15 Minute Beauty Fanatic

Dermablend's Smooth Indulgence on Ideeli

2009-11-17T05:26:00.001-08:00

Recently I was sent a few samples of Dermablend's Smooth Indulgence to try out. I'd heard about this brand for forever. It is the one constantly recommended to cover up tattoos, which is a recommendation that honestly frightens me a bit. How could a foundation that can cover a tattoo look natural on my skin?

So, when I first tried out this foundation I was nervous. Dermablend promises that it is a medium coverage foundation that doesn't feel heavy once applied. Not only does it not feel heavy, but it really does look natural. It's a slightly thicker liquid than most foundations, but it is easy to spread and blend into skin (I used my fingers and then a foundation brush, my favorite is Billy B's #2 Foundation Brush, though you could get a similar brush from other brands). The coverage is medium though you can easily layer it in areas you need a bit more coverage. It blends beautifully and is very, very light on my skin. I couldn't even tell I was wearing it! It lasts all day without issues. After trying this foundation I'm thinking of picking up the matching concealer the next time I'm at a store that sells Dermablend.

If you're interested in trying out this foundation, they have a giveaway right now over on Ideeli for a travel set. It contains 3 shades that you blend together to match your skin.
Dermablend's Smooth Indulgence on Ideeli

This is a great week to pay attention to the Ideeli sales, as it's their beauty week! Today they are going to have a M Lab sale, which is a great anti-aging skin care line. I've reviewed some of their products in the past, check out my reviews if you're thinking of buying something!

My computer is still being fixed. Luckily the part arrived on Friday, so I'm waiting for further word from Apple that I can pick it up at my local store. I have a lot of posts planned, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

Holiday Gift Ideas 2009: Kiehl's Limited Edition Creme de Corps

2009-11-17T04:29:00.000-08:00

This is the perfect way to not only get yourself (or a loved one, this would be a great gift) a huge bottle of Creme de Corps, but to also support a great charity! Creme de Corps is one of my favorite Kiehl's products, it has Jojoba Butter, Shea Butter, and Sweet Almond Oil and is great to soothing my very dry skin! It isn't always available in such large sizes.

This season Kiehl's has teamed up with New York Graphic Artist KAWS to create a limited edition label for the lotion in addition to the “Peace. Love. Kiehl’s.” holiday window campaign to be unveiled this holiday season in stores in the US and around the world. In the past he has collaborated on design projects with Commes Des Garcons, Marc Jacobs, not to mention projects with Kayne West and billboards in Times Square. His favorite Kiehl's product is the White Eagle Shave Cream.

100% of net profits from these limited edition bottles will go to Children's Charities worldwide. In the US that charity is Rx Art, which exposes children in Children's Hospitals to art and artistic expression.

8.4 oz. $26.50; 16.9 oz. with Pump $44.50; 1 liter $70.00
Kiehls.com

I have bought this product for myself multiple times.

Systems Failure

2009-11-09T05:05:00.000-08:00

So.... where have I been?

Well, for a few days not inspired about the products I was testing to get myself moving on writing. Then at work for a few days trapped in the Peds ICU craziness that is H1N1. (That stuff is NO joke by the way, please get yourself and your children vaccinated, this is not a government conspiracy) And when I was finally ready to start writing... My computer wouldn't turn on. According to the nice folks at my local Apple Store, my Logic Board has shorted out. A new one is on order and once the repair has taken place I'll be good as new and the whole thing is free since my Apple Care is still active. The bad news is that won't be until Thursday or Friday, and did I mention that I've been working on a big talk for work this week? And I lost a few days of work on it when the computer broke?

So, while I recreate my talk and wait for my computer to be fixed, please be patient! Here are some things that I'm testing out now and will be writing about soon:
• In Bloom by Reese Witherspoon, a great white floral fragrance

• Cover Girl's newest Blast Collection products, Lip Blast and Blast Length Mascara, the mascara has great length and should be in stores now (I'm layering mine over regular Lash Blast for added volume- wow!) and Lip Blast will be coming out soon. The lip gloss is not sticky, tastes like watermelon Jolly Ranchers (really) and while the colors are super bright it's much more translucent on the lip. Oh, and it lasts for hours!

