Tarte's Puttin on the Glitz

I had looked longingly at Tarte's Puttin' on the Glitz holiday collection for a while at Ulta. The rich shadows & clever configuration were calling my name!

Each of the 3 palettes in the collection easily snaps into a super cute silver purse.

Looks can be deceiving- I actually can shove my Iphone in it! Your ID, some moolah, phone & the included lipgloss- you're good to go. It's stylish enough to take with you for New Years!

Speaking of New Years, the Girls Night Out Palette is right up your alley if you're looking for an amazing shadow collection to get your smokey eye on! Rich pewters, shimmery grays & matte black have you covered in that department.

Walk in the Park Palette (also spotted in this compact is Tarte's Park Avenue Princess Bronzer- which has a cult following!)

Here I used the Walk in the Park palette for a soft bronzed eye, I even used the hunter green shadow in the compact as my eyeliner!

Nine to Five Palette

The soft shimmers from the Nine to Five Palette along with my signature winged liner. This might be my favorite palette out of the bunch, with super versatile, soft shimmery colors. All in all you get 18 shadows, 3 Amazonian Clay Face Powders & the Maracuja infused lipgloss that can nestle neatly into the sleek clutch. It's a steal of a deal at $48! My suggestion (especially if Santa brought you some gift cards this holiday season) is to grab this limited edition kit while you can!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M
*This kit was gifted for review

Lorac 3D Liquid Luster

Even when I'm 80, my love affair with all things sparkly will still be going strong! I'm lucky that as a make-up artist, I can pretty much wear whatever look I want to work. I know those in finance might not be able to get away with some of the things I can! Still there are times, I want to glam up my day look in a jiffy! When I spotted Lorac's 3D Liquid Lustre it looked like a magical potion.

I just shake it & then I put a tiny bit from the dropper on to my hand. As you can see- it's packed with sparkle! Worth the mention, it really stays put.

Here's my eye make-up at the end of a work day. I had been running around like a mad woman, as we were getting ready for our holiday party. I was already running late & I needed a quick pick me up!

I patted on the diamond like Lustre to my eyelids gently with my ring finger.

It really spruced my look up, I added a quick application of a coral gloss & I was good to go! This is a perfect sparkle option to ring in the New Year with or to keep in your purse to take your look easily from day to night!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Glossy Kisses & Warm Holiday Wishes

Beauties, I hope you have the merriest of Christmases being surrounded by those you love. Hug those that you can, remember those that aren't with you & savor the memories in the making.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

PIXI Ultimate Beauty Kit

Can you feel it in the air? The sheer terror at the fact that Christmas is a mere 2 days away? I'm having flashbacks to college when I would cram all night for exams- only this time I'm staying up until 1:00am wrapping presents. When I'm frazzled, there are few things that cheer me up as quickly as make-up does. Especially considering the calories that are in wine & ice cream, yes make-up it is. Even as a child when I heard visions of sugar plums & all that for Christmas- I dreamt of fairies sprinkling pixi dust & sparkle on my cheeks.

So with child like wonder I opened Pixi's Ultimate Beauty Kit at work- a delightfully portable & eco friendly kit packing a wallop of beauty essentials: 32 eyeshadows, 16 lip glosses & 8 cheek glows! All of a sudden during my oohhhing & ahhhing, 2 people joined in chorus peeking over my shoulder! This palette is a crowd pleaser & one meant for those who love color.

The pigments are vibrant & true. I can't tell you how many times when I've purchased a big holiday palette & there's been little payoff on the skin. This collection is a steal of a deal at $40- in fact my target is sold out of it! But if you need that perfect last gift for a gal on your list- this is it. This is my other Beauty Best Buy for the holidays!

Plus the gals at PIXI are so awesome they want one of my readers to be starting off the New Year right! They've given me a trio of my beloved Endless Silky Eye Pens{see why I heart their creamy goodness here.}

As well as their limited edition Pretty Eye Perfection 12 shadow sampler so your peepers will be looking their most gorgeous in 2012! To enter just leave a comment, follow me on Twitter: @PeaceLoveGloss, tweet about the giveaway, or like Peace Love Lipgloss on Facebook. Each step counts as one entry- let me know your total tally in the comments section. I'll pick the winner on New Year's Eve! Good luck Beauties!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Holiday Polish Pic{k}s

I had actually never heard of Venique nail polish, until I popped in to get some beauty supplies & spotted the display. I scooped up Runway Sparkle thinking it would be the perfect holiday color. I was right, it is a rich blue red with micro glitter that catches the light beautifully! Though the brush isn't as fabulous as my go to OPI's, the color lasted a full week with minimal wear & tear. I got several compliments on it & people asked where they could purchase the brand. I'll definitely be checking out additional shades. What's your go to holiday shade Beauties?

