Mischo Beauty

Mischo Beauty Giveaway: L’Oréal Paris Limited-Edition Colour Riche Lipcolour

2009-07-06T02:04:00.008-05:00

You might remember L'Oreal Paris celebrating their 100th anniversary a few weeks ago, and in continuing the celebration, they've recently released a limited-edition Colour Riche Lipcolour. It's their best selling lip collection since 1983 and this edition's lid is covered with Swarovski crystals.

The lipstick is available in Mica, True Red (pictured above) and Tropical Coral. So here's how you can win! Leave a comment letting me know your color of choice and the name of a L'Oreal spokesmodel. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and unfortunately, I can no longer accept "Anonymous" comments. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, July 13th.

Mischo Beauty Loves Serge Lutens Parfum

2009-07-06T01:16:00.007-05:00

I love when I discover something that absolutely takes my breath away- and that's what happened when I recently sampled Nuit De Cellophane and Datura Noir by Serge Lutens.

The Datura Noir is formulated from the black datura, a night blooming tropical flower, and I'd best describe it as a sweet floral with a slight hint of musk. As soon as I smelled it on my skin, I knew I had to have it! But, I'm equally in love with the Nuit De Cellophane, which is more of a fruity floral with top notes of jasmine, osmanthus and lily.

And lucky for me, there was a gift with purchase which included a Felix Ray makeup bag filled with deluxe size samples.

Mischo Beauty: "Gettin' Hitched with The Carlton Hotel" Media Event

2009-06-30T23:25:00.008-05:00

I had the opportunity to attend a media wedding event at The Carlton Hotel this evening, and of course I was naturally drawn to the "beauty" aspect of the event! The beauty superstars of the evening for me were- Molton Brown and Oasis Day Spa on Park Avenue.

Molton Brown's hand/arm treatment was A-MA-ZING! Christiena (pictured above) performed the treatment using their newly launched Desert Bloom Intensive Hand Cream. I instantly fell in love with the scent of the hand cream and was pleased with how it revived my dry hands, cuticles and nails.

This was my first visit to The Carlton Hotel and the hotel's lobby of vaulted ceilings, marbled floors, floor-to-ceiling suede paneled walls and elegant chandeliers took my breath away! Now for those of you getting married, the hotel is currently offering the "Gettin' More while Gettin' Hitched" special savings for a limited time only.

I know how important healthy skin is for everyone, especially a bride-to-be, and I must share with you the fact that I had a very thorough Dermalogica Face Mapping skin analysis consultation with Shatelle, an esthetician from Oasis Day Spa.

Shatelle was attentive, asked questions and listened as I explained my skincare concerns. She then provided me with a prescribed skincare regimen which was basically identical to my current skincare routine. I highly recommend her!

Honeymoons Galore presented a variety of honeymoon accommodations...

And last, but not least, the Benefit Cosmetics' brow gurus were on-hand for complimentary brow makeovers. Brides-to-be may visit the Bloomingdale's 59th Street and Bloomingdale's Soho locations for a complimentary "makeup rehearsal".

Mischo Beauty: Q-Tips Vanity Packs

2009-06-30T17:18:00.004-05:00

Q-tips recently released a set of Vanity Packs, a collection of four 285 count packs, in four designs (love the colors!). Now I've used Q-tips all of my life, but never really paid close attention to them until I learned Mally Roncal was a celebrity makeup expert for the brand (remember my trip to CVS last year?). And of course you all already know how much I love Mally!

Anyway, I decided to share with you again the beauty tip I learned after reading an interview with Mally in WWD BeautyBiz: "Use Q-tips whenever possible. In a perfect world, if we were all kajillionaires, we could use our Kevyn Aucoin brush once and throw it away, but we can't. Q-tips get the makeup on and off and you can just ditch them".

Simple and easy- no overthinking required!