• Sally Hershberger's New Hair Collection, yes a whole collection of hair products from the woman than gave Meg Ryan her famous hair cut! It's been out for a while (and honestly, I've been using it for a while, just haven't gotten around to writing about it). The collection includes shampoo, conditioner and 4 styling products. I find the shampoo to be a bit thick to get out of the bottle and maybe it overstrips my hair a bit, but the conditioner is amazing and the 4 styling products have given me a more "good hair days" than I usually have. It's available now, watch the clip of her on HSN for styling tips.

• Patricia Wexler Sensitive Skin Collection, Serum and Peel Dr Wexler is known for her use of MMPI's to fight aging, and she has formulated them here to work for those of us with sensitive skin. The serum works with other moisturizers and is great even under makeup. The peel was sent to me without the directions, so I washed it off after 10 minutes (the result was smother, glowing skin) though I see on-line that you can leave it on. I'll have to try that out. Worth a look next time you're at Bath & Body Works!

YSL's Parisienne, the Fragrance for the Girl that Adopts Paris

2009-10-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

YSL has just released their new Parisienne fragrance. This frangrance was created for the girl that isn't from Paris, but rather has adopted the city. I want that girl to be me! I love Paris. I want to go back sometime (my amazing husband says he'll take me). I want to wander the city and just take pictures of every street I see. I want to buy crepes from the street vendors, and I want to sit in a café for hours and drink coffee.

YSL describes Parisienne as a "grand floral with a woody structure," which I definitely have to agree with. The fragrance is predominantly a floral with the Violet and Peony notes taking center stage on me. The blackberry adds a bit of fruitiness without being overly sweet and there is just a touch of sandalwood and patchouli. Overall it is feminine, slightly mysterious and very sexy. I love it!

Top notes: Vinyl Accord, Cranberry, Blackberry
Heart notes: Damask Rose, Violet, Peony
Base notes: Patchouli, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Musk

To celebrate the release of Parisienne, YSL is having a contest to win a trip to Paris! I highly recommend going, it should be on everyone's bucket list. Go enter today!

Breast Cancer Awareness: Ojon Revitalizing Mist

2009-10-28T06:01:00.000-07:00

This leave-in conditioner promises to be detangle, refresh your hair and not weigh it down. This October you can buy it in a limited-edition pink ribbon box was designed exclusively for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Ojon® will donate 20 percent of North American sales of Pink Ribbon Revitalizing Mist during the month of October to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, with a maximum donation of $35,000.

$26 (4.8 fl. oz/142 ml)

Available at Sephora, Ulta , PureBeauty / BeautyFirst and online at Ojon.com

My New Undereye Secret: Origins GinZing Eye Cream

2009-10-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have a little bit of an undereye circle problem. They aren't dark really, but they're there and noticeable to the point that I do get asked if I'm tired or feeling ok. Until recently my only secret for hiding them was a highly pigmented concealer. (You'd be surprised how hard it is to find a good one, my favorite right now is the MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer, which works great when used over a moisturizer. Tarte's The Eraser is another great one.)

But, I've now added a second product to help with those undereye circles, and I had to share it with everyone!

This new eye cream from Origins promises to help depuff, brighten and overall help improve your undereye area. The formula has a few extracts (such as Ginseng and Magnolia Extract) which I'm honestly not sure what they really do to your skin. However, the caffeine that is in this cream I definitely know, and in fact I look for in a day eye cream. The caffeine is a mild diuretic and will help to depuff the very outer layer of the skin, helping to tighten and help with the appearance of undereye bags. The cream also has "natural optic brighteners" to help brighten the area.

The cream is a light pink/skin tone color, and it reminds me of under-concealer primers like Light Bisque Undereye Corrector from Bobbi Brown. However, as far as I can tell this is not actually coverage of the undereye area, rather it is just the color of the brightners/light reflectors. It is a light eye cream and applies like pretty much any other eye cream, absorbing into the skin completely within a few minutes. I can't tell that it is on once I've let it sink in. However, there is a big difference once my concealer is on as well. I tried using the cream on one side only for a few days, and I thought that the side with the cream was noticeably smoother, less puffy and brighter than the other side.

Origins GinZing Eye Cream

Breast Cancer Awareness: Darphin Energic Firming Décolleté Treatment

2009-10-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

This offering is not 1 product, but rather a duo designed to work together. The Energic Firming Décolleté Treatment includes
a gentle cleanse with Darphin’s new Aromatic Cleansing Balm followed by a lifting, firming massage with Arovita C Energic
Firming Cream, a popular anti-aging cream.

