Must Have Make-Up Monday: YBF

God Bless the woman who has the courage to go on national tv without any make-up on & her hair in curlers. Yes, this is the sight Stacey Schieffelin presents at each & every one of her Your Best Friend Cosmetics make-up shows on HSN. She then goes through each & every step, applying her products to 'put her face on' in front of the world. I give her serious props- I would never have the *ahem* we'll call it courage to do that.

When I stumbled upon one of her shows recently, they posted a lip set called Baby Lips- in the brief airing it was on, I was intrigued. It was 2 dual ended products that resulted in perfect kissable glossy lips. Any make-up artist knows to create amazing nude glossy lips a minimum of 2 products are needed, often it's more like 4. So I whipped out my credit card to check it out.

It's already a great deal at basically getting 4 products for $24.95, more like $30 when you factor in shipping & handling- oh how I hate s&h charges! The pencil (top 2) has both a neutralizing primer in a concealer tone & a nude toned lip liner in creamy consistencies. The other dual ended product (bottom 2) contains the pink toned stain and nude toned gloss.

Everything falls into the peach color family, except for the stain- which on its own is a rather alarming shocking pink. Don't be fooled by its sheer appearance, it packs a punch! I toned it down with the lipgloss on the other end- it doesn't look that intense in the photo, but I felt a bit like my grandmother in Florida.
Here is what all four products used together looks like. I would definitely use all of them, save the stain on their own in different applications. All in all, I love this set & think it's a steal of a deal. I hope YBF comes out with some other color variations of this idea!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Fabulous Finds Friday

I love a ballet flat silhouette- it's timeless. When I spotted these Chanel inspired Sam Edelman beauties, I loved the classic colors with the modern {& slightly naughty} spikes on the toes. However, when they arrived they just weren't comfy enough to justify the $130 price tag - so back they went.

So imagine my surprise, when I noticed an almost identical version at Kohls by Vera Wang. I did a little happy dance. They were on sale for $39.99, plus I had a 30% off coupon. Those extreme couponers have nothing on me- actually they do... But none the less, victory was mine!

Again, they're not the most comfortable shoes on the planet- but sometimes the deal is thrill enough! Besides, sometimes we have to suffer in the name of fashion!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Arcona Mandarin Brightening Peel

I am the Queen of exfoliation. Seriously, I always tell my clients it is an essential step in the fight against aging. It's is the key to radiant skin & your other products working more effectively. That being said I often have clients who over do it with aggressive exfoliants & come to me with red, peeling skin. There is a fine line & proper balance in terms of introducing chemical & enzyme exfoliants into your skincare diet. With prescriptions, I recommend slowly incorporating them into your skincare regimens. For those who are new to the game, enter Arcona's new Mandarin Brightening Peel. Never mind the fact that it smells like a cross between an orangesicle & a tropical drink, it's the perfect mild exfoliant as we head into summer. I think the term 'acid' in AHA's scares people from incorporating them into their anti-aging regimen. Acids can in fact be gentle for the skin & offer a host of benefits like reducing the appearance of fine lines, brightening, smoothing texture & are amazing in addressing acne. Besides Glycolic & Lactic acids in Arcona's Mandarin Brightening Peel, the anti-oxidant Lycopene & a unique patented lightening peptide round out the cocktail. Peptides are at the top of most Dermatologist's lists for their anti-inflammatory & anti-aging capabilities. Applied on my face, I felt nary an uncomfortable tingle- which makes me confident recommending it pretty much to all skin types once or twice a week. I even was a renegade & left it on for 10 minutes, versus the 4-6 outlined in the directions. What can I say? I love me some exfoliation!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Must Have Make-Up Monday: GloMineral's Alloy Shadow Collection

I often buy shadow kits or compacts because they're such a great value. Sometimes however, you favor a few shades & the rest remain untouched. GloMinerals' Alloy Shadow Compact ($44) has nary a dud in sight, rather it's full of your classic go to shades for the perfect smokey eye. I love that the compact isn't huge either- it's roughly the size of my iPhone. Does anyone else think men must design some of the compacts out there? Because there is no way a woman would make a huge compact- we want to be able to throw it in our purse or take it with us when we travel, without it being super bulky!

For a quick smokey eye, I took the 2 shades in the upper right hand corner- Enigma & Tuxedo and patted them on the natural contours of my eyelid. Then I smudged what was left on the brush along my lower lash line. I used the bottom right shade, Jet, to line my lashes & lower waterline- then topped with mascara. This compact has simple neutrals for day & the intense versions for night- it's a win win. In fact, I'll probably have this compact on hand when I teach my Smokey Eye Class next week at La Papillon- there are only 3 spots left, so if you live in the Baltimore area grab one of the last remaining seats!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M
*Compact gifted for review

Happy Easter

Peace. Love. Bunny. M

Pixi Beauty Fairy Face Kit

There's nothing like a sinus infection to make you feel less than pretty. So last week when I was constantly reaching for Claritin D, I also reached for my new PixiGlow Fairy Face Palette. Pixi Glow is Pixi Beauty's new collaboration with Disney- all in the name of Tinkerbell & beauty!

The shadows in this palette are creamy gorgeousness. Incredibly wearable for a daytime look, with the lightest & darkest shades easily enabling you to kick it up a notch for night.

This pretty pink blush trio could give any Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick a run for its money, especially since the entire PixiGlow palette is only $34! One swipe gave me a rosy glow that fooled any one from thinking I was under the weather.

All of the eyeshadows in the collection, except for the pink shade, are featured on my eye for a soft chocolaty bronze look. The baked pigment in the blush gives the most lovely flush. The lip creams, which looked a little intense for this nude loving lipgloss girl, are actually more like lip balms when applied. No one was more surprised than I, that I'm sporting the second deepest shade in this image. The Tinkerbell association with this palette takes me back to when I was a little girl playing with my mom's make-up, but I can assure you this collection is all grown up- yet still super girly & fun.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M
*Palette gifted for review

Must Have Make-Up Monday

Usually after a long day at work giving my clients facials, I look like I am trying out for a football team! All the steam during the exfoliation portion of the facial puts my mascara through the ringer. That being said I tend to loathe waterproof versions. Their formulas don't allow me to build the product like I like to, plus it's a bugger to get off. The last thing I want to lose are my actual lashes when removing my mascara!

Enter Anastasia of Beverly Hill's Lash Genius- it's like a raincoat for your mascara! Use whatever mascara brand you adore & finish with a clear coat of this sealant. While I wouldn't submerge myself in a tank of water- Lash Genius really helps seal in the mascara without being super brittle, crunchy or difficult to remove afterwards. In fact, it helps separate your lashes a bit if you're prone to clumping. Its arrival is perfect timing as we head into warmer, humid months & the summer wedding season. It is, I must say genius!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M
*product gifted for review