At the Vanity - ABCs of great beauty products, part two

I stands for D&G L'Imperatrice perfume. I have difficulty describing this perfume, because every time I try to explain its scent, it comes out as, "It smells and feels like a fresh breeze." Because it really does. It's so unique and refreshing that it feels like a breeze grazing the skin. But saying that aloud generally raises some eyebrows from peers, so I'm just going to suggest that each person takes a quick sniff and comes to his or her own conclusion.

J stands for Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes. Simply put, these wipes smell heavenly. When I use these wipes in Sephora to take makeup off of a client's face, said client almost always remarks about how great these smell. I wouldn't mind having this airy, fruity scent hovering around my face for the day.

K stands for Kat Von D Painted Love lipstick in Adora. I've become disillusioned by the lack of novel colors and formulas for different lip products that have recently appeared on store shelves. Adora is a glaring exception to that lack. The color, which is like toned-down red aluminum foil, is lovely and adds a glistening sheen that other reds lack. The shade isn't too crazy as to be over-the-top or unwearable for every day, but it does stand out from the crowd. Christine from makeup blog Temptalia has a lovely swatch of the shade.

L stands for Living Proof's No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream. Living Proof, the company which has patented its innovative anti-frizz formulas as created by the MIT scientists that founded it, recently repackaged its styling cream - a balm that isn't too heavy, doesn't have a cloying scent and which leaves curls nicely primped without the dreaded frizz factor. The price point is a bit high, but this product does work.

M stands for Make Up For Ever's 12 Flash Color Case. This case consists of 12 different uber-pigmented cream colors that supply a generous supply of each hue with just a pinpoint of product. The colors can be easily mixed to create an even more expansive array of pigments, and these can be used anywhere on the body. I've been lusting after this kit for months. Gah, if only it wasn't a c-note.

N stands for Nars' blush in Orgasm. Behold the top-selling blush in the nation. This lovely shimmery peachy pink literally looks great on every skin tone. I've applied this blush to the cheeks of fair, fair girls all the way through to dark, dark girls...and every.single.person.wore.it.well. Though it has a cheeky name (no pun intended), this blush deserves its position in the number one spot. Though I love the original Orgasm for the powder blush, the Nars Illuminator in Super Orgasm, which is an even more shimmery pinker version of the original, is beautiful when layered atop Orgasm along the top of the cheekbone.

O stands for Oribe's Gold Pomade. Pomade that gives hair a metallic, otherworldly glisten and shine. If that doesn't sound enticing, then I'm at a loss as to what does.

P stands for Philosophy's Take a Deep Breath moisturizer. This lightweight gel moisturizer is perfect for normal, combination or oily skin, especially in the warm summer months, as it's not a thick cream that will clog pores or make the face shiny, but it is still very hydrating. It's like a cool breeze on the skin.

Q stands for Queen Helen's Mint Julep Masque. This drugstore mask has been a cult favorite for many, many years, as it's known as an overnight clear skin maker, proven to dry up any problem areas while delivering a minty tingle as it dries. This masque goes to show that wonder products aren't only found in department and specialty stores.

R stands for Stella McCartney's Rose Absolute perfume. I distinctly remember the first time I caught a whiff of this scent - I was flipping through a Sephora catalog and the rosy notes just struck a chord with me. I ripped out that sample scent strip and inhaled as if my life depended on it. Which is odd, because I usually do not like rose fragrances...at all. Alas, this perfume was discontinued a while ago, so I hold on to every last drop and only wear it on special occasions.

S stands for Smashbox's Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating foundation. Though this is a full coverage foundation, it looks fresh and natural on the skin, leaving no powdery cast or mask-like doll face effect. For this reason, the captain of the Beauty Studio at my Sephora loves to use this on brides, plus it photographs beautifully. It's great for combination and oily skin, as there is never a sheen left on the skin. Love, love, love.

At the Vanity - ABCs of great beauty products, part one

I like making lists. My mind seems to take a sigh of relief when things are written out and composed in an orderly fashion. Therefore, I have listed out 26 beauty items that I am currently coveting or that I own and that have made me a believer. These products, as the title may suggest, correspond to letters of the alphabet.