Darphin will donate $5.00 from each sale of the Energic Firming Décolleté Treatment during the month of October to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

$25.00 at select spas. For locations look online at Darphin.com

Is There Really Such a Thing as a "Smart Shade"? I Test Out Almay's Collection

2009-10-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

Recently I found myself at the vet's office about 30 minutes before a scheduled appointment. Not wanting to wait in the lobby for that long, I headed next door to CVS to see what was new. (Don't worry about the dog, he waited in the car for 10 minutes and I think a husky can do this when it is 45 out without any issues. I think he was just bored judging by the licks on the inside of the window when I returned.)

I wandered the aisles and got sucked into an Almay display. Granted their Smart Shade foundation and companion products have been out for probably over a year, but I haven't tried them yet. And they had a package with the foundation and a matching concealer for free, and then there was a buy 1 get 1 free deal, so I could also get the blush for free! How could I not take advantage of this bounty and buy all 3? Yes, I know you would have done the same thing in my position.

Really, I admit that the reason I wanted to try out this product was because of the claims regarding the shade. They show it changing color on tv, and I had no idea how this worked or if it worked well. I don't have a PR contact from Almay, so I have no one to ask about the technology behind this, but I do have to say whoever came up with this is a genius.

The product only came in 3 shades. I was nervous about this as I'm pretty fair and I have a really hard time finding foundations light enough for my skin. I bought the light shade of the foundation/concealer pack, and I grabbed a pink blush figuring pink was fairly universally flattering.

When you squirt the product out of the tube, it looks like it does on the left side of my hand (Please excuse my lack of hydrated skin and the hair on the back of my hands. I should probably have done a paraffin treatment or something before taking these pictures, but C'est la vie.)

To me it looks like melted vanilla bean ice cream initially. It's pure white with black (!!) dots, with a light moisturizer consistency. The blush and concealer are a tad thicker than the foundation, though not by much. With rubbing it starts to change colors, matching what is beneath it. It isn't body temperature that causes this reaction as that glob of foundation can sit on the back of my hand for 20 minutes and look the same.

Really, the product requires rubbing, which makes your fingers the best way to apply these products. I apply a bit to the back of my hand, then dot it across my t-zone and my chin. I think use fingers to rub in small circles and blend it together as the product changes color. It does seem to match what is directly under it, and I don't recommend making big sweeping movements with your fingers as the foundation won't match other areas quite as well and you want it to stay more localized to where it first started changing colors. Trust me on this.

You can adjust the coverage you get by layering the product. It is initially on the light-medium coverage side, and with a second layer it is more medium coverage. The foundation blends really, really well into my skin and I couldn't even tell I had it on my skin. It really looked amazing, and I think I may have found a new favorite foundation!

The concealer is not pigmented enough to really cover under my eyes well (I like a well pigmented concealer there), though the consistency and coverage were perfect for around my nose and over small blemishes. It will perfectly match the foundation as well, rather than being 1 shade lighter. So, I've been using it on my face and using my usual MAC concealer under my eyes.

The blush is similar to using a cream blush and is best used directly over the foundation rather than over powder. It does change to a pretty color that complemented my skin tone (I used pink, it was a nice light shade), however I was disappointed that the blush wasn't darker. It was hard to layer the blush to get a heavier application, as it tends to stick on itself. Once I applied powder over everything it looked like I hadn't applied any blush at all, and I had to use a powder blush.

Overall, I loved the natural look of the foundation. It was easy to adjust coverage, it blended beautifully and really lasted all day. I like the concealer but found it only worked for areas I needed a light concealer and not for under my eyes were I need more coverage. I'd love Almay to come out with a heavy duty, more pigmented version of this concealer. The blush I thought was a pretty shade when I blended it on my skin, but I couldn't layer it and the shade was so light I wondered why I had bothered with the product. I'll buy the foundation and concealer again but skip the blush.

Interestingly enough, I have visited a few Almay displays since initally buying this product. I've found that the displays at ULTA, Meijer and CVS are small, and for some reason Walmart has about twice the Almay products as any of these places. I'm not sure if that's because my Walmart is brand new (opened about 2 weeks ago), but you may want to keep that in mind if you're looking for Almay. The BOGO deal was a limited time thing at CVS, I'm sure there will be similar sales in the future!