Mischo Beauty: CND Spring/Summer 2009

2009-06-30T14:51:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure if you all remember my visiting the Creative Nail Design Studio during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2009. Well, as a follow-up, I was finally able to get my hands on a few shades from the Spring/Summer 2009 collection-beginning top row left: Wildfire, Decadence, Nail Noir, Bisou De Lulu, Moonlight & Roses, French Pink and Ice Cappuccino.

I'll admit that I'm partial to the "reds", with my favorite being Wildfire. But, the designer favorite nail color/look was CND's Cocoa ("opaque flesh tone shade used to elongate hands and match clean faces") , which was seen at Giambattista Valli, Nina Ricci, Araks, Max Azria, Jason Wu and Thakoon to list a few...

"Summer Skincare Protection" on SheBreathes

2009-06-29T09:19:00.005-05:00

The one aspect of skincare I'm most passionate about is protection from the sun! I'm discussing sunscreen/sunblock protection alternatives over on SheBreathes.com and you're invited to check it out. Please email me with questions! Enjoy.

**Khuraira "Lady Obama" Lipstick Winners**: Comment #1: Lisa Kay, Comment #16: LuckyStar, Comment #19: Anonymous, Comment #24: Angelisa & Comment #29: Amee.

**Kerastase Soleil Collection**: Comment #1: Amber

Please email your shipping information to me! Thanks to everyone for entering!

Mischo Beauty: Sweet Beauty Organic Chocolate Spa Treatments

2009-06-26T11:46:00.004-05:00

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a fan of "chocolate" body products/treatments, but I wanted to make you all aware of the Sweet Beauty collection of products because they're made with organic, fair trade chocolate- instead of chocolate by-products; and the line was founded/created by an esthetician (like myself!), Lisa Francoise, whose passion for skincare led her to obtain a Cidesco Diploma (the world's most prestigious qualification in the field of Esthetics).

The Sweet Beauty line includes sugar scrubs, lip balms, milk baths, body creams, facial scrubs, facial masques and hand & body soaps. Visit www.sweetbeautyspa.com to learn more.

Mischo Beauty: Qtica Smart Spa Cherry Bing Collection

2009-06-26T09:12:00.011-05:00

If you're in need of a "pick-me-up" then I suggest checking out Qtica Smart Spa's new collection of Cherry Bing bath and body products. Qtica is most widely known for their assortment of nail treatments, but most recently launched the Smart Spa collection of products, meant to be used not only for manicures/pedicures, but all over the body as well.

The Cherry Bing scent smells amazingly good - and I think it's perfect for summer. The products I tried were the Sugar Scrub, Shower Gel and Luxury Lotion. The stand-out product for me was the Sugar Scrub (you all probably remember that I'm an exfoliant addict) because I loved how gentle it felt on my skin, and also the fact that it left it soft and smooth- along with the amazing scent!

Mischo Beauty Remembers Michael Jackson (1958 – 2009)

2009-06-25T23:01:00.015-05:00

I'm saddened as I write this, almost speechless. We've lost an icon, a legend. Michael Jackson's music brings to mind so many happy memories from my childhood- my Dad taking me to a tiny little record store in Fort Wayne, Indiana to purchase the Thriller album; watching Michael do the "moonwalk" on Motown 25 with my Girl Scout troop and rewinding it over, and over, and over again; my Mom waking me up to watch the premiere of the Thriller video on a show called Friday Night Videos (I begged her to do it!); and the memories go on and on...

I find happiness in knowing that his music will live on forever and ever, and I pray that his soul has found peace.

Mischo Beauty Pick: For the Love of

2009-06-25T20:02:00.002-05:00

For those of you who may not know, "For the Love of" is an organic luxury bath and body product company located in Washington, DC. All of the products are organic, mainly vegan and handcrafted by Kristina Libby, who left her corporate job to pursue her passion of creating organic beauty products.

