Polish Pic{k}s

As the summer wraps up its final weekend, it's finally time to break out the dark polish!!! How I love my vampy colors- I just feel like myself again.  A girlfriend & I both opted for pedis sporting Becca's Pasa Doble polish from their Balearic Love Collection.  It a deep black plum that's pretty rock & roll if you ask me.

Peace. Love. Polish.

                            

Anastasia's She Wears It Well Palette

 

Anastasia of Beverly Hills (brow guru to Kim Kardashian) has unveiled this new limited edition She Wears It Well shadow palette.  You get a generous amount of product & a nice brush for $34.

This palette has such a classic shade selection. Sometimes there's a shade that you never touch in a palette, this has all wearable neutrals. It's like a box of yummy chocolates perfect for summer bronze looks, that will then transition perfectly into fall.

Trophy is on my lid, Foxy in the crease & Frosting is on the brow bone. I even used the Toffee shade to fill in my brows & the Onyx shade wet for my liner. What really makes me happy are the shimmer shadows. Anastasia's shimmer shadows feature her Youthful Synergy Complex which is clinically proven 'to firm, hydrate and reduce the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles.'

  Here are the delicious shimmers from left: Trophy, Latte, Glow, Foxy, Sunset & Frosting. As you all know I am "allergic" to aging & the delicate eye area tends to be the first place a lady shows some wear & tear.  We have no sebaceous (oil) glands around the eye area- so it lacks any natural moisturizing factor. I'm adamant about preventative care, but few make-up companies incorporate anti-aging benefits into their eye products like Anastasia. It easy to see why with this collection, any one can wear it well!

Peace. Love Lipgloss.

Files From the Brow Whisperer

 It's that time of year. When summer comes to a close & droves of clients (new & old) come in to get their brows done before heading back to school. Whether high school or college, every one wants to put their best face forward for the first day of classes! This was a new client who had purposefully let her brows grow in a bit, as she had felt her previous esthetician had made them too skinny.  That is the perfect thing to do for me to have as much as possible to work with in terms of creating a shape.

I made sure to be conservative in what I took off, because she had worked hard to grow them in. I also streamlined them a bit above, as my client had expressed that she felt her brows were too round in our consult prior to the waxing. She was thrilled & though dreading heading back to high school on Monday, will at least be rocking some amazing brows!

Peace. Love. Brow Whisperer.

Mani Monday

I subscribe to MyGlam- a monthly beauty delivery service. I've received a bottle of nail polish from Circus by Andrea's Choice in the last 2 shipments & decided this might be one of my last chances to rock a bright mani as the summer winds to a close.

 I'm sporting Ringmaster on my nails which looks neon pink in the bottle, but pulls a little coral on my nails. My accent color on my ring finger is Somersault, less of a neon- more of a French's mustard yellow.

 

 Circus by Andrea's Choice color collection includes 5 vibrant shades. The shades are vegan & cruelty free. The formulas are also free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP.  What do you think of the packaging & colors? Will you be steeping into the ring when they launch this fall?

Peace. Love. Polish.

Brazilian Blowout: Acai Straightening Balm

For as much effort I put into my skin, only recently have I started upping the ante with my hair.  I have to admit that effort was initiated by obvious signs of breakage. Hair dryers, straightening irons & the fact that I often wear my hair in a ponytail for work were wreaking havoc on my mane.  When I first squeezed some of of Brazilian Blowout's Acai Protective Thermal Straightening Balm (what a mouthful!) in my hand, I quickly noted the slippery texture due to silicones. Had this been a skincare product, that would have had me running for the hills!  However I was careful to apply it away from my scalp, as I have oily hair & apply it only from the middle to the ends. 

 I immediately noticed its amazing detangling capabilities! My hair is fine & prone to tangling. When your hair is wet, it's at its weakest - with this product my comb glides through my hair with ease. This is a dream- so moms out there try to sneak some of this in your daughter's hair post bath time! During my blowdrys with this product, I rarely even need to straight iron after. The silicone keeps my hair frizz free & smooth without it getting 'stringy' looking. I would say it's ideal for those who have shoulder length hair or longer. It retails for $28 & a little goes a long way into helping you have a good hair day.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Fabulous Finds Friday: Polish Pic{k}s Edition

While making a paper towel run recently in Walmart, a flash of fun colors caught my eye. Some of Maybelline's new Color Show nail polishes begged to come home with me. I scooped up #330 Tenacious Teal (very similar to Chanel's Jade if I remember correctly) & #350 Blue Freeze to add a little variety to my life. I dabbed Blue Freeze on with a tooth pick for polka dots to add a little whimsy to my manicure- you can use the end of a liner brush, as well. It's super easy.

I love the just-bigger-than-trial-sized bottles of polish. Who really finishes a whole bottle of polish before it becomes gooky & thick? I have one polish out of easily 50 shades that gets that much use. These bottles are a guilt free way of adding a dash of color into your life at under $3 a pop- at Walmart they were $2.97 a bottle! So go ahead- brighten your horizon!

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Benefit Ultra Plush Gloss

To match their much adored cheek colors, Benefit recently launched coordinating lipglosses to match! Having a hard time deciding which shade I wanted to try, I opted for the Ultra Plush Glosses First Class Set which had baby sizes & will be perfect for when I travel abroad in the fall.

This collection features Bella Bamba, Coralista, Dandelion & Sugarbomb. They're all wearable hues just like the best selling cheek colors they coordinate with.  This set cost $26, versus the full sized versions ringing in each at $16.

From top: Coralista, Bella Bamba, Sugarbomb & Dandelion.

The textures are interesting- there is no really tack whatsoever. If you've ever tried Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics' Lip Tar, that is what this reminds me of texture wise. Don't be afraid of the brighter shades, as these are all completely sheer. The slant tip applicator is convenient feature. On the swoon worthy scale, these glosses rate about 3 out of 5 stars.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Kate Somerville Dermal Quench

They say moving is one of the top five most stressful life experiences & I can attest to that. For the past week I have been in full mover mode as I relocate my business. Seven years of stuff that's accumulated- furballs multiplying by the minute. It has been intense. Allergy medication & energy drinks have been helping me get through it, but I know are not helping my skin out. To keep my face as clear as possible (did I mention an average of 100 degree weather?) I've been relying on my beloved Exfolikate to remove grime & Kate Somerville's new Dermal Quench potion at night.  Exfolikate has long been a go to treatment for myself & my clients- it's a professional strength home care product & that's coming from me as an esthetician.  Dermal Quench has been essential in rehydrating my skin. Antihistamines & excess caffeine deplete the skin.  I hadn't had a Monster Energy drink in probably a decade- this week I've had five!

 Just like any plant, all skin types need water to stay healthy. Dermal Quench was created to mimic the ever popular Kate Somerville in clinic treatment into a home version. Dermal Quench's hyaluronic acid feels like a drink of water for my skin. The lavender calms both my skin & my senses before bed. With the frothy consistency due to the oxygenated delivery system, I feel it even has a lymphatic drainage effect of my skin. Near the eyes I swear it has a depuffing action! I even apply it on my neck bands, as ever since Ally McBeal I've been terrified of developing a 'waddle!'

Peace.Love. Lipgloss. M