Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Cancel Your Salon Appointment!

Like a true product junkie, I am always on the hunt for the holy grail of hair goo, that one potion that will change my locks for life, that spritz, spray, or slop that will bring the salon-feel home with me.

Call off the search! I've found her!

Allow me to introduce you to L'Occitane's Hair Repair Mask. This conditioning treatment is a little tub of miracle goop that magically transforms your dry, over treated, or dull 'do into a luscious look. Your hair will feel, fall, and smell like you just dropped a Benjamin at the beauty shop!

I've used this stuff once a week for a month now, and every time I do, I'm asked by someone if I've had my hair done. It has not failed once.

Looking for a boost in moisture and ego? Check this stuff out!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

It's What's On the Inside...



I love facial masks. Especially the clay ones. As they harden and tighten I like to pretend I'm slowly turning into a statue... Or that I'm in Westeros on an epic quest with my direwolf and became unfortunately infected with Gresyscale. Curses!

Perfect Pores Clay from Twitty Natural Products is derived from volcanic ash clay that does in fact date back to ancient times. This particular clay has been known to remove toxins and soothe aching muscles, and is also used in many mineral makeups and other wellness products.

Perfect Pores Clay improves upon the clay's natural abilities by using a special proprietary treated manufacturing method that effectively pulls out the bad stuff like oil, impurities and infections, while infusing beneficial minerals that our skin needs.

My sample arrived just in time to tackle an increasingly large pimple on my forehead. But first, we need to discuss this:



What the what?!! What does a shirtless man in linen pants clutching a white-frocked damsel in a random field have anything to do with a beauty face mask?

(Related side note: Hey Twitty Natural Products- I know some really talented and affordable packaging designers and could easily hook you up, okay?)

Moving on!

The mask itself is awesome. I loved having to mix it up myself. The smell was earthy and natural. I enjoy the feeling that as it dries, it's pulling out yucky things from my face. And most importantly, it got rid of that pesky pimple in two days. Plus, it's additive free, chemical free, preservative free, fragrance free and is not tested on animals.

Definitely a cool product that just needs a bit of tweaking in the presentation department.

Perfect Pores Clay Mask can be purchased directly through its website, perfectporesclay.com






Monday, October 21, 2013

Exclusive Interview: Darais, Lancôme National Celebrity Artist



We at BrainyBeautys love the Halloween season- because we love beauty tricks and treats of course! (badum-bum!) And boy, do we have a slew of both to get your week off to a most glamorous start: Darais, Lancôme National Celebrity Artist, was gracious enough to answer some of our most pressing beauty questions.


Read on and take note on why Lancôme Artliner 24H is every woman’s new beauty bag essential, plus Darais’ top fall trends, biggest beauty pet peeves, fantastic beauty advice and more… Sweeter than candy and way better for you too!



BrainyBeautys: Why is Lancôme Artliner 24H a beauty bag essential?
DARAIS: Artliner 24H is a beauty bag essential because it's a no brainer! It can be used with or without eye shadow.  It won’t smudge or smear after a long day at work, while on a night out on the town, or even while you are at the gym.  It instantly gives you the eye definition everyone tries to achieve over and over again. It's so simple!

BrainyBeautys: What is one fall beauty trend you're most excited about and how do you incorporate Artliner 24H into it?
DARAIS: At fashion week it was a battle between graphic eyeliner and a smoky eye for fall. Graphic eyeliner won hands down with the launch of Artliner 24H. Its effortless application and vinyl edgy finish create a graphic eye that has created an exciting new trend on its own.  And not to mention all those smoky eye wearers are applying graphic liner on top of their smoky eye now to keep up!

BrainyBeautys: Who is one celeb that you feel always gets it right in the beauty department?
DARAIS: One of my favorite celebs I have had a pleasure to makeover a few times, and someone that I feel always gets it right, is Ashley Greene. She dares to go bold but in a way that is classic and effortless chic. Her skin is radiant even without makeup on. She always has the right amount of pop to her gorgeous eyes, and a lip that never overrides the rest of her look.

