BeautyCares- The End of the Wifebeater event- Recap

Last night, I was invited to attend the BeautyCares' End of the Wifebeater charity event in Haven, NYC. Here are some pictures to recap the event! From cocktails to hor d'oeuvres from Serendipity to silent auctions for celebrity designed tees, this event was fab!

Learn more about Beauty Cares's mission and party.





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Tammy Fender Lip Guardian

Depending on where you are, winter's upon us and for some, it's really warm. Wherever you are, everyone needs moisturized lips and why not nourish and protect your lips from the heat or wind with the Tammy Fender Lip Guardian? It's formulated with lavender cacao with organic rose hip seed oil. (Have you tried the Tammy Fender Lavender Body Oil?)

It's packaged in a regular lip balm tube like the original chapstick, but instead of the balm being clear, it's a dark brownish green. The main ingredient is olive oil, so it's no wonder! When I first tried it, the application was not smooth (maybe it was my chapped lips?) but after a while it got better. (I guess I'm used to a gloss that applies easily.) However, the results? Moisturized lips without any flakes! I felt like the formula sank in and worked its magic, rather than sitting on my lips and doing pretty nothings, if you know what I mean.

If you're looking for a luxe lip product that works, then you should try this! Why luxe? B/c it costs $16.50 per tube!


(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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Review: Philip B. Anti-flake Relief Shampoo

Do you have itchy, flaky scalp? The Philip B. Anti-flake Relief shampoo is here to provide exactly just that- relief! I've oily hair, hence an oily scalp. And with the weather change, I also get flakes. Nothing feels better than a stimulating hair shampoo that feels invigorating. This shampoo contains therapeutic ingredients as well as tea tree oil, aloe vera and sage to soothe your scalp. For the past month, I've incorporated this shampoo into my routine to get rid of the flakies and I've seen a great improvement. I don't have excessive issues, so I use this sparingly and it works well. If you're looking for a natural product, try this out to rebalance the oilies on your scalp. Available at philipb.com and department stores/salons.

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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Curel Sensitive Skin Remedy Lotion

Winter's coming soon and before your sensitive skin gets those chapped hands, it's best to protect them now! The formula for the Curel Sensitive Skin Remedy Lotion contains ceramides to create a barrier to protect your skin from the environment as well as provide relief. I have super sensitive skin and this past week, my hands were already red and flaky. :( At the SHAPE Pilates for Pink event earlier this month, Curel was there to display some of their new products including the Curel Sensitive Skin Remedy Lotion. I was able to try and even though it wasn't that cold in early October, my hands felt noticeably smoother and moisturized.

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Holiday Series #1: Miss Oops Rescue Sponge & Lint Roller

My 2010 Holiday Series is baaack and I'm so excited to share my holiday must-haves with you. Even though it's only the end of October and a week away from Halloween, why not get a head start? Before you know it- Holidays will come and go and you're off to a new year!

To kick off my 2010 Holiday Series, I want to introduce you to the Miss Oops brand. (read more reviews here) All the products in Miss Oops are designed to correct your beauty boo-boos with a mission to correct your beauty problems in an affordable manner. Below are two purse must-haves when you're at a holiday party and you come across some natural blunders. Got deodorant stains and extra lint on ya?

Remove deodorant marks- The Allure award winning product, Rescue Sponge, is a patent-pending sponge made to remove deodorant marks, powder and other marks you have. Instead of having to wet a sponge, use this to sponge to absorb the excess and poof it's gone! Each set comes with 2 sponges per pack, so you can leave one in your purse and another at the office or home. Instead of using a tissue, this leaves no lint behind! Speaking of lint...

Remove fuzz/lint- Another Miss Oops product is their mini lint roller. When you're wearing a BLD or your favorite black wool coat, and you've got dog/cat hair all over- this lint roller will help remove all that from your clothes. What I love most about that is the size- small and cute to tote around and perfect for your purse that already has everything in it. For your holiday parties, this AND the rescue sponge will be your bffs and save you from those oopsies you make. Do note that it won't be able to help you from any other embarrassing one-too-many drink moments though, so caution.. :)

Enjoy your upcoming holiday parties!! :)

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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Carol's Daughter at Sephora

(L to R; Friend of Julissa, Julissa and Lisa from Carol's Daughter)

Back in September, Carol's Daughter held a special modeling contest at their Harlem store in NYC to search for the face of their new Hair Milk campaign. I've heard so many great things about this brand. (Read more reviews here.) I even heard the founder, Lisa, speak at an event a few years ago to talk about how she started experimenting with her fragrances in her own home in Brooklyn and sold it to friends and family. Talk about a true entrepreneur!

