Upgrade Your Beauty Tools with UBU

Every gal needs a few helpful utensils for make-up application or the grooming process in general. Mostly, those options are limited to drab looking sponges and sterile metals.

Well, no more!

UBU, Urban Beauty United, is finally here, bringing bold colors and an exciting edge to all your beauty accessories.

Boom Boom Blink Fanning Eyelash Curler: This everyday essential (seriously, if you do one thing in the morning, curl your lashes!) puts a literal new spin on your old standby. Offering a wider, edge-free rim, it claims to capture more lashes with each curl. As excited as I was to see a tangible difference in my lashes, I definitely pinched my lids in the process. I am much more used to a traditional eyelash curler shape, but with a little practice (and hopefully not too much more pain), this hot pink and orange pick could really be a game-changer. Plus, it comes with two replacement pads so you don't have to put up with yucky mascara build up. Woot!

 If you look closely, you'll see the UBU curler on the bottom has a more shallow curve than the silver curler above it.

Blender Baby Foundation Sponge: Meant to rival the ever-popular Beauty Blender, I hands-down prefer this shapelier model. It's easier to grasp and has a great smooth texture. I now use it daily to soften any foundation lines around my nose and jawline.

Wonder Wheel Foundation Sponge Circle: Use these colorful eight triangular shaped sponges to apply your liquid and powder foundations. Much like their Blender Baby relative, they're latex-free and designed to really last with proper care.

Minnie Me's Mini Tweezer Set: Featuring all tips, including slant, flat, combo and point, these helpers are perfect for throwing in your to-go make-up bag. I mean, how many times have you been studying your face while washing your hands in the work bathroom only to realize you have a totally out there eyebrow hair you somehow missed the last five times you tweezed?

Trimming Twins Eyebrow Razors: Ok, these scared me a bit. I didn't want to end up with a bald spot or gash. But as long as you go slow, gentle and steady, it really works for cleaning up hairs in between, over and under brows.

Urban Beauty United products range from $2.99-$16.99 and can be purchased on Amazon.com

BB All You Can BB

1. Blemish Balm? Blemish Base? Beauty Balm? Whatever your BB Cream, they are out there, everywhere, just waiting for you. This week, I gave Lumene, Bright Now Vitamin C, BB Serum a go.

   
   

   This specific serum does not have a tint as many other BB Creams do, which I ended up really liking! I also loved how well this cream plays with others-it blended in with my average day routine perfectly! I've run into some of these creams that are not so workable with other moisturizers and/or concealers. Lumene's version also created this beautiful matte effect and I really did notice a bit of brightening to my skin over a few days. 

   
   

   A simple description for such a simply elegant product: Light, bright, lovely and easy.

   

   
   

   
   

   
   

Garden Party

Girly usually ain't my thang, but I am swooning for the following bloomingly femme beauty products:

Thymes Kimono Rose Whipped Body Cream: You may remember that while I liked this scent in it's rollerball and spray form, it didn't knock my socks off. Well I am most definitely changing my tune these days! Between the chic pot, the lusciously rich and hydrating lotion and the light scent it leaves on my skin, I am quite honestly obsessed. My NIVEA has been permanently relegated to the back of my bathroom cupboards.
$30 at thymes.com

The Soap and Paper Factory Green Tea Solid Perfume: I really feel like there isn't enough kudos given to adorable packaging. When done right, a product and it's packaging can truly echo something that's special to you. This lovely offering reminds me of my nana- in the chicest way of course! She was a true lady, always having her hair done and elegant brushes and perfumes at the ready. While the packaging's a fun throwback, the product is all for the modern woman looking for an awesomely portable, crisp, fun scent.
$18 at soapandpaperfactory.com 

Mally Beauty High Shine Liquid Lipstick in Tender Rose: A sweet pink inflected with subtle gold sparkles, this lipstick also keeps lips hydrated. I again, gotta give a shout out to the cool snakeskin accented packaging! Ssssssnazzy!
$20 at beauty.com

Be Good to Your Brows

If the eyes are the window to your soul, then your eyebrows are surely the decorative curtains.

Hey now! Don't you roll those windows at me!

If you're like the majority of women who've overplucked or are just overwhelmed or confused by how to even tackle your brows, here are some helpful how-to's from Umbreen Sheikh, founder of Wink Brow Bar in Manhattan.

- Start off with a guideline.  I recommend going to a brow specialist in your area or your favorite cosmetics counter to mark up your official brow lines.  They will help to measure the shape of your natural brow which will then act as your dotted line to maintaining the shape.  