Almay

Adventures in Facial Cleansing: Lisa Hoffman's Spa Facial

2009-10-26T04:51:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit preoccupied with other things recently, hence the lack of non-BCA posts. Hopefully that will change, as I'm finally sorting out the huge number of products I have around here to share with you! In fact, the majority of the products hanging out around my house (and being tested out) right now are all facial cleansers in some form or another. I have cleanser, masks and scrubs everywhere right now! So, stay tuned, because every day this week I'll be featuring those products.

Today's featured way of cleaning your face is that little pile of pink tubes. Just what is that? It's a travel spa facial from Lisa Hoffman!

As I have gotten older (and I'm really not even old, so I'm not excited to see how much worse this issue gets), my skin reacts less and less favorably to travel. Particularly when I'm flying and/or staying in a hotel. I tend to become dry, flaky and my complexion is a bit dull. I have more blemishes and overall just don't look like myself. So, I've started traveling with "emergency masques" to combat these issues. But, they take up a lot of space in my bag.

Lisa Hoffman must have had the exact same issue as me. When traveling with her husband (yes, Dustin), she grew tired of having her skin care be so difficult to bring along. So, she has her line of skin care that comes in easy to grab packets. I've featured the "everyday" skin care in the past. This is the Spa Facial, a 10 product facial to go. I recently brought it with me to New York, where I was meeting with Beauty Brands and other Bloggers. I needed to look my best. I had my "backup" usual emergency travel products with me in case the Lisa Hoffman Facial couldn't do the job.

This isn't a quickie facial. It is a spa facial. It has a lot of different steps and from start to finish it took about 45 minutes. There is a cleanser, a scrub, a mud masque and even a super hydrating step that is 2 products you mix together. It's involved, but the results were definitely worth it! My skin was smooth, hydrating and definitely glowing once I was done. The $18 price is a lot less than paying for similar results at a nearby spa, and the 45 minutes forced me to relax a bit.

In the future I'll likely just toss one of these packets into my suitcase. The days of traveling with full size masques is over!

Lisa Hoffman Skincare

Breast Cancer Awareness: Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair

2009-10-25T05:25:00.000-07:00

The new Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex is featured in this year's Breast Cancer Awareness campaign. I've looked over the information I can find about this product on-line, and can not find information about the ingredients. They say it does include hyaluronic acid (which attracts water like crazy, so really helps hydrate your skin), and there is discussion about preventing damage which makes me think there are likely anti-oxidants present.

Estée Lauder will donate $500,000 in connection with the sales of its Pink Ribbon Collection to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

$74.50 (1.7 fl. oz/50 ml)

All Estée Lauder counters in the United States and Puerto Rico as well as on Estée Lauder.com

Breast Cancer Awareness: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

2009-10-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

This year Clinique is once again offering their Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion in a special limited-edition (giant) bottle! The bottle comes equipped with a pump for convenience and features a collectable Clinique Charm Bracelet featuring a pink ribbon and “C” charm!

$10 per Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion sold during the month of October will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

$35 (6.7 fl. oz/200 ml) at Select Clinique counters in the USA and Clinique.com

Is a Dry Mani as Good as a Regular One? I Try Out Incoco

2009-10-23T05:28:00.000-07:00

I am a big nail polish freak. I try to hide it a bit, but the truth is I am a girl with hundreds of nail polishes in my office closet (the only area big enough to store them all). I am very particular about brands I will use and I have a very in-depth manicure routine, which allows me now to get about 6-7 days chip free from a manicure. From start to finish a manicure takes me about 10 minutes to complete, but I then have about 10-15 minutes of doing nothing at all and then about an hour for the manicure to be fully dry.

So, knowing how particular I am about my manicures, you might understand why I was a bit skeptical that a dry manicure like Incoco would work as well as my regular routine. Incoco claims to take just a few minutes and that their manicures will last for up to 2 weeks. How did they do? Find out after the jump.

First, I think that there is a learning curve with this product. I've now done 2 full manicures with them, and the second was definitely better looking and longer lasting than the first. I'm sure with more practice I would be faster and the results would be better.

The packages come with 16 nail appliques, which are 100% nail polish. They include base coat, color and top coat. The polish is a bit stickier on one side than the other, but overall reminds me of a Shrinky Dink. It's very flexible but does not rip easily and is able to be repositioned on the nail.