Now, the brand Carol's Daughter is sold in Sephora stores nationwide and is such a success. Although I have never tried their haircare products, I am fan of their body butters. They make great natural body lotions with cocoa and shea butter- a great moisturizer especially in the winter time.

Check out this Perfect Almond Cookie Set, sold at Sephora.com. Don't forget- it's Friends and Family at Sephora so everything is 20% OFF!! Use code: FF2010 at checkout.

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MyNines.com Shopping & Cocktail event in NYC - October 2010

MyNines.com and Fashism hosted an intimate beauty & fashion gathering at the penthouse suite in the Buckingham Hotel near Central Park last week. It was a fabulous view and I learned about some great brands! First, if you haven't heard of MyNines.com, check them out! It's a sample sale site that aggregates all the sample sale sites together all in one hotspot so it does all the work for you! Shop on! :)

At the event, one of my fave beauty sites were there- BeautyTicket.com- known for selling premium cosmetics at discounted prices. They always have new inventory coming and great sales! They carry Stila, Too Faced, Pixi and many more!

At the event, they gave attendees a Paula Dorf lipstick and a chance to purchase a few Paula Dorf cosmetics at discounted prices- $5 each. Since the lipstick was SPF15, I was able to get this amazing cheek blush instead. :)

	Also, at the event was Exclusively.in, which sells fantastic clothing and jewelry pieces inspired by Indian fashion. Look how pretty these are!
	Birchbox.com was also there. For only $10/month, you will get 4-5 deluxe beauty samples mailed to your home at the beginning of each month. You get to try samples of your favorite brands and if you like them, you can shop via their site to earn points! Points will give you discounts on future product purchases, so it's a never ending sampling/buying cycle of your favorite cosmetics. Two samples in their recent box was the Nars Makeup Primer and the Tatcha Japanese Beauty paper (blotting papers).
Guests left with a goodie bag with product samplings.

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TOPOL Plus Toothpaste Review

Halloween is coming up and that's when I excuse myself from nibbling at chocolates and treats. Of course that just means that Thanksgiving and the End of the Year holidays are coming up... but that's another story.

While eating sweets, it's always important to have clean teeth as well, so I'm prepping my daily oral health care now! Since last month, I've been incorporating the TOPOL Plus toothpaste into my regime. It is formulated to effectively fight stains such as coffee, tea, red wine and even tobacco. It also has has a minty taste so your breath feels fresh and lasts for a decent amount of time. Of course, it's important to continue flossing, and brushing at least twice a day.

My thoughts? Overall, I am liking this. It's a good substitute for my other toothpastes and the additional stain-fighter ingredient helps! Drink tea every evening and my teeth still look the same- no brown stains! :) It's definitely comparable to my Colgate toothpastes, for those who are unfamiliar with the TOPOL brand so I def. recommend you try this out. It costs about $5 for a tube, so it's affordable.

Available at your local drugstore including Walgreens, Rite Aid and also Walmart.

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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Beauty & All That's Secret of Youth

If you were looking for the secrets of looking youthful, you came to the right place.. sort of.* I don't know the secret to looking 10 or 20 years younger but I do know that it's important to live a healthy and active lifestyle. What does that mean? Drinking plenty of liquids, eating fruits/vegetables, and working out several times a week. In addition, it's so important to take care of your skin and make sure your skin is hydrated.

To get great skin, I recommend wearing sunscreen everyday and moisturizer! Nothing is more telling of age than blotchy sunspots and wrinkles. However, if you already have that, you can use argan oil or honey to slowly fade them away. In the meantime, keep wearing sunscreen to prevent further skin damage.

Youthful skin looks rosy and glow-y so make sure that you have great skin by protecting it and keeping it hydrated. A must-have to brighten your face is to wear a complimenting blush shade to get those cheekbones noticed. To conceal your bags, I recommend using a very light pinkish tone to counteract the darkness and then top it off with a concealer powder that matches your natural color. To help with wrinkles and lines, use a few drops of argan/grapeseed oil to massage your face. It will help hydrate your skin and make it look more youthful.