- Once the shape is complete, follow the guidelines to fill in brows and extend the natural lines.  Be mindful to those "stray" hairs that fall within the dotted lines because yes, it may look like a "stray", but if its within the natural lines, it belongs there. Put the Tweezer down! 

- Create a shadow behind the hairs by using a brow powder to create the appearance of thick and bold brows.  Brow Powders are easiest for beginners because you can build up the color, versus drawing it on.  Try out the Wink Brows to Go Quad that includes a contour shade, an overall fill in shade, a highlighter and a brow wax.  Leave the brow pencil to the professional because harsh filling in can age you dramatically. 

- Finally, finish off with a brow wax.  Consider this "hairspray" for your brows to keep them in place all day long.  This brow wax helps hold down hairs and push them closer to the skin, resulting in the appearance of thicker, more full, brows.

I myself have found powders provide a more natural look than pencils. One last tip I also might add? Make sure you use a clean spooly or old toothbrush to brush out and set the powder before you use the wax. It results in a full yet still natural looking brows that will surely give Cara Delevingne a run for her money!

A Tale of Two Pretties

How do you like your skin? Matte and fresh? Or glowy and bright?

With the following two new complexion perfectors, it's easy to achieve the look that floats your beauty boat.

THE PRODUCT: Korres Pomegranate Mattifying Primer

THE SPIN:  This lightweight creme evens out skin tone, minimizes the appearance of pores and provides long-lasting make-up application. Its pomegranate extract is an effective antioxidant known for decreasing the appearance of pores.
THE DEAL: Yes! Yes! Yes! This primer is the certainly the real deal. On a most humid morning, I gave it a whirl and it awesomely kept my skin looking snazzy and pore free all day. It blends super evenly to create a nice thin layer on skin and smells fantastic too.
THE GET: Korres Pomegranate Mattifying Primer, $33, available at korres.com


THE PRODUCT: Gerard Cosmetics by Whitening Lightning's New BB Plus+ Illumination Facial Creme

THE SPIN: From the folks that brought us the amazing Whitening Lightning Super Booster Pen, this versatile new offering is formulated with light reflecting particles and golden shimmer and undertones to create a youthful, lit-from-within glow.
THE DEAL: You guys, I am mad digging this creme. I use it over a light layer of foundation as its easy to blend, comfortable to wear and hydrates my skin while masking imperfections. It totally gives me that elusive "pregnancy glow" even when I'm running on zero hours of sleep (thanks heartburn and bladder pressure!).
THE GET: BB Plus+ Illumination Facial Creme, $36, available at whiteninglightning.com

Yoohoo! Let's talk about your hoohoo.

No, seriously. We're going to talk about our hoohoos. 

If you're steuggling with this topic, you're not alone...my spell check almost refused to allow me to use the word "hoohoo"! With some gentle coercing, my iPad is on board, so am hoping you will be too!

Healthy Hoohoo is a Seatle based company, bringing gentle feminine wash, wipes, and foaming cleanser to down-unders (that one was another auto correct battle!) near you! I tested Hoohoo's wipes and cleanser on my own lady parts (not that I needed them...don't get it twisted) and must declare that I'd much prefer the clean and simple scent of Hoohoo products on my Amelia Bedelia than the other fruity, flowery, grandmotherly vag scents out there (not that I would know what those smell like anyway...)! 

Not only are Hoohoo baby-maker products gentle, fragrance free, and animal cruelty free, they are also invested in educating those of the female persuasion about proper care of their gennies! I say "woohoo!" and recommend Hoohoo to you-you and your noo-noo!

The Pits: A New Age Love Story

Look, I know that natural and green products are growing ever chic-er, but I still consider natural deodorants a thing of Deadheads and other assorted variants of hippie.

And for that, I now must apologize. Because not only is Lavanila Laboratories The Healthy Deodorant 100% natural and aluminum and paraben free, it's also sophisticated, nourishing and by golly, it really works!

I really thought I would try this product once and toss aside, but I've been enjoying it on the regular. The pure vanilla scent is fresh, not sweet, it glides on smooth, and I feel like it even kept me pretty dry for just a deodorant. My only qualm? It's not an invisible solid. So sadly I will not be able to rock it on tank top days, but for all the other times in between, I'll be reaching for this hard-working, all natural underarm odor protector.

Lavanila Laboratories The Healthy Deodorant retails for $14 and can be purchased at www.lavanila.com. Available scents include Vanilla Lavender, Pure Vanilla, Vanilla Grapefruit, Vanilla Coconut and Fresh Vanilla Lemon.