I started by preparing my nails for application. Lightly buffed nails (to remove ridges, but not buffed to shine) and pushed back cuticles will make application much easier. I picked an applique for each nail and usually could find one that fit almost perfectly. Apparently they can be stretched slightly to make them longer or wider, but I was not successful at making them much wider.

Next pull a clear plastic coating off the top and then pull off the polish itself. It is easiest to position the base of the polish first. Make sure it is straight and centered on the nail, then push the polish down the center of the nail gently. Next I pushed the polish down on either side. You need to be very careful with these steps to prevent overlapping the polish on itself or over your cuticle. Any uneven areas in the polish will be the areas that chip off first, decreasing the time your mani lasts. Luckily the polish does lift up easily and can be repositioned.

Once you are happy with the placement press down on the polish very hard to really place it. You will have a lot of polish overhanging the end of your nail, rip it off a few millimeters beyond the tip of the nail and wrap it down over the edge. Once all of your nails are done on one hand you use a nail file to file the tips of your nails which removes the extra polish.

My first manicure took about 20 minutes to complete, and since I had a few areas with overlapping polish and polish on the tips, the next day I did have a few chips. I was able to keep the manicure by putting a layer of regular top coat (my favorite is Seche Vite, but any top coat would work) to make the surface of the manicure smoother. In all I had 4 days of wear before I removed it due to chips. The second manicure took about ten minutes and lasted a week before I removed it. Note that with the second manicure I had fewer overlapping issues, but I did put a layer of top coat on immediately to smooth these out.

The removal process is similar to other nail polishes, just use your own nail polish remover. I did find it took more remover and more rubbing than regular polish to remove.

While I don't think that the Incoco will replace my regular polish manicures, I definitely will be buying more in the future. These would be perfect for travel since they don't even need to go in your 3-1-1 bag!

Available at Incoco.com, Walgreens and HSN.com
Incoco Dry Manicures

Beauty Splurge: Tatcha Blotting Papers

2009-10-22T06:12:00.000-07:00

Tatcha Blotting Papers were recently released in mid-September. These papers are rather interesting (you can read more about the history of Tatcha Aburatorigami here), basically the papers were used by artisans when they hammered gold to use on things like buildings in ancient Japan. Somewhere along the way the geisha started using the papers as blotting papers to preserve their makeup and remove shine. The papers are still used in Japan today, and now you can use them here!

The papers are very thin with a lattice work on them. They have gold leaf embedded in them (this is just for show, the gold will not come off onto your skin). When used the papers definitely remove all oil and do not leave a residue behind on skin. True, there are other blotting papers on the market. Yes, some of them are cheaper than these ones. But these ones just feel really very special and I felt spoiled every time I was using them.

Tatcha Blotting Papers

A Closer Look at Kiehl's Acai Collection

2009-10-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

Recently I told you about my trip to the New York Kiehl's store, and the great new products I tried there. One of the new collections was the Organic Acai Collection. This collection has really high amounts of Acai Berry extract, which is a very powerful anti-oxidant. I've now been able to try out the collection more in depth (meaning, I had super cute little lab samples sent to me), so I thought I'd share what I thought!

I was surprised to find how much I loved this whole collection. Obviously I had seen it before and sampled it just on the back of my hand, but I found it even better than expected when I was able to actually use the products myself. I was able to try out 3 products from the collection. The 4th product (the Acai Damage Protecting Mist) is fantastic to spray all over your face to refresh throughout the day. I'll be buying that one next time I'm at a Kiehl's counter, and I really hope they come out with a travel size version. It would be perfect for use on a plane!

Acai Damage-Minimizing Cleanser
I loved this cleanser! It comes in a plastic pump as a liquid. When you pump it out, it becomes as a light foam! It feels very gentle during use, removes all of my makeup (minus mascara, it's not an eye makeup remover) and isn't too harsh on my skin. I had no afterwash tightness or irritation. Overall this is a nice gentle cleanser and the foaming action was fun.

Acai Damage-Repairing Serum
The serum is usually the product in a collection with the highest percentage of active ingredient, so if you buy only 1 product go for the serum. This serum is no exception, and it was my product of choice for daytime use in this collection. It is a light tan color, but don't let you scare you away. It is a light serum and sinks into skin almost immediately and you can not see it on the skin. Trust me, if it doesn't show up on my super pale skin it will not show up on your skin. It leaves the skin feeling dry and there is no residue, unlike some other serums.