*results will vary ;)

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Review: One Bath and Body - Shampoo & Conditioner Bar

Have you ever stood inside your bathroom and thought about all the plastic you're using & wasting with the number of bottles you have? How about the number of products you have used so far and will use in your lifetime? The number is quite frightening...

To be eco-friendly, how about trading in 3 bottles of shampoo for one tiny bar of One's Shampoo bar? According to One Bath and Body, that's exactly how many uses you can get from a bar- 3.5 inches in diameter and an inch and a half in height. You only have to use a few swipes on your hair and you're all good. To prevent the bar from melting away, each one comes with an embossed aluminum shower tin (with holes!) so the water will drain out.

I was sent the Hair Biscuit for Yummy Hair (an orange-yellowish bar) to try and Hair Boost solid conditioner. The first thing I noticed was that they were really fragrant. If you've sensitive noses, I would not recommend. But if you like strong aromatic scents, this is perfect for you! It makes my entire bathroom smell like I'm at a spa... Since my hair is my fine and tends to get oily, I have to make sure I don't use products that make my hair even oilier. Otherwise, it will feel like its being weighed down which is unpleasant.

I have been using this for a few weeks and I have finally found my perfect methodology of using these two bars. First, my hair cannot use both shampoo bar and the conditioner bar. Unfortunately the combo weighs my hair down. Instead, I use the shampoo bar only and my hair feels thicker and more volumized- which is super! I only use the conditioner bar on my ends every 2-3 washes and my hair ends feel much more manageable. Wahoo!

There are lots more products in the One Bath and Body line- which also uses recyclable packaging- to make their products even more eco-friendly. Some other items on my wishlist include their Natural Soaps and Lotions! :)

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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Beauty Cares' Fight Against Domestic Violence Event in NYC

The End of the Wifebeater Cocktail Party

On October 28, join Beauty Cares, an organization whose mission is to end domestic violence, in "The End of the Wife Beater" event in NYC. They have chosen 12 hot guys to pose in the 2011 Sexy in the City calendar who will also be at the event to celebrate its launch. :)

Time: 6:30 -9 pm
Where: Haven, 244 East 51st Street
$$: Admission at the door is $20. However, proceeds is donated to Beauty Cares.

At the event, you'll be able to buy this calendar and participate in an auction to purchase celebrity-designed "wife Beaters."

Who is Beauty Cares? Their mission is to break the cycle of domestic violence for women and children. They examine the fundamental roots of domestic violence and the factors that perpetuate the cycle – silence, shame, denial, misconceptions, family history and wounded self-esteem. Beauty Cares then creates dynamic, powerful programs and initiatives to enable women and children to break free.

Corporate sponsors for the event are Avion Tequila, Calderone Public Relations, Haven, Serendipity, RTR Packaging, Blue Bay Distributing Inc., Total Exposure Designs, Terra Fossil Wines and AquaForté with more to come.

See you there! :)

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Review: Josie Maran's Loves Nest kit

Josie Maran's Love Nest Kit is a new exclusive, limited addition to her collection at Sephora. It includes her favorites, 100% Argan Oil, Argan illuminizer, Argan color stick in Petal Pink and the GOGO Natural Volume Argan mascara. All of these products contain Argan Oil- found in argan trees in Morocco. This natural & organic oil is rich in Vitamin E and essential fatty acids with anti-aging properties. It's great for moisturizing, clearing up skin and also calming your skin.

Josie Maran has teamed up with the City of Hope, a cancer care center, to launch its GOGO (Get One Give One) campaign for every GOGO Argan mascara..... After 5,000 mascara tubes have been donated, a dollar from each sale will be given to help City of Hope's research, treatment and education. I found this organic formulated mascara surpsingly pleasant to use because it really made my lashes stand out. Two coats and my lashes looked voluminous! A perk? It doesn't have an odor like most mascaras have.

