Beauty and All That August 2009 Posts

Here are the August 2009 posts that you can see on Beauty and All That @ http://igknowidea.blogspot.com

Original posts by Beauty and All That
* End of Summer Beauty Thoughts
* Free Tarte Eyeliner at Sephora
* Product Review: Physicians Formula Organic wear Facial Makeup Remover Towelettes
* Product Review: Facial Cleansers
* L'Oreal to Answer Your Questions On At-Home Hair Color Questions
* Everyday Minerals- New website
* Everyday Minerals- Fall 2009 Collection
* Benefit Endless Summer deal - Free Gift!
* How-to: See All of Sephora's Coupon Codes
* Product Review: Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer
* Urban Decay Friends and Family August 10 - 20, 2009
* Alexander McQueen Sample Sale NYC August 4 - 5, 2009
* World of Grains Cookie Haul
* Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops and Candy
* New Web Design/Template

Lovely TotalBeauty.com posts
* Quiz: How Free Spirited Are You?
* How-to: End of Summer Skin Care
* Top 13 Drugstore Hairstyling Products
* Pretty Curly Hair Photos
* How-to: Create Tousled, Wavy Hairstyle in Long Hair
* How-to: Create Sexy Waves in Medium-Length Hair



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Quiz: How Free Spirited Are You?

Quiz: How Free Spirited Are You?

Free as a bird or a mouse in a maze? Answer these questions to find out what your free spirit quotient is

When we think of what it means to be a free spirit, images arise of great aunt Myrtle freak dancing at the family reunion, but all jokes aside, it really means possessing a whimsical way and living life to the fullest. Your free spirit quotient could determine how much stress you feel and how happy you are in your everyday life. Are you flapping those wings or timidly awaiting your take off? Answer these questions to find out and to learn new ways to let loose. Take the quiz

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End of Summer Skin Care

Summer Skin Rehab

Dermatologist Heidi Waldorf explains how to treat discoloration, breakouts and your last (hopefully!) sunburn of the summer

According to Waldorf, "pigmentation and acne" are the two most prominent skin issues women face at the end of the summer. Here she explains how you can erase these signs of summer and more with the help of over-the-counter products, prescription creams and in-office treatments. Follow this advice and you'll say hello to fall with gorgeous, glowing, spot-free skin. See tips

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Top 13 Drugstore Hairstyling Products

Top 13 Drugstore Hairstyling Products

Flawless looks come cheap with these products

Turns out, the commercials were right: you actually can get salon-worthy hair with drugstore hairstyling products. At least, that's what TotalBeauty.com readers say about these gels, serums, hairsprays and mousses. All of them gave our readers gorgeous 'dos -- without breaking the bank. See products

No. 13: Herbal Essences Shimmery Nights Shimmer Spray Gel, $6.29

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 9

"If you want hair that glows and shimmers all night long, making your friends jealous, this is the perfect product ..."

No. 12: Finesse Curl Defining Mousse, $3.79

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 9.1

"I have wavy hair so this mousse helps to maintain what curl I have for the whole day without feeling heavy on my hair ..."

No. 11: Frizz-Ease Thermal Protection Serum, $8.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 9.2

"It makes blow drying a breeze, and leaves a nice sheen on your hair without weighing it down ..."

Want to see what's no. 1? Click here!

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Free Tarte Eyeliner at Sephora

With any purchase under the "Natural and Organic" product category, you can get this Tarte eyeliner in Black for FREE! Use the code: TARTE to get this freebie.


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Product Review: Physicians Formula Organic wear Facial Makeup Remover Towelettes

On my way to get the World of Grains cookies, I stopped by the CVS to see what new products were in store. I was super ecstatic to see the Physicians Formula OrganicWear make-up removers at my local CVS store. This store in particular always has the newest products, and it is where I found the Carmindy Natural Beauty line too.

They had all four kinds of the Physicians Formula Organic wear makeup remover available and before most purchases, I make sure that the items are properly sealed. I made the mistake of purchasing a Maybelline eyeshadow palette from a drugstore that was opened because the two mini brushes were missing. After that, I always double check that the product has not been tampered with especially since these will be going on my face I was curious to see how the eye make-up remover pads and the face towelettes were sealed. The two that I opened did not seem to have any seals on them, so I was wary that people might've contaminated them. I opened another of the face towelettes jar and it had the seal, so I bought that one.