I applied this in the am right after the shower, gave it a minute or two to sink in to skin and then followed up with a daily moisturizer for a little added hydration and SPF coverage. (My all time favorite daily moisturizer with SPF is the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15, it's the one I default to between product testings or to combine with products I am testing.)

Acai Damage-Correcting Moisturizer
I was surprised by how hydrating this moisturizer was for my skin. I was expecting it to be a bit lighter, more along the lines of my beloved Ultra Facial moisturizer. In fact the Acai moisturizer is much thicker (more along the lines of a cream actually), and it feels amazing when going on to the skin. It takes a few minutes to sink into the skin, and is very hydrating. It was a bit too much for my combination skin during the day, so I used it at night. Honestly, it might be just right for me this coming winter so I'll likely give it another shot then.

Kiehl's Organic Acai Collection

Breast Cancer Awareness: Estée Lauder's Beautiful

2009-10-21T05:22:00.000-07:00

Beautiful has been a best seller for years with good reason. This year it is featured in a pink sleeve for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Estée Lauder will donate $500,000 in connection with the sales of its Pink Ribbon Collection to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

$68.00 (2.5 fl. oz/75 ml)

Available at all Estée Lauder counters in the United States and Puerto Rico as well as on Estée Lauder.com

Breast Cancer Awareness: Altru Appreciation Candle

2009-10-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

Altru makes amazing soy candles. They are fairly large (I think about 4 1/2 inches tall, 3 inches in diameter), burn for over 70 hours and they are well scented. I think my favorite part may be their containers, I have a few of their candles and I love the hammered copper around them!

The Appreciation candle is scented with Tahitian tiare and daffodil buds with petals of white freesia. 20% of proceeds go to Susan G. Komen Foundation
Altru Appreciation Aromatic Soy Blend Candle

Fight Aging with Your Foundation? PTR Help You Do Just That!

2009-10-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

I love it when products do more than 1 thing. I'm all about saving time and providing extra benefits, especially if those benefits are anti-aging. So, I was pretty excited to try out this Peter Thomas Roth Unwrinkle Foundation.

First, I feel like I should explain a little bit about how I came to try it out. In September I went to NYC to meet with other beauty bloggers. While in the city I arranged a few meetings with PR agencies, honestly because I get a million e-mails a day with product pitches, and it is incredibly overwhelming to sort out. During a meeting at Alison Brod PR I noticed one of the reps had amazing (I really mean amazing) skin. While she helped show me the new holiday stuff from Stila (buy those sets girls, the smudge pot one especially looks great), Philosophy and candles from Altru (which I want to put in every room of my house), I admired her skin.

When we got to the Peter Thomas Roth line, she confessed that when she started at the agency she had bad skin. She had a lot of the same concerns as me (combination, acne prone and definitely dry in areas), and I had to try out the products she uses. She agreed to send them to me. She sent me Blemish Buffing Beads, Viz 1000 Hydrator and this foundation. I'll be featuring the other two products soon, but I had to share the foundation first.

Overall this is a basic, light to medium coverage foundation. I love that it comes in a pump, to me it seems much cleaner and more sterile than just a regular bottle. The coverage is easy to build and the foundation blends well. I thought the foundation lasted very well through most of the day and it didn't feel heavy or sink into any fine lines. Overall this was a foundation I would definitely use again.

What really sets it apart from most other foundation though is the added ingredients. PTR is well known for his anti-aging products, so it comes as no surprise that the Unwrinkle foundation incorporates many of those ingredients. Quickly glance at my typical anti-aging ingredient check list. Remember that I came up with this list for moisturizers, coming up with so many ingredients in a foundation is amazing!

My Anti-Aging Ingredient Checklist:

Number one on my list of "wanted" ingredients is always a retinoid of some form. They are the only ingredient ever proven to reverse the signs of aging in clinical trials, and a quick search of the medical literature will prove this. Just look for Vitamin A somewhere on the package and you'll find it in the ingredient list, in this case it is Retinyl Palmitate, a retinoid. Other ingredients such as Peptides and Anti-Oxidants are not as proven in studies, but I feel are ones to look for. They will help with collagen production and help fight loss of firmness. This foundation actually has 6 different peptides and the anti-oxidants Vitamins C & E (Vitamin A is also an anti-oxidant, but I already talked about it with the retinoids).