Now that is some Sesame Street-style fun. Or OCD fun...whichever.

A stands for Alterna Bamboo Volume Uplifting Root Blast. I'm a fan of mousse and dry shampoos, both of which give pretty decent volume to the hair without weighing it down. But while mousse is only good for damp hair and dry shampoo creates a "not flat" look, I've found from playing around in Sephora with this Root Blast that it delivers a seriously heady dose of vavoom to the tresses. I need one in my life.

B stands for Smashbox Brow Tech To Go. Brows can be confusing buggers. Many people want "their own brows, but a little better", as in they'd like to look more put together without their peers being able to pinpoint that brow tweaking is the culprit. For the person that doesn't want to deal with eyebrow paint, wax, or matching brow powder colors to the hair, enter Smashbox's Brow Tech To Go. This pencil is one of the most foolproof brow fillers on the market and it comes in two universal shades, a light and a dark. Basically, this is a triangle-shaped pencil with a thin point for marking in individual brow hairs and a thicker edge for shaping and coloring in broad strokes. Plus, on the end is a clear mascara for shaping unruly brows. Yet another item on my wish list.

C stands for Clarisonic Mia 2. This product comes from the inventor of the Sonicare toothbrush, and uses the same type of massage technology. The pulsating spinning brush head of the Mia 2 promises to clean skin six times better than the traditional washcloth method - in under one minute flat. There is a timer on the Mia 2 that signifies when the user should move from one part of the face to the other when cleaning, and it allows 20 seconds for the forehead, 20 seconds for the nose and chin, and 10 seconds for each cheek. Everyone that owns a Clarisonic product loves it. Simply look up reviews at Sephora and Amazon to see for yourself. People claim that their skin has cleared up in weeks when over-the-counter products and prescriptions alike were doing no such thing.

D stands for DuWop Venom Lipgloss. Truth be told, I've never been a huge fan of lipgloss. Generally speaking, I find most glosses to be sticky, taste nasty (admit it...you've licked your lips unintentionally and suffered the backlash of a glossy tang), not provide much color, and constantly need to be reapplied. I actually tried this lipgloss after seeing it on my mom. Lady wore it well. So I stole the bottle and tried the same color - Coral Tree, in case you were wondering - on myself. And lo and behold, it looked...really pretty. Subtle shimmer, a dash of color and understated shine. A+

E stands for Shisheido Extra Smooth Sun Protection Lotion SPF 38 PA+++. Asian and European countries are ahead of America in the realm of sunscreen, as far as I'm concerned. Most American-made sunscreens have a zinc-y smell that, once applied to the skin, creeps up the nose of anyone standing within a 10-foot parameter of said sunscreen wearer. It's like an invisible wall that screams, "I have no melanin! I need this liquid armor!" Not so with brands such as La Roche-Posay, Kose and Shiseido, the latter of which has one of the most extensive offerings of sunscreen that I've seen from a brand. Taking over a single shelf at Sephora, Shiseido has more than 15 products designed for the specific and various needs of both the face and body. The Extra Smooth Sun Protection Lotion SPF 38 PA+++ protects not only the epidermis, but the dermis as well, and the thin liquid makes in perfect for applying to the face. The lack of tangible scent only adds to its list of desirable characteristics. My skin needs this!

F stands for Fresh Sugar Face Polish. It's expensive, but the granules in this are perfectly shaped so as to turn the exfoliation process into a decadent affair where the byproduct is luxuriously smooth skin. Smooth as a baby's butt. Plus the scent is heavenly. Fresh is the one brand that has nailed the scent of sugar, and with the added strawberry note, this product gets kicked up a notch on the grading scale. And Julia, the Fresh brand representative for my Sephora, said that the strawberry scent in the Fresh line is supposed to give off the delicate scent of a strawberry garden rather than the sickly sweet artificial smell that many other manufacturer's use in their products.

G stands for OPI's German Fall Collection in "German-icure". I haven't been this excited about a nail collection launch in years due to the monsoon of neons and pastels one after another that kind of desensitized me. But these shades are bold and shimmery without being over-the-top. And the Scrangie blog has lovely full scale swatches of every color in the new collection.