I love learning about stories such as Kristina's (she's doing what I'm working to achieve) and so I could not wait to try her products! I'm currently using the Luxury Summer Orange Blossom Body Scrub (loving the fragrance!) - great for the heels, knees and elbows; and the Black Amber Honey Homemade Soap, which surprisingly has a very nice lather.

Feel free to view the entire collection of "For the Love of" products here!

Mischo Beauty Pick: Sebastian Professional Drench Shampoo & Conditioner

2009-06-25T16:02:00.004-05:00

Recently, I've received a few emails with regards to product suggestions for relaxed hair. And in response to those emails, I've decided to revisit Sebastian's Drench Shampoo & Conditioner. I mentioned having used both in the salon on clients and I've also used them on myself.

The products are recommended for dry/frizzy hair and, based on my experience with them, are great on both relaxed, natural, color-treated hair- and on extensions and weaves. Now if "dry/frizzy" isn't your hair type/issue, then visit www.sebastianprofessional.com for additional product offerings.

Mischo Beauty: The Beyonce "I AM.." World Tour

2009-06-24T23:56:00.011-05:00

I was invited to attend Beyonce's Washington, DC show held at the Verizon Center on June 24th and I was beyond impressed!

It was my first time seeing her live and not only did she perform for 2 1/2 hours with no intermission, but she sounded amazing and I loved her energy.

I had a great seat and was able to get a very good look at her costumes, hair, makeup and yes- she was wearing Minx nails! Loved it!!

Oh and I almost forgot to mention that the Obama daughters were also at the concert, and from what I was able to see, thoroughly enjoying themselves! I loved the show and am even inspired to step-up my workout schedule after seeing Beyonce so fit!

A huge thank you to L'Oreal Paris for this amazing opportunity!

Mischo Beauty: Tarte Cosmetics EyeQuatic Waterproof Summer Essentials Set

2009-06-23T01:16:00.016-05:00

It's clearly no secret that I'm a fan of Tarte Cosmetics, and love their Cheek Stain. And so I wanted to make sure you all knew about their newly launched eyeQuatic Waterproof Summer Essentials Set. It includes three "mermaid-inspired" (Tanzanite, Turquoise & Citrine) "Lock & Roll" creaseless cream and powder shadow duos, a deluxe sample size "Lights, Camera, Splashes!" waterproof mascara and a limited edition head scarf.

Be sure to check out the ladies of Tarte, on their new YouTube channel, as they demonstrate how to use "Lock & Roll", along with a few other products in an effort to achieve a quick and effortless eye look!

Mischo Beauty: Elizabeth Grant Skin Care

2009-06-22T23:49:00.011-05:00

I was recently given the opportunity to try a selection of products by Elizabeth Grant Skin Care. After learning that this line is formulated with an ingredient called Torricelumn, which is supposed to restore moisture, repair damaged skin and stimulate collagen and elastin production- I couldn't wait to try it!

I've written about the "self-tanner scent" before and many of you know how sensitive I am to it. And unfortunately for me, I did smell it when testing out the Soleil Smart Body Bronzer. The Vitamin C Illuminating Eye Pads are an intensive under eye treatment for dark circles. The skin around the eye area is the thinnest, most delicate skin on the body and so special care should always be used on this area. After applying the eye pads and allowing them to sit for about 30 seconds, I had to remove them because my eyes became instantly irritated.

Now I will tell you that I do love the layout of the Elizabeth Grant Skin Care website! It easily allows those of you looking for products based on your skin type/issues/conditions, to find exactly what you need- no guessing involved. It also suggests complementary products in order to complete a skincare regimen. Visit www.elizabethgrant.com to learn more.

Mischo Beauty Giveaway: Kerastase Soleil Collection

2009-06-19T22:43:00.019-05:00

I can't begin to tell you all how much I'm still so excited about being named the resident beauty expert over on SheBreathes.com. Thank you again so much, Ms. Shoo! I'd like to thank you all for checking out my latest post, "Summer Haircare Protection", which featured the summer haircare collections from Kerastase, Aveda and Frederic Fekkai.

