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Curl + Care CC Mascara

I've very rarely used Physicians Formula cosmetics, and it's not that I don't like them it's just that I never think of them, which seems like a mistake as they're afforable and most of their products are free of all the icky chemicals in so many lines.  I decided to give their new Curl + Care CC Mascara a whirl and for ten bucks I have to say I'm not really disappointed!  It coats the lashes well and while it tends more toward the natural look for coverage, I am thrilled it doesn't clump and definitely seperates lashes.   It's a bit smudgy so just be careful not to touch your lashes too soon after applying and it's definitely not a mascara you'll want to wear on your wedding day (not waterproof at all).  I love that it's free of parabens and synthetic dyes and fibers (sooo many mascaras are chock full o chemicals) but don't get rid of your curler because even though this mascara claims to curl lashes, it just doesn't.  Would I buy again?  Probably.  But fans claim their Lash Boosting is better so I might go for that one next time. 

My Kind Of Cashmere

I realize that I might be completely alone on this, but even though I like the look of cashmere, I find it itchy and not comfortable to wear at all.  Even the word cashmere makes me sort of shudder in anticipation of the itching.  (And don't even get me started on wool.  I have to layer like, two shirts under a wool sweater just to make it okay to put on when half the people I know can do it with just a camisole.  I'm weird, I know).  So I probably never would've even picked up Physicians Formula's Cashmere Wear Ultra-Smoothing Bronzer at CVS if it hadn't been on sale AND had a $4 coupon on the package, making it cost only somewhere around $5 for me.  I'm so glad I didn't let my fabric bias stop me because it might just be my new favorite drugstore bronzer.  I bought it in the Light Bronzer shade since I'm so pale naturally (it's also available in a darker shade called Bronzer) and the lighter shade is perfect for my pasty white complexion.  It gives me a nice hint of color without turning me orange or unnaturally tan and it's hypoallergenic and fragrance and oil-free, so it shouldn't make most people break out.  And seriously, how cute is the package and the weave pattern on the bronzer itself?  So cute!  I would totally buy it again at full price (which is still less than $15 anyway).  Definitely the sign of a great drugstore deal!

Become a Fan of Physicians Formula

All of you fans of Physicians Formula are going to be very excited about this.  The company is now offering Buy One Get One Free coupons (for use at Target) through their Facebook site (click here for the link).  Besides that, they're also offering these other prizes:

• Grand Prize – Go to Target and take a picture of yourself outside of the store holding any Physicians Formula product.  Upload the picture to Facebook (and tag PF) and automatically get entered to win one of two $500 Target gift cards (one drawing each month).
• Daily Prizes – For those that register but don’t upload a picture of themselves outside of Target, they will automatically be entered to win a $50 Target gift card (awarded daily for two months).
• Bonus Prize – If you get 20 friends to become fans of PF on Facebook and register, you win a $20 Target gift card.

How fun would a $500 Target shopping spree be?  I swear, every single time I go to Target I promise myself that I'm only going to pick up a few things, but I always spend $100.  Every.  Single.  Time.  Just think of the damage I could do with a free $500!

Red Carpet Beauty

How fantastic did Christina Applegate look at the Emmys?  So gorgeous.  Here's some info on how she got her glamorous look.

Physicians Formula’s celebrity makeup artist Joanna Schlip was inspired by Christina’s dramatic, navy sweeping gown by designer Basil Soda when creating her show-stopping look.

The vintage glamour of the navy stunner called for simple makeup that still made a statement.  With her hair pulled back in a chic chignon, Joanna was able to play up Christina’s eyes with a sexy retro smolder, while keeping her skin fresh and lips softly pink.  Like the dress, Christina’s makeup exuded a Brigitte Bardot 60’s cool, with a modern twist.

Skincare: To create a radiant glow, Joanna prepped Christina’s skin with three steps: First she cleansed with Clarins Water Comfort One Step Cleanser. She then applied Clarins Multi-Active Day Moisturizer, followed with Clarins Beauty Flash Balm for smooth, hydrated, radiant skin.
 
