Monday, April 30, 2012

Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara


After one swipe this mascara gave me a soft, clean look. I waited and put a second coat on and it gave me a bit more oomph. It's a great everyday mascara that easily comes off with remover.

LUSH Stepping Stone Sea Salt Scrub

Ok, who doesn't love every. single. product. from LUSH? Seriously! Tried this scrub this morning and my tootsies are still soft and smooth hours and hours later. My favorite part is the scent- a lovely lemon-lime-that's perfect for a sleepy morning. LUSH is the best!


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Bond No. 9 Makes Earth Day Smell Great

Bond No. 9 is celebrating Earth Day with a fabulous incentive to be green!
While you are there, check out I <3 NY Earth Day Edition:
I LOVE NEW YORK for Earth Day With notes of: tangerine, lush orchid, orange flower water, tuberose, muguet, orris, musk, amber, oakmoss, sandlewood

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Lavanila wants to plant a forest & save you money


In honor of Earth Day 2012, eco-friendly brand Lavanila Laboratories wants your help to plant a forest!
During the month of April, for each new“Like” received on Lavanila Laboratories’ Facebook page, one tree will be planted through Lavanila’s long-time partnership with The Nature Conservancy’s Plant A Billion Trees program. In addition, Lavanila will continue their initiative of planting one tree for each purchase made on www.lavanila.com.

When Lavanila reaches 4,000 Facebook fans, everyone will receive 30% off their purchase at www.lavanila.com!  Go to Lavanila’s Facebook page, spread the word and help Lavanila reach their goal and build a forest.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

L'Occitane + You: Helping Women in Burkina Faso


L’OCCITANE is proud to announce their inaugural Fundraising Walk for the L’OCCITANE Foundation. With the goal of raising funds for the economic emancipation of women in Burkina Faso, L’OCCITANE’s team will join together for a 3.5 mile journey through Manhattan on April 27th, 2012, and they need you to help raise awareness and funds for this great cause.

Energized by L’OCCITANE’s philanthropic tradition and longstanding commitment to social responsibility, over 150 L’OCCITANE employees will fundraise throughout April with the goal of building a grain mill in Burkina Faso. The addition of this mill will alleviate the daily 10-mile walk made by women in Burkina Faso to feed themselves and their families. To raise awareness for this cause, the walk will kickoff at the 86th Street Heritage L’OCCITANE Boutique where participants will don bright yellow t-shirts and give out hand creams as they stride down 5th Avenue, ending with a celebration at the Flatiron Flagship. L’OCCITANE’s continued support of the Foundation has totaled 5 million dollars over the last 5 years!

Help L’Occitane is taking to raise funds for the women in Burkina Faso: Snag some of your favorite L’Occitane products online with the code FOUNDATION from April 20th - April 30th and 15% of your purchase will help build the grain mill in Burkina Faso.

Chat with THE Dr. Brandt

Skincare guru Dr. Brandt will be hosting his first-ever Facebook chat THIS Thursday, beginning at 8 pm.
Now is your chance to ask any and all skincare questions you’ve been wondering about, and Dr. Brandt will also share his insider advice on how to achieve your best-looking complexion!

On Thursday, April 13th, he’ll be revealing his tips and tricks to his fans on Facebook.

Stop by to ask Dr.Brandt about your most pressing skincare dilemmas!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Soap & Glory contest

Like Soap & Glory on facebook & get in the running for $500 worth of great skincare!
Go now!

YouBeauty.com's 10 Best Natural Cleaners


YouBeauty.com reveals 10 Best All Natural Cleaning Products that are safe and affective for the home, some of which are our favorites as well:

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day (The Basil Counter top Spray smells & works great)
Green Works
Common Good
Caldrea
Method (love, especially the wipes & the sprays in Pink Grapefruit)
Whole Foods Market Brand
Seventh Generation (great toilet bowl cleaner)
Williams Sonoma
Ecover (great Laundry detergent & hand soap)
Bon Ami ( Liquid Cleanser & dish soap are classics)

Cleaning your abode without harming yourself, your family, or the planet? What's not to love?

We would add Biokleen for their laundry soap, and the automatic dish soap powder, which (strange but true) will clean the crap out of your shower/tub/sink.

Clarisonic Acne Clarifying Collection

Starting a special savings fund for the new Clarisonic Acne Clarifying Collection!

This system includes the Mia 2, Acne Cleansing brush head, & Acne Daily Clarifying Cleanser-- a 2% salicylic acid acne treatment.

The brush head has special anti-acne, non-irritating bristles, and the Mia 2 has 2 speed & a special T-zone setting.

I will make a full report once I have it!

Lavanila--The Healthy Deodorant

Vanilla Passion fruit
All-natural & effective are not words that generally go hand-in-hand when discussing deodorant.
This pretty little wonder is changing that!
While it won't stop you from perspiring, Lavanila has formulated a smell-stopper.
Goes on smoothly & easily, absorbs well.
My new go-to on low impact days.

And now,  for each purchase made at www.lavanila.com, Lavanila plants one tree through their partnership with The Nature Conservancy!

Feel good, do good, & smell good!

Prom Tips & Contest from Mally Beauty


Mally Roncal of Mally Beauty is offering her top prom tips:

Tip 1: Brighten your eyes by using a white shimmery powder in the corners of each eye. Skip eyeliner and use an eyelash curler with tons of black mascara.

Tip 2: Want a romantic look?! Try rosy, dewy cheeks and peachy lip gloss.

Tip 3: Be bold. Choose a fiery red lip and pair it with sharp black eyeliner…So FIERCE!

Tip 4: You don’t need to use just black and grey shades to create a smokey eye. Instead, try a gorgeous plum or green color …with a bit of sparkle.