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Tarte's Starlet

Cue the Angels singing. As I mentioned, I get giddy with all the holiday collection launches. It's a great time to experience lines you might be unfamiliar with, because they're offering great values & samplers. However with some kits, you realize after you get them home & play with them that there are more duds than winners. Not with the Starlet collection from Tarte. This is how it should be done! There's not a dud in sight with this collection. Plus you'll actually use the box to house trinkets(love the lucite knobs!), it's so classic it will adapt to any home decor.

The collection offers pretty much all the eyeshadows you'll ever need- day, night, metallic & matte are included. A total of 24 eyeshadows housed in 2 of the drawers are broken down into 6 color quads for easy color wardrobing. But think outside of the box- the sky's the limit. I've used 2 shades from the middle drawer (far right Leading Lady on top & Diva on bottom) as a bronzer & blusher. I also have often used the taupe shade Idol from the top right quad to fill in my brows. Also included are samples of Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara & multipEYE lash primer.

The Tarte cult favorite bronzer, Park Avenue Princess is included in the bottom tray meant for cheeks. Also included are 2 Amazonian Clay 12 Hour blushes in Glory & Starlet. Rounding out the group is Amazonian Clay Shimmer Powder in Rose.

Using the soft bronze shadows Popular & Timeless from the middle tray for an easy day look.

Gilded silver shadows Celebrity & Superstar brighten the lid in this shot. Again the Idol shadow was used to fill in my brows in both shots. At a reasonable $52, you get a lot of bang for your buck with the Starlet. I would think any make-up lover would rejoice at finding this under the tree. Dare I say it's one of my top 2 beauty best buys for the holidays? I just did.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Make-Up Must Have Monday: Paul & Joe Beaute Holiday Collection

One thing everybody seems to want more of during the holiday season is time! We're always rushing around like maniacs to get everything done. Paul & Joe Beaute's Limited Edition Ornamental Holiday Collection in Noel 002 gets you gorgeous in no time flat.

The limited edition gloss is full sized, whereas the glosses that are mainstays in the line are duos which are a little smaller. The lacquer in the tube looks like rich cranberry with gold shimmer. Both come in a limited edition green make-up bag that would be adorable to hang on the tree Christmas morning!

Whenever I hear the word gloss or cream when it regards to eye shadow- I think of a smeared mess. That's often the case with my oily skin. Not with the Paul & Joe eye glosses for some reason. They're pure sparkling goodness!

I, of course, am no one to turn down the opportunity to play with make-up! I had on a very neutral shadow that the gloss subtly enhanced on the lid.

What I love about the glosses is you can really top them on any shadow. Brianne was wearing
a soft bronze color, the gloss just added some additional dimension that catches the light.

A close up of the Noel lip lacquer- it's actually a sheer pop of color. Most of the Paul & Joe lacquers can look intimidating in the tubes, but are incredibly wearer friendly. This lacquer would really suit any skin tone.

Here our spa manager B is sporting both products, applied in about a minute flat- she was in a rush to go to a holiday happy hour after work. Her quick touch up looks festive & fabulous! Plus she's sporting the House of Harlow inspired earrings she got in our boutique- gorgeous!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Fabulous Finds Friday: Stocking Stuffer Edition

Let's face it- the holidays aren't cheap. Never mind you the joys of Christmas music, decorating & cookie baking- crossing everybody off your list really adds up & doesn't my VISA bill know it! My favorite part of presents is unwrapping the little treasures nestled deep into the needlepoint stocking my mom made for me. Now that I'm a grown-up too(that could be up for debate) we all pitch in on the stockings. Those little treats get expensive. Here are some great ideas, that you can break up into stocking stuffers or little gifts for girlfriends & coworkers. I always like to take advantage of value sets offered around the holidays & break them up. This Mally Deluxe Automatic Waterproof Liner Collection has 10 pencils for $50- that's a great deal at $5 a piece!
This Stila Holiday Lip Glaze set has 8 minis(still an ample amount, but not full size.) It's only $25- breaking down to an unbelievable $3.25 per gloss!

I received this all natural Biggs & Featherbelle body sampler set from a girlfriend recently- it's like a clown car full of body treats! Seriously packed inside are 18 soap samples, 2 lip balms, 3 bath salt samples, 2 milk salt samples, 5 body scrub samples & a partridge in a pear tree! Just kidding about the last part, but if you break up the set- you could have three stockings or 3 gifts easily completed for under $24!

I'm actually not one for hand creams, but in the winter my hands get especially dry with all the hand washing in between seeing clients. This travel Juara hand cream transports me to somewhere tropical, while the candlenut oil deeply hydrates & smells divine! I keep one on my desk & one in my purse- it's an affordable little luxury at $10

I read about these EcoTools brushes (I think) in Lucky Magazine & they're a steal! They feel amazing & are cruelty free to boot! Again with these, I would break up the kit & wrap them individually for more wow factor. Getting kabuki brushes for under $4 is pretty much unheard of- as is this line. They're found at Target, though you might have to search for them. I asked a salesperson who said they didn't carry it, then I found them. Grab them while you can as they're limited edition. What are you're favorite little treats to unwrap under the tree?