H stands for Hanae Mori "Butterfly" perfume. The softest, prettiest scent ever. Ever.

At the Vanity - Makeup samples and subscription boxes

Ah samples, who doesn't love them?

Why would I buy a full-size product and hope that it lives up to the claims on its packaging when, instead,  I can test out a small-size portion on my own time, away from garish department store lighting and pushy salespeople? Many times, these samples are what draw customers back to in to buy the full-size portions. When I'm working in Sephora, several clients will return to the store days after having sampled a product, asking to buy the full-size product.

With the advent of stores like Sephora and Ulta, whose claims to fame are the accessible testers of each item sold in-store, consumers now want to test out products before buying them. And with good reason. For instance,several people have very sensitive skin that reacts negatively to certain ingredients found in many products. Others simply want to test out a product to wear over the course of a normal day in their life to see if it works with their specific wants and needs (say, a cross-country skier with perennially dry skin will need a different moisturizer than a teenage girl who is looking to cut down on oil and shine). At Sephora, we make sure to ask each client what issues he or she is looking to target and fix. This enables us to create samples of products that are specifically targeted to fix said issue while keeping in mind the unique preferences of the client.

Sephora has a "club" that shoppers can join which allows them to rack up beauty points that can be traded in for large, consistently updated samples of products. At any given time, there will be three different 100-point products, and one or two 500-point products offered in deluxe samples to beauty insiders. These samples usually change on a weekly basis. At my Sephora location, the three 100-point samples for this week are a Tarina Tarantino Fleur de Lash mascara, an Ole Henriksen  Truth Serum Collagen Booster and a Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm. The 500-point gift is a Caudalie 3-piece Beauty Essentials kit.

(photo c/o sephora.com)

These products can be chosen in-store or online, and there is a link on the website where Beauty Insiders can see which products are being offered at any given time. Even if shoppers aren't part of the Beauty Insider program, every online order allows them to choose three samples from a large selection of possible choices.

Aside from free samples, the store has a section called "Beauty To Go" where smaller sized versions of popular products are available so that, as with sampling, clients can try products to see if they like them before throwing down a pretty penny on something that leaves them feeling "meh". These junior versions of products in Beauty To Go can also function as travel size products when one doesn't want to deal with the hassle of redistributing a product into different containers.

It's not just Sephora that's in on the "deluxe sample" action. New Beauty (of the magazine) recently set up a boutique shop in the Los Angeles Fred Segal boutique, where they launched the TestTube, a sampling station inside of the store where customers can pack a capsule with samples that they choose from the 30 available options.

 But it's not just brick-and-mortar stores that offer freebie packs.

Beauty brands such as Julep have started subscriber programs where, for a monthly fee (Julep's is $20 per month) the brand will mail a box of items (some sample-sized, others full-sized) every month for the user to try.

Birchbox, Glossybox, Joliebox and Lust Have It are all companies that were founded on the same premise as above (a subscription to a monthly box of beauty goodies), but instead of sending only a single brand's products, various brands are represented in each package. And though there seems to be a point of contention between these brands (they are essentially built on the same business model), not all are stationed stateside - Glossybox focuses on international brands and is based out of several different countries, Birchbox is also home-based, but focuses both on well-known brands and up-and-comers, Joliebox is made in the United Kingdom and France and Lust Have It is Australia's version.

 (photo c/o birchbox.com)

(photo c/o glossybox.com)

(photo c/o joliebox.co.uk)

(photo c/o lusthaveit.com.au)

 Blogger Pink Sith showed the goods that she received in her June 2012 Birchbox: a full-size Stila bronzer, a Juicy Couture fragrance sample, a Coola mineral sunscreen, a lip stain from The Balm and a colorful ziplock bag that is the perfect size to take on flights. (Did you click on the link for the Stila bronzer? Anything that is sent out in the monthly Birchbox can be purchased from birchbox.com).