Face: Since Christina has naturally beautiful skin, Joanna kept her face mostly bare with a light wash of Clarins True Radiance Foundation.  She finished with a dusting of Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Face Sculpting Trio in Sunkissed Organics.

Cheeks: For a natural but luminous flush, Joanna applied Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Blush & Highlighter in Sunkissed Glow on the apples of her cheeks, sweeping up to the hairline.  The shimmering highlighter reflected the California sunlight on the red carpet, giving a healthy, peachy-pink glow.

Eyes: Joanna reflected the drama of Christina’s dress with a smoldering eye.  Using the dark gray shade from Clarins Colour Quartet for Eyes in So Chic, Joanna gave a smoky depth to Christina’s green eyes.  To add definition and drama, she applied Physicians Formula Eye Definer Felt-Tip Eye Marker in Ultra Black around the upper and lower lash line and also inside the wet line, then finished with three coats of Clarins Wonder Perfect Mascara in Black.
 
Lips: For a soft, modern pink mouth, Joanna applied Clarins Lip Definer in Bay Rose, and then added a hint of gloss with Physicians Formula Plump Potion Needle-Free Plumping Lipstick in Pink Nude Potion.

Free Bronzer!

Physicians Formula is one of my favorite drugstore brands.  (If you haven't tried their Shimmer Strips yet, get yourself to a drugstore this weekend.  They're awesome).  And even better than buying Physicians Formula is getting free Physicians Formula.  Right now, all eight Canyon Beachwear stores in Manhattan and throughout California are having a free bronzer promotion.  Every person that purchases a swim suit at a Canyon Beachwear store gets a free Physicians Formula bronzer from their just released Bronze Booster collection.  It's kind of a perfect pairing, if you think about it.  (I know no one wants to see my pale ass self in a bathing suit without a little self tanning beforehand).  The three bronzers in the collection are the Glow-Boosting Pressed Bronzer, the Glow-Boosting Loose Bronzing Veil, and the Self-Tanning Bronzing Veil, so there are a lot of options to fake your way to the perfect swimsuit look. 

Celebrate Earth Month!

For the month of April, you can actually do some good with your shopping!  From April 1st-April 30th, a portion of the proceeds from your purchase of any Physicians Formula Organic Wear product will go towards helping Global Green USA.  It's an organization that's dedicated to fostering a global value shift towards a sustainable and secure future by reconnecting humanity with the environment.  Sounds good, right?  In addition, Physicians Formula will also throw in a free lip gloss when you buy a blush/bronzer, or a free mascara if you buy a tinted moisturizer.  (I've tried all those products and you can't go wrong with any of them).  Besides, I think we can all agree - free stuff is the best stuff of all.

Smoky Eyes

Last year I was totally obsessed with Physicians Formula's Shimmer Strips for eyes, so I was super excited to find out that this month, they're introducing four new Smoky Collection Shimmer Strips.  They're available in four shades, Smoky Brown, Smoky Blue, Smoky Green and Smoky Hazel, and each set contains nine different shadows.  They're divided into "sections" of three shades each - one set for a natural look, one for a playful look, and one for a dramatic look.  What I really love about these palettes is that besides all the variety of having nine shades to play with, you can also use them in a ton of different ways.  You can apply them dry, wet, as shadow, as liner...  If they were any more multi-purpose, they could do your laundry for you.  There's really no limit to how many different looks you can create, which makes them great for traveling as well.  And you really don't have to restrain yourself - I have green eyes, but the colors are so great that I bought all four of the palettes.  (Note to my accountant:  this is not as wasteful as it sounds because I happened to stumble onto a display of them that were on sale for 40% off.  They were practically asking to come home with me!)  Even not on sale though, they're a total bargain at only $10.95 each.  If you bought them all, you'd get a whopping thirty-six shades for only $43.80.  Now that's a drugstore deal I can totally get behind.  (See how much I like them?  I did math for this post.  And I really, really hate math). 