CONTEST: Tweet a picture of your prom dress to @MallyBeauty to be automatically entered for a chance to win a makeup consultation from Mally, Live on USTREAM.

Be sure to tune in for exclusive tips for any special occasion:

Day: Tuesday, April 10th
Time: 8pm EST
Location: USTREAM: http://www.facebook.com/mallybeauty/app_196506863720166

Viewers will have the chance to also win exclusive prizes and deals as well as ask Mally their burning makeup questions!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Spring Cleaning... for your hair


From Suzanne Quinn, Glow Communications:

Spring is synonymous with life – plants start to grow, leaves pop, animals give birth…so if hair looks like old man winter, it’s not a pretty sight!
Patrick McIvor, Matrix Artistic Director, offers spring cleaning tips to awaken hair after the long, dark, dry winter months.

  • Get sun kissed highlights – nothing makes a girl feel better than a little color.
  • Apply a clear glaze to make hair shine – salons provide it as a service and DIY brands offer clear glazes as well.  It magnifies color and helps reduce frizz too!
  • Hydrate with a moisturizing treatment - whether it’s a professional back bar treatment like Matrix Total Results Total Treat Deep Cream Mask or an at home deep conditioner, hair will be revitalized.
  • Try a new look – get a trim for fresh ends, play with layers, or frame the face with new fringe  (soft and side swept or chunky and straight across).
  • Style for spring – it’s getting warmer, try a funky braid, low side ponytail or a messy bun. 

“After the long winter months, it’s amazing how we can find joy in the simple things in life…like a good hair day!” says McIvor.

Yes to Cucumbers Daily Calming Moisturizer


I say "Yes!" to cucumbers.
I say "Yes!" to a 97% natural product.
I say "Yes!" to hypoallergenic formulas.
I say "Yes!" to to being low-maintenance and using organic beauty gems!

Unfortunately, I say "No" to Yes to's cucumbers Soothing Daily Calming Moisturizer.

I found the scent of this product to be a tad too strong and air-freshener-like, especially considering it's natural composition. I also found this moisturizer to be difficult to apply and my skin just did not want to absorb it!

So, "Yes, yes, yes!" to all that this brand stands for, but a "No thank you" to Yes to cucumbers moisturizer.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

YBF at Ulta.com

YBF is now available at Ulta.com, so now it's even easier to stock up on the wonderful Automatic Universal Eyebrow Pencil and the creamy, rich Royalty Lipstick-- you'll want to show the case off all the time, and the colors last!

Best Picture, best products

Still haven't seen The Artist?
See the Leonor Greyl/Fournier Communications version of The Artist!
Leonor Greyl products were used on Jean Dujardin (Best Actor Winner) for the Oscars by Louise Moon,  Hairstylist/Groomer extraordinaire.

d.j.v. Beautinizer: Volume Lash Mascara

Hello, eyelashes!
EVERY time I wore this, someone would ask me if "those" were my real lashes--in the good way.
Fairly easy to remove, actually, for a mascara with good staying power.
No flakes, but not waterproof-- skipping the mascara if I'm going to laugh myself to tears is probably the best idea ;)
Volume Lash gives dramatic, beautiful lashes.
The brush was quite good as well--very little clumping.
So worth it!

Get the most from your haircolor


Clairol Pro enlists premier colorist Nico of NYC’s Mizu Salon (whose color bar is frequented by A-list celebs) to teach you how to get the most out of your hair color!

Q: What’s the best way for clients to communicate their hair color vision?
Nico: I find it most helpful when clients bring photos or celebrity references with them to the salon.  As an experienced colorist, it's my job to keep on top of celebrities’ ever-changing hair colors, and this includes starlets from both the past and present.  I love when clients email me a photo prior to their appointment so that I can do some research ahead of time.  Once I see a picture, it opens up the dialogue about whether or not it's the right direction for that client…

Q: What’s your go-to hair color product?
Nico: I’ve long been a fan of Clairol Professional and they recently integrated major product innovations into their line-up that keep me coming back for more! They’ve incorporated their new SOY4PLEX technology into their demi-permanent and permanent color lines, which really works to add even greater deep conditioning, reflective shine and long-lasting results.

Clairol Pro’s new liquid Gray Busters line (which also includes SOY4PLEX technology) is my favorite tool for covering pesky grays with multi-dimensional color.  It bestows ultra long-lasting gray coverage, is easy to use and adds warm undertones to create the most natural effect.  It’s everything I need in just one product!

Q:  Do you have any special application tricks or techniques?
Nico: Not only has hair color technology changed over the past couple of years, but the way we color hair at Mizu has changed too. We’re constantly using new strategies to obtain the most natural results.  Lately we’ve been incorporating gentle demi-permanent shades and subtle highlights to strategic areas both during and after the single process application.  It’s all about strategy, strategy, strategy, and we strive to constantly evolve our strategies to stay at the forefront of the industry!

 Q: What do you recommend clients do to maintain their color once they leave the salon?
Nico: Shampoo less! When you do shampoo, be sure to purchase haircare products from a salon or beauty supply store since often times, shampoos and conditioners found at drugstores have pH levels that are too high and can cause color to dull. Use products with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5 and also, stay away from color-enhancing products. I’ve seen how these can transform my $300 highlights into what looks like a shoddy at-home dye job. Eek!

Join L’OCCITANE to discover the best way to shape up this summer


On Thursday, April 5th, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, L’Occitane and Shape magazine invite you to attend an exclusive party in honor of L’Occitane’s latest Almond products.

L’Occitane boutiques across the country will be offering beauty treatments and a special gift-with-purchase to all guests.

New York residents: There will be light refreshments and a special presentation by Shape’s Lifestyle Editor, Bahar Takhtehchian, at L’Occitane’s Flatiron Boutique (170 Fifth Ave) at 7:00pm.