A quick note about the UV coverage provided by this foundation. I strongly believe you shouldn't be relying on your foundation for your daily sunscreen coverage. Think about where you apply foundation and you will realize that you aren't covering everywhere the sun hits (neck anyone?) and likely your foundation application is lighter than what was used to create that SPF number. So, while the "bonus" coverage in a foundation is great, personally to me it doesn't mean much because it shouldn't be your primary coverage.

Having said all of that, it is true that this foundation doesn't provide full UV spectrum coverage. In fact, the bottle says that it "may contain Titanium Dioxide" and it isn't listed under the active ingredients with the other 2 sunscreens. But, that's ok, because you have broad spectrum UV coverage with at least SPF 15 in your daily moisturizer, right?

Overall, this is a nice basic light to medium coverage foundation. It blends well, lasts most of the day and looked natural on my skin. The product is really set apart by the sheer number of anti-aging products that PTR packed into it.

Peter Thomas Roth Unwrinkle Foundation

Breast Cancer Awareness: DKNY Cashmere Mist Eau de Parfum Spray

2009-10-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

Cashmere Mist is a warm, subtle fragrance that is a huge bestseller. The limited-edition bottle has a pink ribbon on it.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Lily of the valley
Middle Notes: Moroccan jasmine, Sandalwood
Base Notes: Amber, Musk

Donna Karan Cosmetics will make a donation of $15,000 in connection with the sales of the Limited-Edition Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Eau de Parfum Spray to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

$90 for 3.4 fl. oz at Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Donna Karan Collection Boutiques in the USA.

Breast Cancer Awareness: Origins Peace of Mind

2009-10-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

This product is a best seller, and I can see why. This little lotion has Basil, Eucalyptus and Peppermint, ingredients that are proven to produce calm feelings. I love it for nights on-call in the hospital or away from home in a hotel.

Origins will donate $35,000 in connection with the North American sales of Peace of Mind® to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

$10 (0.5 fl. oz/15 ml)

Available at Origins retail stores and select department stores in the USA.
Origins.com

Breast Cancer Awareness: Estée Lauder Elizabeth Hurley Lip Set

2009-10-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

The Lip Sets released every October by Estée Lauder are definitely among my favorite BCA offerings. Every year the pink is featured, though the products and formulations are little bit different. They are limited edition, amazing deals and since they want them to sell well, the shades are usually universally very flattering. Truly, run and check them out!

This year the Liz Hurley set features a lipstick, lip gloss and lip pencil. The shades are a bit lighter than the corresponding Evelyn Lauder set. The lip collection will be packaged in a pink fabric covered, mirrored lipstick holder case.

Estée Lauder will donate $500,000 in connection with the sales of its Pink Ribbon Collection to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

$22 at all Estée Lauder counters in the United States and Puerto Rico as well as on Estée Lauder.com

Breast Cancer Awareness: Clinique Lipgloss Key Chain

2009-10-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

Clinique is offering a limited-edition Lipgloss Key Chain featuring a signature pink ribbon charm, Clinique “C” charm and three mini Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Air Kiss, Kissyfit and Whisper. Each of these pink shades were chosen in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness’ signature colour.

$10 per Lipgloss Key Chain purchased during the month of October will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

$18.50 exclusively at Sephora Stores and Sephora.com

Dr Brandt Increases My Daily SPF: A Look at UV SPF 30

2009-10-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

I know I harp on sunscreen use a lot, but it truly is important to wear sunscreen everyday. Unless you spend every waking moment in a cave that is. It really is important to protect yourself from UV damage to prevent skin cancer, and if that isn't enough of a reason just start looking around at women over 50.

I swear you can tell who has used sunscreen and who worshipped the sun. My mom looks younger than she is (by years, she will deny it, but she really does), not because of good genes (though I would love to think we have those), but because she avoided the sun to prevent her Irish skin from freckling like crazy. My mom was pale in the 80s when the moms of my friends were dark nut brown. She now looks fab. Totally worth it!

So, I harp on sunscreen use. It's not enough to have it in your foundation or powder. I feel it should be in your daily moisturizer. Sometimes you can't find a moisturizer with SPF in it. In those cases you need to use a separate sunscreen. Too high of an SPF can overwhelm your skin, making it too difficult to wear everyday. How did Dr. Brandt do when he created this new sunscreen?