The Smoky Collection Shimmer Strips are available at drugstores and mass market retailers everywhere.

Win A Trip to Los Angeles!

Physicians Formula is one of my favorite drugstore brands (their new Smoky Eye Shimmer Strip shadows are gorgeous!)  And now they've teamed up with Brickfish to give away a ton of great prizes.  Here's what you can win:

Grand Prize: One winner from the top 200 highest scoring entries will be whisked away to Los Angeles for a makeover with celebrity makeup artist Joanna Schlip, whose clients include Christina Applegate, Eva Longoria and Molly Simms. The grand prize winner will also receive a year’s supply of all of the Physicians Formula products Joanna recommends.

Runner-up: One winner from the top 200 highest scoring entries will receive the ultimate swag bag full of Physicians Formula goodies. 

Most Viral: Ten winners from the top 200 Most Viral entries will receive a swag bag from Physicians Formula including all of the new product launches matched to their skin tone for a year.

Sign-Up Sweepstakes: On a weekly basis, one winner (six total) who fills out the form in the Campaign Highlights section will be randomly selected to receive amazing Physicians Formula products.

Here's how it works:

Entrants submit photos or videos describing what they are passionate about.  Consumers then share their entries with each other via social media to get votes and reviews.  Entries are also ranked according to how “viral” they are (meaning how much they’ve been circulated throughout the Internet, be it via social networks, email, IM, or other sites). 

The campaign is going on now through March 19th.  To enter, go to  http://www.physiciansformula.com/brickfish.

Wear a Veil Every Day

I'm part ready to say goodbye to summer and part really sad that it's almost over.  On the one hand, fall brings the new TV season and no more sweating the second I get out of the shower.  On the other hand, summer means barbecues and sundresses, which I love.  The part of me that's hanging on to the warm weather is loving Physicians Formula's Mineral Wear Talc-Free Bronzing Veil.  I'm a big fan of bronzers (no sun for me!) and this one has a lot going for it.  It's totally portable, which I love, because if there's one thing I'm horrible at, it's remembering to pack brushes in my bags whenever I go anywhere.  (It happens to me all the time - I'll have the makeup, but nothing to apply it with besides my fingers, and that is so not happening).  It's great for people with skin that's prone to breakouts because it's hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, oil-free and talc-Free.  It's also non-comedogenic and dermatologist approved, so if you break out while wearing this, don't blame the bronzer!  Available in three shades that retail for only $11.95 (and that's without a coupon, which you can easily find most of the time), the color goes on light and natural, so it doesn't weigh down my skin or look too heavy.  (It's the summer, after all - I want my skin to breathe!)  I've been throwing this in my bag lately and busting it out after lunch instead of my usual pressed powder to make my face less shiny.  I'm going to be so sad when I have to force myself to give up bronzer and go back to my usual pale white self in a month or so.  (Although considering some of the scary orange women Los Angeles has to offer, maybe I don't...) 

Photo courtesy of Physicians Formula

Organic Shopping

This one's for all you Los Angelenos out there... Physicians Formula Organic Wear (the first brand to bring certified organic makeup to consumers) is teaming up with organic farmer's markets across the country so that when you're shopping for organic food, you can also find organic makeup.  (How did no one think of this before?  Food shopping would be so much more fun if there was makeup involved!  If my Trader Joe's had a mini-Sephora in it, I would be there every week!) 

Tomorrow, they will be at the Hollywood Farmer's Market from 9am-1pm (it's located at Iva and Selma Ave. between Hollywood and Sunset Blvd.)  There will be coupons and products and the chance for you to get more information on the entire line and the concept behind it.  (I've tried almost all of the products and they're fantastic). 

If you can't make it out to see it all in person, you can find more info about the line here. 

Photo courtesy of Physicians Formula