Another piece from the Love Nest collection that I tried is the 100% Argan Oil, which is contained in a recyclable glass bottle. Its dropper makes it easy to dispense the oil a few drops at a time. I used it as a daily moisturizer at night (2 drops is all I need) but it can also be used for acne and stretch marks. Result? So far, clear, moisturized skin! (Read more reviews on TotalBeauty.com)

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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NYC Shecky's Girls Night Out - Fall 2010 Event Recap

Shecky's Fall Girls Night Out is in full force again. Earlier this month they were at NYC for a few days and I was excited to attend again! The venue was new and was a bit different. They had the usual jewelry vendors, foodies and as always the Beer Tasting! I was good and didn't spend a single dime! Instead, I enjoyed the atmosphere, company and food samples!

Enjoy the pictures...Click to:

Sponsors of the Shecky's event: -Bacardi/Sangria -Budweiser Select/Select 55 -Midori -X rated liquer -Body Shop -Conair
	This is sangria was delish! So was the Tuscan wine dips!

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Review: Dr. Brandt pores no more® Pore Refiner

"Blessed" with unsightly blackheads and large pores that ooze oil on your nose? Not a pretty picture, I tell ya. Let me introduce you to Dr. Brandt's pores no more Pore Refiner, aka. a mattifying life-saver for your nose! I have been using this for two weeks now- every morning after my daily facial cleanse. I dab just a bit on my nose and T-zone area and it's like magic! (if you believe in that sort of thing)

It is flesh tone colored with tiny shimmers so although it may seem like it is reflecting shine on your face, it's actually brightening it. It's formulated to smooth your skin and leave a matte finish. I am amazed by the results- significantly less shine so I don't have use all those blotters all the time. When I'm still feeling a bit shiny by mid-afternoon, I use this for quick touch-ups.

The Dr. Brandt Pore Refiner is one of the best mattifying lotion I have used. It's also a great primer before you put on your foundation/face makeup. If you've got oily/combination skin, you should give this a try and see how it works!

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)
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Yagolicious NYC Beauty Affair Recap

The evening of Sept. 16 was quite memorable- not only did a storm/tornado hit and left NYC, I attended my first Yagolicious Beauty Affair! (sponsored by Yagolicious Cosmetics - gotta love women entrepreneurs!) The event was held in the private room at the Beauty Bar, which is a venue with drinks, snacks and you can get your nails done at the same time. How fab is that?! Special Thanks to YAGO for the VIP invite! :)

Check out more pictures below of the diva-licious event! Though it was a small venue, everyone who attended with friends had a great time sipping on le Vive drinks, mini cupcakes and learning more about Yagolicious Cosmetics.

They didn't showcase the Yagolicious cosmetics for makeovers until halfway through the event. I was waiting to check these out!! Gorgeous colors!!

To check out the VIP goodie bag...
Unfortunately, I was not able to stay long enough to pick up the giftbags that evening. With the rain/storm chaos that night, traffic caused the bags to not make it in time. However, Yagolicious Cosmetics were generous enough to mail the VIP attendees the bags.

	Yes, this is the same palette that makeup artists used the same night as the Yagolicious Beauty Affair! I was drooling over this at the party! :)
	Here's all the goodies that Yago personally selected for me! Goodies from sponsors as well as Yagolicious Cosmetics' palette and quad. These colors are super pigmented and will be doing a review soon! Gonna try out some Yagolicious looks this month! :)

Missed out and want to join in the fun? On December 16 Yagolicious Beauty Affair is coming back with conjunction with WIN (Women in Need) VIP guests get goodie bags along with their new Face Clutch Lip Palette! Get more info here: http://yagoliciouscosmetics.eventbrite.com/
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Review: Lavera Sunscreen & Organic Cosmetics

Earlier this year at the PrettyCity.com's Green & Gorgeous event, I was introduced to Lavera sunscreen. Did you know that they are the #1 sunscreen in Europe? After using this for the past 2 and a half weeks, I know why! This natural formula feels light and not sticky at all. It contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide to provide you SPF, this physical sunblocker does its job and is all-natural!

If there's one "beauty" related task you should do everyday, it really is to protect your skin and wear sunscreen. The Lavera Anti-Aging Facial Subscreen is easy enough to apply everyday and one that I am not allergic to! Hallelujah! Will I be stocking up on this? You bet- I can't risk getting a tomato-face burn after spending hours in the sun. :)

Lavera also has great natural, cosmetics that are paraben-free. Highly recommend these products b/c they contain organic ingredients and they work well! Especially lovee the glosses!

