ProductWhores

Volcanic Glow

I don't usually like to talk about products that are already sold out because, you know, that's kind of a tease.  Unfortunately, I didn't get around to testing this one until I realized that it was sold out online, but I like it so much, I don't want to skip talking about it.  Especially because I'm sure some of you can still find it at your nearest MAC store or counter and I'm hoping that it'll be available online again soon.  (Wishful thinking?  I'm not sure...)  MAC's Volcanic Ash Exfoliator (part of their Future Earth collection) is described as "a highly effective foaming and exfoliating scrub containing natural volcanic ash and sugar crystals to cleanse and exfoliate the skin at the same time while adding moisture and leaving skin feeling soft and clean."  It looks like thick mud, so it's kind of fun to put all over your face and it's scrubby without being harsh.  It's made with volcanic ash from someplace called Vanatu (am I the only one who doesn't know where this is?  I suddenly feel very stupid because I seriously don't think I've ever heard of it before).  Apparently, the ash has sulfur in it and the Vanatuians (Vanatu's?  What would you call them?) have used it for centuries to treat different skin conditions.  (Perks like this are what you miss out on when you come from NJ, I guess).  My skin feels really clean and soft after I use it and it has a nice glow to it - the kind of glow I usually get after an expensive facial, so I love that MAC gives you a fairly big jar of it for only $19.  I would totally be down with buying an even bigger jar of this stuff to keep in the shower so I could use it on my body too (I'd do it now, but I'd run out of it too quickly).  If only the Volcanic Ash Exfoliator wasn't as close to a tropical Hawaiian vacation as I'm going to get this year...

Photo courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

Fall For Mauve

Before seeing Bobbi Brown's new Mauve Look for fall, I mostly associated the color mauve with old people and Sue, my freshman year college roommate, who wore clothes in that shade EVERY.  SINGLE.  DAY.  (Seriously, it was astonishing.  I didn't even know they made that many mauve sweaters!)  So when I first heard that Bobbi was featuring mauve for fall, I wasn't all that excited.  I should've known Bobbi wouldn't let me down.  The new limited edition Mauve Face Palette is so much cuter and more versatile than I ever would've imagined.  The shades are subtle and sophisticated and I absolutely love the Mauve blush.  It's a color I never would've bought on my own, but it really lights up my cheeks and goes perfectly with the eye shadows, which somehow manage to be both neutral and colorful at the same time.  (In other words, they're not overpowering,  but they're not boring either).  I've been pairing the shadows with the Black Mauve Shimmer Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner to make the look more dramatic, but the eyeliner actually looks great on its own, too.  (I think it helps that I'm finally mastering the art of using gel eyeliner.  Thank God!  Our long national nightmare is finally over!)  To complete the look (and to avoid dragging the palette around with me!), I'm slicking my lips with the new Black Pearl Shimmer Gloss, a deep platinum heather shade that looks like a dark grey in the tube.  It's another color I never would've thought I could pull off, but it goes on a lot sheerer than it looks - it's the prettiest mix of grey, brown and purple.  I know that sounds awful, but trust me, it's gorgeous on everyone I've seen wearing it.  (If you can only buy one thing from the collection, I'd make it this gloss).  I guess this means Sue and her mauve sweaters were actually ahead of our time.  Who knew? 

Check out Bobbi Brown's entire Mauve look collection here. 

Photo courtesy of Bobbi Brown

Protect Your Hair

Even though I'm a freak about protecting my skin with SPF, I'm not nearly as good at protecting my hair from the sun's harmful rays.  I guess because hair can't get cancer (or on a more shallow note, wrinkles), it just doesn't seem as important.  But every year, the first time I notice my hair getting drier or having more split ends from the rough summer elements, I instantly start to regret not treating it better.  That's why this summer, I'm going to make sure I take care of my hair every way that I can.  Baseball hats, deep conditioning treatments, avoiding chlorine... You name it, I'm doing it.  And I'm starting with Kérastase's Soleil Collection. 

This collection of products is "an exclusive range of haircare treatments tailored to protect and repair every hair type exposed to environmental aggressors."  These aggressors include things like pollution, heat, humidity and the sun, so no matter where you are, you can benefit from these products.  (And really, L.A. is pretty much the perfect storm of these aggressors with the smog and the heat and the sun and... Remind me why I live here again?)  These products all come together to protect, repair, and enhance your hair with advanced technologies that will leave your strands softer and more manageable, and keep your color vibrant and radiant. 

Skin Genesis

So, as I believe I've said before, I am a bit of a snob when it comes to skin care.  While I spend a ton of money at CVS on a fairly regular basis, I feel as though the best skin care products come from department or specialty stores.  Well, I have been using a (gasp!) drugstore brand for the past ten days and have been delightfully surprised at the results.  (Please note:  I am almost never wrong, but I believe I may have wrongly pre-judged skin care at drugstores).  Skin Genesis by L'Oreal is a new line that aims to combat the signs of early aging using a special cell-strengthening system to make skin tighter and more even.  It's a two part process (which normally I would think was too high maintenance for me) but it really does work.  First, you apply the Daily Treatment Serum, which contains Pro-Xylane (a funky molecule founded by L'Oreal which strengthens skin and reignites cell activity layer by layer) and Hyaluronic Acid (skin's natural hydrator).  The serum initially feels extremely sticky, so it's best to pat it on lightly using your fingertips.  I thought I would hate the tacky feeling, but it goes away fairly quickly and leaves skin feeling tighter than before you put it on.  The next step is applying the daily moisturizer, which actually kept my dry skin hydrated!   I was stunned.  The moisturizer absorbs somewhat quickly and has a lovely fresh scent to it.  What I found amazing was how great my skin continues to feel after using for a while.  The products are fairly expensive ($20.00 per bottle) but it really is worth it to keep skin looking its best.  I will happily repurchase.   Plus, the bottles are very space age looking and lock closed for travel (woo hoo!   No spillage!)   I'm still shocked I found a skin care combo in the aisle over from deodorant.  Hmm, maybe I can get a well-rounded meal from McDonald's after all.