If one is a fan of novelty and discovering new products and brands, then these subscription boxes may be just the answer. As was discussed on Pink Sith, the $10/month price for the Birchbox may seem negligible when a $36 bronzer is delivered in the box. However, it's a gamble. What if a subscriber doesn't like anything that was sent in the box for three months? Is that $30 that could have potentially been spent on one full-size product that the subscriber knows that she would have loved? But then again, people pay for magazine subscriptions with the hope that each issue will behold information that is relatable and interesting. That doesn't always happen, either.

So, what are your thoughts on these beauty subscription/sampling services? Would you be willing to pay for one, and if so, which?

At the Vanity - Foundations for fair skin

Foundation, being the base upon which all other makeup relies, has a big job to do. It must even out the complexion, but do so imperceptibly. It must not be too thick, must cancel out oiliness while not drying out the skin, must last for hours on end, must not oxidize so much as to change its color once on the skin, it has to match the wearer's undertones, it must be in an acceptable price range, it must work with certain types of moisturizers, primers, etc. It's the quarterback of the beauty team, if you will. If it doesn't hold up, everything else falls down around it.

Since most of the population has skintone that lies somewhere in the middle of the color spectrum, makeup companies tend to offer shades that complement these medium-hued skin tones of their most populous customer base. Because of this, very fair folk and very dark folk sometimes get the shaft when it comes to color selection. I've lost count of the number of times I have swatched the lightest foundation shade offered in a brand's selection and found it to be too yellow or orange.

And another one bites the dust.

We've all seen the person with the unfortunate telltale line foundation across her jawbone. It's a battle trying to color match for foundations like Revlon, Maybelline, Almay and others because there aren't any testers available in stores, leaving you to eyeball the color and hold up the glass bottle to your skin in the hopes that you can get a good judge of hue and finish. But should you visit department stores or Sephora where testers are available, you'll inevitably spend a pretty penny. While there are definitely some great formulas to be found in the drugstore aisles, unless you know for sure which works for you, the department store brands - due to the availability of testing the product out - may save you money in the end because you'll know before a purchase is made which formula is your best personal match.

In my search to find a formula that would match up to my skintone, I swatched quite a few shades to hopefully give other fair-skinned ladies an idea of how some of these shades pull. I've always matched to the lightest shade in every formula, so if you are usually the lightest as well, I hope this is helpful. Though by no means an exhaustive list, there are a few of the more popular foundations that have been swatched.

Starting from the top right column, going downward and then looping back up, I've numbered the shades.

1. Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Ultra Lift and Firm Makeup in Ecru
2. Shiseido 'The Makeup' Dual Balancing Foundation in 100 - Very Light Ivory
3. Estee Lauder Equalizer Smart Makeup in Pearl
4. Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation in Fair
5. Dior Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Hydrating Makeup in Ivory 010
6. Dior Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Creme-Gel Makeup in Ivory 010
7. Make Up For Ever High Definition in 120
8. Make Up For Ever High Definition in 115
9. Make Up For Ever High Definition in 110
10. Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet in 15 - Alabaster
11. Lorac Breakthrough Performance Foundation in SMS 1- Porcelain
12. Lorac Natural Performance Foundation in NP 1 - Porcelain
13. Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation in Porcelain
14. Cover FX Natural FX Water Based Foundation in E0
15. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H in 100 - Ivoire
16. Lancome Teint Miracle in 1N - Ivoire
17. Nars Tinted Moisturizer in Finland
18. Nars Sheer Matte Foundation in Siberia
19. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Montblanc
20. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia
21. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Gobi
22. Benefit Hello Flawless! Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation in I'm Pure 4 Sure Ivory

I took an indoor/without flash, indoor/with flash, outdoor/shade and outdoor/direct sunlight to try and capture the shades the best.

In my opinion, Make Up For Ever's Mat Velvet, Nars' Sheer Matte Foundation, and Estee Lauder's Equalizer in Pearl are pretty good color matches. However, as you can see, many of them are orange.

Ah, such is the light life. What are your suggestions for a foundation? Any that have worked well for you?

At the Vanity - Aveda

Being as I am a beauty junkie, I'm always on the search for my next Holy Grail item; that which will supersede all products that came before it due to its amazingness.