Lip glosses- These glosses are moisturizing and non-sticky. They don't have the chemicals that will make your lips feel icky, heavy and make you wonder what exactly is going into your system when you lick your lips. The clear gloss I tried made my lips look naturally shiny- nothing over the top, but gorgeous enough to wear everyday. The brighter red color in #6 will leave your lips berry stained and gorg!

Volumizing Mascara- The brown Volumizing Mascara really made my lashes thicker and stand out. I used this a few times without even curling my lashes though and although this mascara didn't give me volume with "curls" it did make it look thicker. Great formula that lasts all day without smudging! Eyeliner- This pencil eyeliner in Navy color is perfect to make your blue eyes pop, or to mix up your usual black/brown eyeliner routine. I found these to be pretty blendable so you can use it to create a smokey eye. I do have to say that if you have oily lids, you will need a primer! Also, it helps to set it with eyeshadow to make the color last longer.

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)
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Review: NYC Berry Bloom collection

NYC New York Color has a limited edition collection called Berry Bloom to celebrate the Fall plum and berry colors for your lips, eyes and face! I was sent a sampling of their products from this line to try and I def. have my favorites.

	First, their Individual Eyes Custom Compact eyeshadow palette in Berry Bloom, with 4 eyeshadow colors, primer, illuminator and sponge-tip applicator all in one convenient case! I loveee palettes and their color combination is just so pretty for the season. They have a how-to sketch in the back to demonstrate which color should be on your lid, contour, crease, etc. ($4.99, USD)
	Swatches: For their eyeshadows, I highly recommend using their primer to really get the colors to pop. See the difference? Otherwise, the colors are too light and you really don't get the pigmentation of the colors to show.

Next, they have Eye Dust Loose Powders in their collection in Wild Orchid and Sparkling Rose. I have never tried applying loose eyeshadow powder in a roller-ball packaging, and figured that the powder would get all over the place so I was a bit skeptical. I did a few swatches on my arm, and then applied it onto my eyelid. Although some powder fell onto my face, the ease of using these rollerball shadow cases is superb (the first few times you have to let the ball run smoothly and then it works OK!) The light pink sparkling rose color is gorgeous as an all-over color and highlighter.

Like most of NYC's collections, the Berry Bloom collection also carries blush and lipshades. The Lip Gloss in "Rose Kiss" will give you a pretty pink pout and the gloss in Peony Kiss is a bit darker, more of a berry wine color. The blushes in the collection unfortunately were a miss for me. The Rose color is so pretty in its packaging but absolutely had no color on me- it was super light and I might as well have worn nothing. The Cherry Blossom is bright and also not as pigmented. But if you're looking for a subtle look, a sweep of Cherry Blossom will give you fuscha, pink cheeks. ($2.99, USD)

Top: (Peony Kiss, Rose Kiss) Bottom: (Rose, Cherry Blossom)

Swatches:


Overall, I am liking NYC New York Color's products because they are affordable and offer great value. The eyeshadows and lip colors are my personal faves so I will be on the lookout for other great colors they offer. I also look forward to seeing their next, new collection at my local drugstore! They always seem to have new ones coming out! :)


(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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Conair's Power of Pink Supports BCRF

Happy 10/10/10 !

There's only 5 more days to enter my Conair Infiniti Pro giveaway! One lucky person will win this new hairdryer- learn about its new functions here. Hurry- ends 10/15/10. Enter now!

Conair is supporting Breast Cancer Research Foundation by donating a minimum of $100,000 and portion of its sales from their "Power of Pink" hair tools. Check out the full line at: http://www.conair.com/Breast_Cancer_Month.

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Zoe&Zac Naturals Beauty at Payless stores

Zoe&Zac Naturals is the new beauty products sold exclusively at Payless. When I went to a Payless store one day to browse, I was stunned to see BEAUTY products sold right before I headed over to check the shoes. Called Zoe&Zac Naturals, I was intrigued by the selection of the eyes, lips, nails and bath & body type of products. Here's a quick snapshot of the store. They currently have BOGO until October 11! Most products cost about $4-$10.



PS. If you didn't know much about Zoe&Zac check out their line here:
http://www.zoeandzac.com/index.html

They first came to Payless with shoes that are made of organic cotton and recycled rubber! I'll probably pick up a shoe or two to support them!

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