And because I love the Kerastase Soleil Collection so much (remember this post?), I'm excited to announce a giveaway of the following:

- Bain Apres-Soleil
- Masque UV Defense Active
- Creme UV Defense Active
- Brume Nuit Apres-Soleil

So here's how you can win this collection (valued at over $150!). Leave a comment letting me know why you'd like to try this collection and also tell me (like you did over on SheBreathes!) what fun in the sun, in the pools, or at the beaches & lakes you have planned for the summer.

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and unfortunately, I can no longer accept "Anonymous" comments. You must leave either your first & last name, first name and last initial or first initial and last name. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on Friday, June 26th.

**UPDATE: I've extended the giveaway, and will announce a winner on July 3rd!**

Mischo Beauty Pick: Creative Nail Design's Almond SpaManicure

2009-06-19T19:16:00.023-05:00

As you all know by now, I'm professionally licensed to do nails and so I recently had the opportunity to perform Creative Nail Design's Almond SpaManicure on myself. The kit includes the Almond Milk Bath, Almond Moisture Scrub, Almond Illuminating Masque, Almond Hydrating Lotion, Almond Soothing Creme and SolarOil (which you all know I love!).

First of all, the products smell AMAZING! The fragrance alone is enough to make you relax and escape- if just for the duration of the manicure. I'm an exfoliant addict, so I totally appreciated using the Almond Moisture Scrub, which left me with soft and smooth hands. Now, if dry skin is an issue for you, you have the choice of the Almond Hydrating Lotion or the Almond Soothing Creme which both will leave your skin thoroughly hydrated.

The manicure is described as "Escape. Exhale. Relax." and believe me, you'll both experience and feel all three after receiving this manicure. To view a list of spas offering this manicure near you, please visit www.cnd.com.

Mischo Beauty Pick: Jergens Naturals Age Defying Body Moisturizer

2009-06-19T16:54:00.007-05:00

I'm so in love with the smell of Jergens Naturals' Age Defying Body Moisturizer with Green Tea Extract, that I can't get enough of it! It also doesn't hurt that my skin loves it too, soaking it up every time I use it.

The product claims "younger looking skin in two weeks" and while I won't co-sign on that, I will tell you that it's green tea extract is a powerful antioxidant which prevents skin from being damaged by free radicals. What's not to love about that?!!

Mischo Beauty Giveaway: Khuraira "Lady Obama Lipstick" Special Edition

2009-06-19T16:13:00.006-05:00

"Khuraira releases the "Lady Obama Lipstick" special edition, the perfect color for all women. It's great for any lifestyle and sure to unleash the first lady in you. Twenty percent of all proceeds to benefit the Breast Cancer Network of Strength."

Five winners will win one lipstick each. Simply leave a comment telling me what you love most about our First Lady, Michelle Obama. Winners will be chosen at random on Monday, June 22nd. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

**UPDATE: I've extended the giveaway, and will announce a winner on June 29th!**

Mischo Beauty Loves NettieScrub

2009-06-18T15:25:00.007-05:00

For those of you who may not know, NettieScrub is a line of bath, body and candle products created by celebrity manicurist, Nettie Davis. The products are formulated with both natural and organic ingredients and packaged in sustainable/reusable packaging.

My picks include the Grapefruit Body Buff (a great exfoliant for the whole body) and the Grapefruit Body Balm (perfect for dry cuticles, hands, elbows, knees and feet)- I'm partial to citrus scents and these don't disappoint with leaving skin soft and smooth.

If you've tried these products, please let us know your thoughts!

Mischo Beauty Review: Hana Mini Flat Iron & ShineShield

2009-06-17T13:53:00.016-05:00

I must admit that Hana's Mini Flat Iron has to be the cutest little flat iron I've ever used- and it actually works! It's perfect for travel because it easily fits inside a purse, gym bag or carry-on luggage - making hair touch-ups possible almost anywhere.