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Kinara Red Carpet Facial Kit

What girl doesn't want to look like she's ready for a walk down the Red Carpet? Especially around the holidays, with all the parties- I know I want to get my glow on! Kinara's Red Carpet Facial Kit is a cult favorite among celebrities, because it reveals vibrant skin with no downtime. The kit involves a 3 step process. (1)On clean, dry skin a peel containing Lactic & Malic Acids is applied for about 5 minutes. (2) A soothing neutralizer with Argenine is then applied to stop the peel. (3) A deliciously frothy mask follows to hydrate & further soothe. Pikea Robusta & Lysate extract in the mask plump up fine lines & wrinkles, too.

Here are Lindsay & Jodi of the Beauty Team masking. {Um no I'm not putting a picture of myself in a mask on the internet, I'm so mean- he he!} I wanted to try the system on a multitude of skin types: Lindsay's extremely oily, I'm combination & Jodi's very dry. The whole gang felt like it worked on their skin type & revealed smooth glowing skin in under 20 minutes! This time of year everyone is so busy. Clients pop in to get their brows done, but time is a luxury most of us don't have when baking, cooking, decorating & wrapping tops our lists. This home kit is perfect to prevent those holiday stress induced breakouts! I did the system last night while decorating my tree- this morning, we're both merry & bright!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Easy Holiday Party Favors

As promised this is the easiest little tutorial to make holiday favors with peppermint bark! Besides holiday, you could easily change the cookie cutter to suit the themes of a baby or bridal shower.

First, I melted dark chocolate in the microwave. To cut down on mess, I used a gallon Ziplock bag for easy clean-up! When melting chocolate, microwave at medium heat at 30 second intervals. I massaged the bag at each interval to prevent the chocolate from burning & ensure even melting.

When it was uniformly heated, I snipped the end off the Ziplock & began piping the chocolate into the cookie cutters. This step will be covered, so it doesn't have to be gorgeous. You just want to make sure it's touching the sides of the cookie cutter.

Let the dark chocolate cool. Then on to the white chocolate, repeating the same melting process as with the dark. I used Wilton melting candies that I already had on hand for this step.

Same as before, you now pipe the white chocolate on top of the dark. Again, it doesn't have to look perfect since you'll be topping it with the peppermint. This is such a fun project to do with kids, too!

Unwrap & place candy canes in another Ziplock.

After unleashing the day's frustration out on the candy canes, this is what you are left with. I used a soup can to pound the bag out on the sidewalk.

Press the broken candy cane pieces into the white chocolate, while it's still warm.

Voila! To keep this project affordable, since I was making a lot of them I went to the Dollar Store for the cookie cutters. The metal tree cutter in the center was $1, but then I found the plastic ones you see in the tutorial that came 6 in a pouch for $1- score! Of course, on the other end of the spectrum you could do copper cookie cutters to make the favors more elegant.

Here they are wrapped & ready for holiday giving in a festive basket at the spa! For my first time making them, they turned out very pretty & they were a big hit. Let me know if you make these, I'd love to see your pictures!

Peace. Love. Peppermint Bark. M

Easy Holiday Hair How To

My areas of expertise lie in make-up & skincare, in fact I often say I'm hair challenged! However I do have a signature look & I'm always doing demos on clients. It's super easy- yes even I can do it! It's romantic & perfect for the holiday season- so of course I'm going to share it with my Beauties!

This easy updo works best with shoulder length hair or longer. Grab a stretchy headband- we carry Medusa's Heirlooms at the spa & that is what's shown in this tutorial. Start by placing the headband Olivia Newton John a la Let's Get Physical Music Video style across your forehead.

Back starting view.

Start at one end, by taking small sections & simply tucking it into the band of the headband.

Repeat with additional sections, to follow & cover up the previous section. It doesn't have to be perfect- that's the beauty of it- just keep tucking!

The updo will take shape before your eyes, with very little actual effort- that's the best part.

This style works with all hair types. I love it on hair with slight wave & highlights- it really brings the dimension of the color out.

You can leave the back section perfectly plain or can add easy embellishments! I tucked a feather in for one look.

For another look, I stuck a flower pin in her hair - the sky's the limit creatively speaking! I was even thinking a small, tasteful ornament could be gorgeous & unexpected for the holidays. To finish, just move the headband in the front to where you want it. For a Nicole Richie vibe, leave it as is. For a Grecian goddess vibe, pull it up like a traditional headband(refer to yesterday's post to see Brianne wearing it that way.) Whichever way you wear it, I promise you- you'll get tons of compliments. Now go forth & be pretty!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M