisingly wearable (seriously, even the lime!). The collection includes five shades and one top coat, each of which is named after one of Minaj’s songs and will retail for $8.50 come January 2012.

What I love about the collection is that it’s perfect for this time of year when so many of us are traveling. It’s literally got all bases covered from classic pink, to party-worthy sparkle, to a sun-and-surf bright. Plus, we’re seeing so many glitter polishes right now that it’s nice to see one that strikes as truly original (see Save Me with its confetti glitter). The shades include:

• Pink Friday (Bubblegum pink)

• Metallic 4 Life (Charcoal with sparkles)

• Save Me (Silver-rainbow glitter)

• Fly (Aqua)

• Did It On Em (Neon lime)

• Super Bass Shatter (Purple top coat)

Image: OPI

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Just when you think you’ve seen and heard it all, a brand like Dairyface comes along. Dairyface — made in a kitchen, not a lab — is formulated with ingredients so fresh that their products literally MUST be stored in the fridge! The number one ingredient in each product is yogurt and all are based on the nutritional benefits of milk to nourish skin cells, hence the name. Fittingly, each skincare product comes packaged in a container that looks straight out of the Greek yogurt section at my local Health Nut store (expiration date sticker and all)!

I had to put a Post-It marked “DO NOT EAT; NOT EDIBLE” on the containers when I got them because not only do they look like yogurt, they actually smell and have the same consistency! Honestly I have a feeling that if you were to eat one of them, you’d not only be fine, but that it would probably taste good!

The line consists of five products, four of which can be used on your face and body (peppermint, orange, green tea, and lavender), and one eye cream. I love eye creams that can be stored in the fridge because nothing is better to wake me up in the morning than a cooling sensation on my face, so obviously that one was my favorite, but, if you love the scent of yogurt (the products smell strong), and love the invigorating sensation of cooling treatment masks, you’ll love their facial refreshers as well.

Each package contains two single-serving treatments ($19.95), packed with prebiotics and probiotics specifically formulated for topical use on the skin.

Image: Dairyface

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I was beyond excited when, a few months ago, it was announced that Soap & Glory was coming to Sephora. The brand was started by one of the founders of the uber-luxe spa chain Bliss, and was initially sold at Target, making the price points very affordable. I was worried that once the UK brand’s products got to Sephora they would go through a price hike but, as far as I can tell, the price points are more or less what they were when the bath, beauty, and body brand was sold at Target.

What’s so great about these products is their packaging. What can I say? I’m a sucker for killer packaging! It’s rare that a product will literally make you laugh out loud, but the ones in this line are so clever that’s exactly what they do. It’s no surprise that a bunch of their product names are trademarked. My all-time Soap & Glory favorites are their hand cream (called Hand Food) and their gloss (called Sexy Mother Pucker), but I was recently sent a sample of Scrub ‘em and Leave ‘em Body Buff, and it’s my new love!

The thing about this line is that, yes, it’s affordable and, yes, the packaging is awesome, but the products also WORK. They smell divine; in fact, even my dad uses their body spray, and if a non-metro dad uses a body spray, you know it has to smell invigoratingly good!

Better yet, the products do exactly what they say they will. The body scrub is pink and has a fairly feminine scent, so I don’t know that many men would want to use it but, then again, so does the body spray and, like I said, my dad loves it! It’s formulated with babassu oil, sea salt, and moisturizing jojoba and mandarin oils. It’s not a harsh exfoliator (the granules actually feel soft),  so it won’t sooth seriously sore muscles, but for an everyday scrub it’s perfect. Plus, because this moisturizing scrub smells so refreshing (bergamot, black currant, magnolia, freesia, vanilla, and musk), you won’t need body wash if you’re using it all over your body.

The scrub retails for $18 at Sephora.

Image:  Soap & Glory

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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

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A) This duo includes a chunky gold sparkle polish and a champagne-shaped gloss. The gloss contains real gold flecks and has a slight tingling sensation to evoke the feeling of effervescent champagne bubbles ($48)!

B) Available in black or khaki, this duo comes with hand warmers and a shimmery polish ($68). There are also two gift sets, each with three eye-catching polishes, going for $48.

C) Makeup more your thing? Juicy has also teamed with Troy Surratt, who came-up with this charm bracelet lip gloss wand. The charm is marshmallow-flavored ($18), yum!

Images: Juicy Couture

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Who doesn’t love Burt’s Bees? When it comes to drugstore beauty buys they’re one of the best, and, to boot, most of their products are 99% natural. The brand has a ton of gifts this holiday season, which are so guilt-free and filled with everyday essentials you will actually WANT to use (no fillers!) that they’re worth stocking-up on even if you don’t have a long list of people . For particularly adventurous beauty buffs, Burt’s has got a grab bag with five full-sized products and an assortment of mini-size products, which is priced at only $25 (a deal even if you only like half of what’s in the bag).

If you’re going as gaga as I did when I saw all of Burt’s offerings and you’re thinking about picking-up some items/gifts, I wanted to also highlight two fantastic new products: Facial Towelettes ($6) and Sensitive Facial Cleanser ($10). Both work well to remove makeup, dirt, and debris without dehydrating or irradiating my sensitive skin. Secondly, whether you’re buying products for yourself or for others, we always want to remember those less forunte than us — especially with Thanksgiving just days away. With that in mind, Burt’s Bees has partnered with One Warm Coat for a fun initiative to help provide warm coats to those in need during these icy winter months.

Now through 12/31, for every person who posts a tacky sweater over their Facebook profile picture (see here), Burt’s Bees will donate $1 to this charitable cause (up to $25,000). Go to Facebook.com/burtsbees to learn more plus, while you’re there, you can browse special deals and, every day between 11/28 and 12/31, you can enter for a chance to unwrap one of four Burt’s Bees gifts or win them all!

Happy shopping!

Images: Burt’s Bees

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The Seaweed Bath Co. is best known for their hero product, their organic seaweed soak, but they’ve been growing (thankfully!), and have now launched a new shampoo and conditioner in all of their popular scents – Lavender, Citrus, Eucalyptus, and Peppermint – as well as in an unscented iteration.

If you’re not familiar with the brand, it was started by a psoriasis sufferer who wanted to sooth his own irritated skin without using meds or harsh chemicals and his research lead him to discover the power of wild seaweed. The line is ultra-moisturizing and includes Wildly Natural Seaweed Body Washes, Wildly Natural Seaweed Foot Butter, Wildly Natural Seaweed Powder Bath options and, now, Wildly Natural Seaweed Argan Shampoo and Conditioner made especially for those of us with dry, brittle hair.

Aside from Argan Oil (which is great to not only treat dry hair, but also to detangle it after washing – check-out the original treatment from MoroccanOil…it’s fantastic!), the Argan Shampoo and Conditioners are made with Vitamin E, which is commonly used in skincare products for dry skin (I especially love Jo Malone’s Vitamin E range) and known to be super hydrating. The new products are also made with 100% natural ingredients, are paraben-free, dye-free, and SLS-free. Check-out all the scents here.

Image: Seaweed Bath Co.

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