It comes wrapped in a silver case- similar to a makeup bag. And like the Hana Professional 1" Flat Iron I told you about a while ago, it is also made with tourmaline ceramic plates, so no worries about frizzy hair!

The temperature is fixed at 410 F for general styling and touch-ups. The flat iron measures 5 inches when collapsed, but extends to standard length (as shown below) for ease of use.

I would recommend that you extend the flat iron to standard size before turning it on- the plates heat up quickly and get very hot!

I used the ShineShield on my wet hair as a leave-in treatment for protection against heat styling. After flat-ironing my hair, it left my hair soft and smooth- but be careful, a little goes a long way so you don't need much to achieve your desired results.

Mischo Beauty Pick: Diptyque’s Cologne Collection

2009-06-16T21:41:00.011-05:00

I've been loving Diptyque's candles for a while now- my favorites being Tubereuse, Freesia, Pomander and Oranger. Well, Diptyque's Cologne Collection, which consists of L'Eau de L'Eau, L'Eau de Neroli and L'Eau des Hesperides, recently won the French Fragrance Foundation's Grand Prix du Parfum for Exclusive Distribution and Marie-Claire's Beauty-Fashion Editor's Top Choice.

The collection was relaunched in the U.S. this year, with my favorite being L'Eau de Neroli. Diptyque added a fourth cologne, L'Eau de Tarocco, to the collection in May. Learn more about all Diptyque products by visiting www.diptyqueparis.com.

Mischo Beauty: Nexxus Nourishing Botanicals

2009-06-16T12:28:00.007-05:00

In continuing to reinforce the fact that Earth Day should really be every day- I had to introduce you to Nexxus' new Nourishing Botanicals collection. It's a 3-step collection which includes the Botanoil Nourishing Botanical Shampoo, Botanphuse Nourishing Botanical Conditioner and Botanluxe Nourishing Botanical Leave-In Conditioner. All are formulated with natural ingredients and are free of parabens and dyes. Feel free to visit www.nexxus.com to learn more.

Mischo Beauty Extra: Priti Nail Polish & Soy Remover

2009-06-15T09:20:00.011-05:00

Last year I told you all how much I loved the nails (by Priti Organic Spa) at Tuleh's runway show during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Well, I recently had the opportunity to try Priti's "Bright Summer Day" nail kit. The kit includes Fireglow and Hula Girl Rose nail polish, 2-in-1 Top and Base Coat and a 2oz. Soy Polish Remover.

The nail polish colors are bright and cheery- perfect for summer, but most importantly they're free of formaldehyde, DBP & toluene! The Soy Polish Remover is a must-have. No chemical smell whatsoever! It's non-toxic and 100% biodegradable. The entire Priti nail polish collection and Soy Polish Remover are available at www.pritinyc.com.

"Summer Haircare Protection" & Giveaway on SheBreathes!

2009-06-12T18:26:00.009-05:00

You're all invited to visit SheBreathes.com and check out my picks for the best in summer haircare protection. And to celebrate summer, we're giving away Aveda's Sun Care Collection. Get entered to win and enjoy your weekend!

Mischo Beauty: FACE atelier Cosmetics

2009-06-11T11:15:00.028-05:00

Since learning that Face Atelier Cosmetics was the official makeup sponsor for Madonna's Confessions Tour, I'd been dying to try the products out for myself!

I'm loving the makeup remover called Melt. After applying two pumps of it (a little goes a long way), my makeup literally melted off of my face- no effort needed on my part. Love it!

The foundation options include sheer, medium and full coverage. The "PRO" foundation collection -packaged in small, unbreakable containers- was specifically developed for makeup artists' kits.

Lip RX lipstick, formulated with antioxidants and essential oils, is recommended for those dealing with chapped lips. The lipsticks, more of a lip tint, provides a hint of color and is very moisturizing.

The entire collection for face, eyes, lips- plus an assortment of tools- are all available at www.faceatelier.com.