BrainyBeautys: What's your biggest beauty pet peeve?
DARAIS: My biggest beauty pet peeve is when someone has on the wrong foundation. Color is key and so is your undertone. It's sad when I can only see the wrong foundation and color jump to the neck or body.  It distracts from the true color of a woman's eyes and from how beautiful she truly is. Don't let your skin distract from your focus features.

BrainyBeautys: What is your "Brainy-est" beauty advice/tip/trick?
DARAIS: My brainy-est advice I give to thousands of women is based on your day, your career, your lifestyle. Decide in the morning if you are more of a speaker or a listener. If you speak a lot go more intense lips. It brings people's attention to what you have to say. If you listen, show it with your eyes done up. People won't be distracted away when they are focused in on your eyes. If you play up both it can be distracting and appear as overdone makeup... Especially to us guys!
We absolutely love DARAIS’ last answer so much- it is such a simple yet amazing tip that reminds us all that everyone can incorporate a make up look that stays true to their aesthetic and personality. And a few strokes of Lancôme Artliner 24H also helps! 


Lancôme’s NEW Artliner24H Precision Point Eyeliner is an ultra-long wear, laser-precise liquid liner available in 10 sophisticated cult colors defining eyes with a dramatic vinyl finish. The felt-tip applicator ensures the liner glides on flawlessly without tugging or skipping and delivers serious color. $30.






Monday, October 7, 2013

Be a PROUD MOUTH


Did you know it's PROUD MOUTH Monday?!

On top of Breast Cancer Awareness, October is also Anti-Bullying month, an important cause near and dear to our BrainyBeauty hearts. In this age of constant connectivity and online obsession, it all too often can lead to tragedy.

Even though many of us are well out of our school days, there are still many simple and beneficial ways to stand up and set a good example. One unique option comes courtesy of Soap & Glory and their PROUD MOUTH program.

Last year, the playful British company teamed up with STOMP Out Bullying (the leading national anti-bullying program in the U.S.) and raised over $20,000 in proceeds from the sale of their iconic Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss during the inaugural PROUD MOUTH campaign.

This year, they are again putting their money where their mouth is, and have pledged to donate $1 from every sale of Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss Trio sold over the next year to further support STOMP Out Bullying.


Soap & Glory also encourages everyone to be proud of who they are and show it, with words and actions in the PROUD MOUTH Mondays and Gallery on Facebook, and Twitter, #PROUDMOUTH.

You can also show your support for the PROUD MOUTH movement at facebook.com/Soap&GloryUSA/

Let's all help get them to their $25,000 goal!

Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss Trio can be purchased on the Soap & Glory website as well as Sephora for $32.  

 

For more information on Soap & Glory please visit, soapandglory.com. And for more info on STOMP Out Bullying and their anti-bullying initiatives, visit stompoutbullying.org

 

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

CC It to Believe It


CC Creams are gaining in popularity for their light coverage and complexion enhancing ways.

CC indeed stands for "color correcting" and the creams are meant to address issues like redness or sallowness with light diffusing particles. They generally offer more coverage than a tinted moisturizer or BB Cream and often include SPF.

Time Freeze CC Anti-Age Color Correcting Cream from Lumene is an impressive 6-in-1 product:
  • Foundation – a fine but well covering formula. The shades are designed to neutralize the color of red areas.
  • Concealer
  • Primer
  • Illuminator
  • Long-lasting
  • SPF 20
This was my first foray into the wild world of CC Creams (it's a beauty product jungle out there), and I must say I am quite inclined to stay awhile. I never quite took to BB Creams (what's the point when I'm devoted to my foundation?), but Time Freeze offers an easy, ideal light coverage for when I'm not so inclined to get gussied up, but still do not want to scare small children or the elderly by venturing out into public make-up free. It instantly perfected my pores and overall skin tone and lasted all day.

As mentioned above, you can also use it as a primer under foundation for extra coverage and staying power—a most excellent aspect I utilized over the weekend for my big brother's wedding!

Lumene Time Freeze CC Cream is available in light, medium and dark shades. It can be found at CVS, CVS.com, Ulta, Ulta.com and Dermstore.com and retails for $14.99.