My review- The packaging made the product easy to use. It reminds me of a Clorox wipes jar, so you just pull a towelette out from the top lid one at a time. The sheet itself is normal sized- enough to cover your face and wipe all the makeup clean. It is rather thin,though, like a sheet or two of paper but that doesn't bother me. To use- At first swipe, it took off my blush and I could see that a distinct rosy pink on the towelette. I next wiped my forehead, chin, etc., and I could see my face makeup color on there as well. So, it definitely works. Even though this towelette is recommended to be used for face makeup, I decided to do a quick test on my eye makeup. I gently pressed the towel on my eyelid and it picked up a lot of my mineral eye shadow. I just finished removing my mascara, eyeliner, and shadows with baby oil.

The result- A clean and happy face! The natural product did not irritate my sensitive skin and my face felt toned afterward.
To get more info on their $5 rebate for their removers, check out my previous post here.



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Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops and Candy

Have you heard of organic candy? Better yet, have you ever tried one? I bought my first bag of YummyEarth lollipops and they are so delicious! I hardly eat candy nowadays except for dark chocolate so I wanted to try these out. What is great about this company is that they use only organic, all natural ingredients. So why would you rather than eat candy with artificial colors, flavors made from chemicals when you can have all natural candy that tastes even better?

Check out this video to learn more about the company and the process of making of the Yummy Earth organic lollipops and candy. They are simply to die for!






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Pretty Curly Hair Photos

Pretty Curly Hair Photos

Check out all the celebs who are rocking curls on the red carpet

It seems like all of our favorite stars are throwing out their flat irons and opting for curls instead. Whether natural or curling-iron induced, these wavy and curly styles are a trend that's here to stay. See hairstyles

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Product Review: Facial Cleansers

I am on the lookout for a new facial cleanser right now. I have been using the Mario Badescu Enzyme Gel for about 4-5 years now, if not longer. I have enjoyed using it in the first couple of years but now I don't think that is really cleaning my face as well because I still feel a tad oily after cleaning. So I am on my quest to find a new and good cleanser for my oily/combination skin.

Here are my Total Beauty reviews on them, in no particular order:

1) Mario Badescu Botanical Gel Cleanser - I have been using this facial gel for the past two weeks, and I think it alright. I suggest you use if you have combo skin because it can be gentle on areas where it is normal and also remove some of the oil on your oily skin. When it is very humid outside, which will make your skin feel even more oily, I find that this gel just does not remove all the oil on my face. It feels nice right after I wash it but then I still feel like I have a residue, which means my face hasn't been thoroughly cleaned. The alpha hydroxy formula does not really work to prevent blackheads and acne since I do not see much of a difference. I would say this is better than the Enzyme Cleansing Gel especially for the summer.

2) Boscia Cleansing Gel ($24 at Sephora)- This is a wonderful cleansing gel that really cleans my face without overdrying my skin. I have oily and sensitive skin, and with the heat in the summer, it is feeling more oily. The cleanser is gentle and has a nice soft scent. It creates a nice lather when using it so I do not even need to use more than a tiny amount. What I like most about this is that it does not leave any residue on my face and really cleans any face makeup that I have. It is important to use this gel with a cellulose sponge so I can exfoliate my face while cleansing.

Upcoming: Yes to Tomatoes cleanser and Burt's Bees Acne Solutions gel cleanser.

To read more of my reviews..

Go to: BeautyAndAllThat's Reviews page on Total Beauty

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L'Oreal to Answer Your Questions On At-Home Hair Color

Do you have questions on at-home hair color? Even if you are new at coloring your hair or have been coloring for the past 5 years, what do you want to know?

A team of hair color experts from L'Oreal will be answering YOUR questions next month. Please leave a comment with your question/scenario and they will answer them for you!

Questions must be received by Monday, August 24 11:30AM (Eastern) time.

Thanks!!

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Everyday Minerals- New website

I thought I would let my readers know that Everyday Minerals now has a new and improved (some may disagree) website! Some of the big changes in case you haven't seen it yet: 1) Community based- They are becoming more social networking friendly by having groups, photo capability and blogging for individual users. You can also "add friends" and send private messages to them. This is a bonus for people who want to contact other forum members without letting everyone know what they have to say! 2) Changes in Custom Kits- The free custom kit, the personal custom kit and the Super Custom kit are now gone.

To learn more about the kits and the controversy about the website...

The Free Custom Kits are now replaced by "Try Me Free" kits which are pre-selected kits in various shades based on light, medium, tan colors or a trio of blushes, concealers or eyeshadows. They are a bit limited but if you are new and do not own a lot of various blushes, these are a great way to try the favorites!

The Personal Custom kits (6 items for $34) is replaced with a 25% off discount of 5-11 items of full-sized products. So, this way you have more leeway in the number of items you want while getting a discount.