Photo courtesy of Drugstore.com

Friends and Family!

How great are Friends and Family coupons?  We here at Product Whores just love them, so here's a great one to take advantage of.  If you use the below code, you'll get 20% off your shu uemura order and FREE standard shipping!  You can use the coupon starting on Thursday, June 26th and it's valid until Sunday, June 29th at 11:59pm EST.  It's the perfect time to stock up on their new summer collection (including the cutest eye palettes ever!) 

To use the coupon online, shop at www.shuuemura-usa.com and enter the promo code SHUSUMMER at checkout.  Happy shopping!

Catch This Fever

This summer, I'm all about shimmery lip glosses.  First, I fell hard for MAC's Dazzleglass, and now I'm crushing on Lancôme's Color Fever Gloss.  Available in a wide variety of colors from bright red to light pink, these glosses are currently holding a place of honor in my (ridiculously big) bag.  They're a great texture for a gloss - not sticky or tacky at all, but smooth and moisturizing (almost more like a liquid lipstick).  All three colors that I tested were super shiny, but in a subtle way, which I like (they didn't scream, "I dance in Vegas on the weekends" like some of the other ones I've tried).  They have decent staying power for a gloss, probably due partly to the unique patented Lip-Sculpt applicator.  I like it MUCH better than the standard lip gloss wand - it deposits gloss evenly across your lips and doesn't glop it all in one place, so you're not wasting product or ending up with lopsided lips if you're not near a mirror (so embarrassing!)  My favorite shade?  Tumultuous.  If you're looking for a great shimmery bronze to wear all summer, look no further. 

Color Fever Glosses retail for $23 and are available everywhere Lancôme is sold and at Lancôme-USA.com.

Photo courtesy of Lancôme

Be An Insider

For all of you Clinique lovers out there (and who isn't, really?)  this is exciting news.  They're going to be starting a new "Clinique Insiders" program, where they will select 20 women from all the submissions they receive to be Insiders.  If you're chosen, you'll get sneak peeks at all their latest products (skincare and makeup!) and you'll have the opportunity to give Clinique product reviews and opinions which will appear on Clinique.com.  As an Insider, you'll also get access to special upcoming events and as a bonus, you'll receive a welcome kit with full-size Clinique products and a Flip Video digital camcorder!  Sounds great, right?   

If you're interested, you can apply here.  Good luck! 

The Perfect Summer Kit!

Now that we are officially welcoming in summer (and a ridiculously hot few days here in Los Angeles) I just had to post about an awesome kit that I am massively in love with.  Pop Beauty has put out the cutest kit called the Tan Popper, which contains nine Eye Shades (turquoise, pink, golden purple, true gold, peach gold, copper-bronze, sooty blue, chocolate glow, fresh lime green), three Jumbo Eye Pencils (black, deep blue, deep plum), a nude peachy-gold Face Glow, a peachy-pink Blush, a natural oversized Bronzer, and a liner and eye shade duo brush.  It also contains easy to follow instructions from Pop Beauty's international makeup artist, Carina Fornegard, so you really can't screw up the application.  I was amazed at how lovely all the eye shadow colors look on me.  Even the fresh lime green which in the case looks a bit "80s" looks fantastic on my lids (very fresh and summer-y).  The shadows also are easy to blend and you can create a few different looks because the colors are so diverse.  The bronzers work wonderfully on my pale skin and the peach face glow really makes my cheeks pop.  Basically, this kit is a lifesaver for a woman looking for a new summer look because you only have to throw down $38.00 to get it.  It's also a fabulous idea for anyone who travels because it neatly folds up into a four by four square.  Thank you, Pop Beauty, for another fantastic collection!  Because of you, I will look fabulous all summer as I sit in the shade (you won't catch this pale-skinned lady lounging in the sand).

Photo courtesy of Sephora

Have A Little Cool Heat

It's ridiculously hot in L.A. right now.  Like, spontaneously combustible hot.  The kind of hot that makes you want to take three showers a day and stay late at work because the air conditioning is so cold there.  Which means that it's the perfect time to try out MAC's new Cool Heat collection.  Featuring 6 Slimshine lipsticks, 7 eye shadows and 2 fragrances, it's a collection full of endless summer combinations.  The eye shadows come in various shades of blues and greens (my favorite is Blue Flame) with frosty gold and taupe colors to highlight, while the lips are bright (think coral) and meant to stand out.  It's not a color combination I would've put together on my own, but somehow, it works a lot better than it sounds like it will.  It's fun and summery and a look I'd wear to a pool party or a night out with friends.

You Don't Look A Day Over 21

In June of 1983, Shu Uemura opened the first Beauty Boutique in Tokyo's Omotesando district.  To celebrate the occasion, every year a limited edition collection of the most "festive" beauty products of the season is created to remember that special day.  This year, the collection is named HANA-BI, which means "fireworks," and was done to celebrate the season full of energy, excitement and festivals.  It was inspired by three elements of nature: terre (earth), rose (flower) and source (water).  The collection includes three fragrances of 100% natural origin that are each formulated with Depsea water and matching color palettes that are meant to capture the essence of each fragrance.