Read on to find out!

This sunscreen is never going to leave my makeup counter. Why? Because it is amazing. Not only is this an SPF 30 (!!), but it has anti-aging ingredients (look at my anti-aging check list before, I look for those items in my moisturizer, not my sunscreen). Dr. Brandt even included ingredients like Butyloctyl Salicylate, which helps to solubilize some of the sunscreen ingredients and improves their photostability.

The sunscreen comes in an airless pump (which keeps it potent longer), and is fairly lightweight. It is best to apply it after moisturizer has already sunk into skin, and it only takes a few minutes to sink in to the skin. It does have definite sunscreen smell, though I didn't notice the smell after about 20-30 minutes. When it has sunken in, there is a light sheen to the skin that is easily hidden by powder/foundation. I think what I liked best about this product was that it didn't interfere with makeup application once applied. Usually sunscreens make foundation difficult to blend and powders stick strangely, not so with UV SPF 30.

The formulation provides broad-spectrum UV coverage and there are anti-aging products included.

My Anti-Aging Ingredient Checklist:

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Homosalate, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Ethylhexyl Salicylate (Octisalate), Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone), Benzophenone-3 (Oxybenzone), Octocrylene, Hydrated Silica, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Sodiumpalmitoy Lprolin E, Dimethicone, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Polyester-8, Trideceth-6, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Caprylylmethicone, Peg - 100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dimethyl Capramide, Behenyl Alcohol, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthangum, Methylparaben, Alcoholdenat, Disodiumedta, BHT, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Thylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract, Lecithin, Glycerin, Sodium Lactate, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Porphyraumbilicalis Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-28

Dr. Brandt UV SPF 30

A Better Travel Iron? Ken Paves Tries to Make It

2009-10-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Ken Paves. I liked his hair styling products, but think his fake hair products are too shiny. I think he looks a bit. . . different (really, he needs to lay off the fake tanner). But I love what he does to Jessica Simpson's hair. So, I was wondering which way I'd go on his new line of styling tools. He's created a line of styling tools including a curling iron, flat iron (normal and travel) and hair dryer (normal ant travel). Would he hit it out of the park? Or would the appliances not be worth while?

Read on to see what I think.

I tried out the travel flat iron. I already have a travel flat iron from Hana. After a few trips with the Hana it was working fine, though I was finding that I needed the iron to be a bit larger. It was taking longer than I liked to style my hair.

Ken Paves' travel iron is definitely heavier than my travel Hana, but lighter than my regular, everyday flat iron. The iron is a very heavy plastic, it has Silver Tourmaline Ceramic Plates, and the cord easily swivels 360 degrees. It heats up within just a few minutes and reaches a fixed temperature of 410 (the same as my Hana). It doesn't collapse like my Hana, but it does have larger plates and overall is a bit more substantial (and weighs a few ounces more). It also comes with a thermal lined pouch for travel.

I thought it did a great job on my hair and I liked it more than my current Hana travel iron. However, given the extra few ounces and that it is a bit longer it will likely not be used for trips that space is really important (meaning, long travel with limited packing space). I have to admit that I was impressed. I will likely check out the travel hair dryer next time I need a new one.

Ken Paves Travel Flat Iron

Breast Cancer Awareness: Creme de La Mer

2009-10-11T05:49:00.000-07:00

La Mer is pretty amazing (and expensive) stuff. Believe it or not, my review of La Mer is by far and away the most popular post on this site both in terms of comments and traffic. Whether you think that extra algae extract is worth it or not, this stuff is serious hydration. You can get a giant jar of it during October.

La Mer will make a donation of $30,000 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation in connection with the North American sales of Crème de la Mer.

$230 (2 oz/60ml)
$1390 (16.5 oz/500ml)

Bergdorf Goodman and select Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and select specialty stores in the USA.
La Mer

Breast Cancer Awareness: Aveda Hand Relief

2009-10-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

This hand lotion from Aveda is a favorite of mine and many of my friends! It's super hydrating and contains vitamins A and E (antioxidants to help fight aging! Yay!). This month you can get it in a 5 ounce size with a pink ribbon design for the same price as the regular 4.2 ounce size.

Aveda will donate $4 from each sale to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation to fund environmental research to help find a cure, with a maximum donation of $300,000.

$21 at Aveda stores, Aveda.com and participating salons