The Super Custom Kit (12 items for $50) is now available through a 45% off discount of 12 items or more! This is by far their best current deal because if you order more cheaper items, the price will be less. For example, a lip product costing $4 will only be $2.20 if you have 11 other full size items. Previously in the old Super Custom Kit, it would have cost an average of $4.17 ($50/12= $4.17).

Controversy- Many customers on the forum are upset with EDM because these kits are gone, when they had said earlier in the forum that the Super Custom kit was going to stay with the new site. Frankly, I think that is unfair for them to ask a company that is obviously here to make money to lower their prices. With a new site, there are costs involved that simply do not pay for itself.

Yes, compared to the original Super Custom Kit, if you order 12 full size items for $12 each, you would have only payed $50 compared to the $79 you would pay now, even with the 45% off discount. But realistically, does a customer order always $12 items? One usually orders blushes which are $8, or eyeshadows which are $6, or even brushes which vary from $5-10. So, point is: strategically add items to your cart to maximize your value.


Coming up: The new EDM Fall 2009 Collection
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Everyday Minerals- Fall 2009 Collection

The Everyday Minerals Fall 2009 Collection is here on their brand new redesigned website.

Their new collection consists of two new face colours, Dusty Miller - a lucent all-over face blush and Sandy Cherry - a deep peach with sparkles blush. Also, their Shady Stroll Collection consisting of 4 new eyeshadow/eyeliner colors - Queen Anne's Lace, Wood Sorrel, Sweet Woodruff, and Weeping Willow. The overall look these eye colors achieve is a blue-ish grey while using the Weeping Willow or Sweeping Woodruff to make the look smokier and more intense.

In addition, they have reformulated their concealers to be more hydrating (making it feel more silkier when applied) for your skin! This Thymeless Concealer set comes with a concealer brush as well in their four basic concealer colors.

Their current special: Free Lemon Spice Murumuru Lip balm with a purchase of $18+, using code LIPS and adding the lip balm in your cart

Get your Meg's Makeup here!

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Benefit Endless Summer deal - Free Gift!

Free Gift (Pocket pal) with $50 purchase. Use code: POCKET50

What is Pocket Pal? It is a double-ended wand stick with clear gloss on one end and Benetint, a rosy lip or cheek stain. (Retail value of $20)

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How-to: See All of Sephora's Coupon Codes

Are you interested in seeing ALL of Sephora's coupon codes for their Limited Time specials, Everyday Freebies, and Special Value Sets? Usually, when you click to see their "Weekly Special" on their home page or the flashing banner of "Free Returns/3 Free Samples/Free Shipping" on the top left of the home page, it takes you to a page which lists the freebies. It is a short list that looks like the page on the left.

As a Beauty Insider, I receive their newsletters in my email. One day, I clicked on their Freebies logo and it took me to this page that you see on the left. It is obviously more in-depth and lists a whole lot more of choices. It includes a lot more of "Limited Time" specials and a new section on Special Value Sets (usually freebies with a purchase of a fragrance set.)

To see the complete version of the coupon code list at Sephora

Go to: http://www.sephora.com/promo/beautybonuses/index.jhtml
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Product Review: Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer

This is part 2 of my Technology series. (Read the first part of the series on my Flip Video Camcorder Review here.)

The picture shown here is the Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer. It is very small; it measures about 5"x3"x1" and weighs half a pound. It does exactly what the name says- prints colored pictures instantly on-the-go. Its portability makes it very convenient to bring with you when you are traveling and you want to print some pictures for your friends of reunions, weddings, etc.

Size and Usability- The pictures that print out with this is very small, 2 x 3 inches, but also makes it VERY CUTE for scrap booking or to put in your wallet. The photo paper used for this printer also has a sticky peel back to decorate your planner, wall or wherever you want to place it.

Quality of Pictures- I would have to say that the quality of the colors that gets printed on the pictures is just average. The colors are not bright and as clear as you would expect from normal colored photos. However, even though the colors are a bit muted, the faces are still recognizable and you get the overall gist of the picture. I am not disappointed because I know this printer is just for fun! These are not meant to showcase your photography skills but rather for the convenience of printing on the go and keeping a wallet sized picture with you.

ZINK technology, meaning it uses Zero Ink, is pretty awesome. This means that you need special ZINK photo paper though and the price of this can change. I saw an incredible deal of 30 sheets for $9.99 on Amazon. I have seen it before where it $9.99 is for the cost of 10 sheets or something like that. Highway robbery! Currently costs about $27.99 for a pack of 30.. so the price definitely fluctuates.

Cost- At Amazon, it costs $49.99 but the price also varies depending on the retailer. One seller is currently selling this for $189, which is ridiculously overpriced, since Polaroid Consumer Electronics is selling this only for $50. Get the better deal and make sure you don't pay more than $50.


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Urban Decay Friends and Family August 10 - 20, 2009

Use code: FNFF1 at checkout
Note: Valid Online Only, Offers cannot be combined and Discount applies to merchandise only.

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World of Grains Cookie Haul

I was first introduced to the delicious snacks of World of Grains at the Vital Juice's Pop-up Wellness Retreat back in June. I tried their snacks and crackers and remember thinking they were really delicious. Knowing that 6 cookies in each little bag contains 15 grams of whole grains, made me feel healthy just eating them.

I wasn't convinced at that time that I would be purchasing them. (They are available at select Whole Foods locations across the US.) After reading a Vital Juice newsletter saying they would be on sale I decided that I would go to the Whole Foods and check it out. They were on sale for 2 boxes (4 packets in each box) for $7. They are still more expensive than your average cookie but I figured I need more healthy snacks and they are just really good! The only available flavors left were Cranberry, Blueberry and Oatmeal Raisin. So I decided to get
2 boxes each, so I could share with my family. In 4 days, I already ate 3 packs, so I don't see these munchies lasting too long.

If you get the chance, I would recommend you getting yourself a box or two or even six. :)


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How-to: Create Tousled, Wavy Hairstyle in Long Hair

Create a Tousled, Wavy Hairstyle in Long Hair

Follow this step-by-step guide to get bombshell waves in a flash

Eli Thomas, owner of Thomas Chance Hairdressing in Santa Monica, Calif. shows you how to transform long layers into a playful, tousled style (a la Kim Kardashian, Blake Lively and Jennifer Aniston). All you need are a few key styling products, a blow dryer, medium-sized round brush, duckbill clips and you're set! See how-to

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End of Summer Beauty Thoughts

I've been hearing this term "end of summer" lately and it is quite frightening to hear that. That means the past two months- June and July- have gone by so quickly that I did not even realize it. I mean, where did all this time go? Also, this means that my summer "tan," which is more like a shade of normal human color will fade as quickly as I received it. Does this mean I should pack away my Everyday Minerals Summer Bronzer pressed powder? It seems like I just started wearing it too...



I blogged quite a bit this summer already about Everyday Minerals, including their Free Sample Kit, my Super Custom Kit order and all the new products that came out. Here is a full listing here:
* Free Sample Kit Review
* My Super Custom Kit haul
* Swan Special (which is currently valid!)
* New Products in June
* Eye Shadow Compacts
* More Reasons I Adore EDM

Wow, I blogged about them quite a bit.. there is something about them that makes their products addictive. Their site and fabulous forum makes you feel connected to the company and their great products do not hurt either. You can read my "More Reasons I Adore EDM" to find out more.

I should really do a review on my haul, in the above picture. As you can see I have quite a few brushes and I am using each one except the two which are duplicates. (They are my backups in case I lose them.) I have the following:

- flat top brush- used to apply the base foundation
- long handled kabuki brush- also used to apply base foundation or overall face color
- stippling brush (which is no longer available)- to apply brush and blend face color
- eye kabuki brush- for my under-eye concealer

So goodbye bright, light summer-y shades, and hello to darker browns, forest greens, and deep violets ! Their eyeliner kit is perfect.. ;)

Things to look forward to in the fall:
- Fall neutral eye colors
- Continue experimenting with my EDM colors (it's been so hot that I hardly get a chance to wear all my EDM goodies) and new EDM products
- Using retractable brushes for on-the-go!
- Cooler weather, so I can wear my long cardigans and sweaters

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New Template

On a whim, I decided to lighten the mood of my blog and change the background color. I felt it was too blue, too dark for the subject matter of beauty. In case you're new, this is what it looked like before:


Now, it's periwinkle blue and feels much more open. Let me know what your thoughts are about the changes made. Thanks!!



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Alexander McQueen Sample Sale NYC August 4 - 5, 2009

Check out Alexander McQueen's sample sale in New York City at the Metropolitan Pavilion. It's all happening on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 4 and 5th from 9AM to 7PM and 6PM, respectively. After shopping, you can wear your fabulous clothes to try out to be an extra on the next Sex and the City...

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How-to: Create Sexy Waves in Medium-Length Hair

Create Sexy Waves in Medium-Length Hair

Follow these how-tos and tips to get your most playful hairstyle ever

Eli Thomas, owner of Thomas Chance Hairdressing in Santa Monica, Calif. shows you how to transform medium-length straight hair into a fun, tousled style (a la Hayden Panettiere, Blake Lively and Jennifer Aniston). All you need are a few key products and you're set! See how-to

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