Much like how women buy items from department store makeup counters after they've received awe-inspiring results from a makeover, so have I scooped up items that hairdressers have used on me while they were finishing up my 'do. Of course, the real test of whether a product is a Holy Grail item is if it lives up to its promise when I'm doing my hair, as opposed to having a professional work on me. Just like women getting makeovers, though, the product itself is usually not what makes the look. Rather, it's the technique; that illusive touch that professionals with hundreds of hours of practice time have accumulated and that we mere mortals don't have a chance at replicating. So, more often than not, these products purchased with the greatest hopes fall short of spectacular.

However, once I started going to a stylist at an Aveda salon, the products started measuring up. Aside from the ambiance of the salon which offered coffee each time that I went in for an appointment, where head and neck massages were standard, and which was housed in the Victorian-style house of the first female dentist, the products really did lure me in and keep me captivated.
Usually I would buy a product, possibly two, from the former stylists I went to. When I visit Lydia, my current Aveda stylist, I'll usually come home with a new product after each appointment. The reason I keep adding more to my collection is simple: I can recreate looks at home in almost the same way that Lydia performed them in the salon. This goes to show that the products really do add that extra oomph that aid in styling.

And as such, I'm sold.

Though I've tried eight Aveda products, these three are at the top of the pecking order:
1. Confixor
2. Brilliant
3. Damage Remedy

Confixor singlehandedly sold me on the notion that I, owner of slightly wavy/curly hair, could use gel to obtain a certain look. The word gel used to freak me out as all I could imagine was a thick, goopy, green pot of substance that would turn my strands into a crispy mess. Confixor is a liquid gel that provides a bit of shape, weight and hold to the hair, making the strands (seem) thicker after it has dried. I like it because it gives movement to my hair without crunch or weighing down my curls. Bonus: It has that earthy smell that Aveda is known for, which I love. 

Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair is an opaque liquid gel that provides protection against heat styling and also wards off split ends. What with highlighting my hair and probably going a bit too long in between appointments, this stuff improves the look of my follicles, making sure that they don't go haywire on me. There is a whole line of Damage Remedy products including shampoo, conditioner and a nighttime leave-in treatment. 

Brilliantine Damage Control is part of the Brilliant line, which is composed of shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, pomades, gel, shine spray, gloss gel and styling creme. I use Brilliant as a detangler for right when I get out of the shower, but it also protects hair from heat damage, whether due to styling tools or the sun. It's like a delightfully scented SPF for hair. 

At the Vanity - Comparing Beauty Balms aka BB creams

Beauty Balms are the trendy new beauty products on the US market, and it seems as though every women's magazine has praised these all-in-one items for one thing or another.

As the story goes, Beauty Balms originated in Germany a few decades ago when a dermatologist saw a need for a product that would help soothe and protect the skin of his patients that had recently undergone facial rejuvenation surgeries and/or treatments that had left their skin sensitive, tender and/or scarred. So a balm was created that provided both hydration and sunscreen to sensitive skin, as well as adding a tint of color to the face that would mask any tell-tell effects of procedures, should the patient choose to go out in public.

Years later, Korean actresses found the product and, upon realizing the multifunctional, positive effects of using such a cream, became the first public spokespeople that promoted the products. These Korean actresses, always being seen with flawless complexions, then spawned a nationwide fervor for beauty balms that spread throughout Asia, and now has come to the United States.

This was a brief "nutshell" description, so more in-depth behind-the-scenes information can still be found. One of the most comprehensive articles I found on Beauty Balms can be found HERE.

In the United States, Beauty Balms are now marketed as the all-in-one products that will eliminate the need for separate primers, foundations, concealers and sunblocks. This claim intrigued me, and I wanted to try out the formulas of various brands that offered BB creams. Since so many brands have decided to ride the wave of popularity that Beauty Balms have enjoyed, trying to find the perfect Beauty Balm is akin to finding the perfect foundation...it's going to take some digging. A brief list of the brands that have released Beauty Balms include: Dior, Too Faced Cosmetics, Maybelline, Revlon, Dr. Jart, Boscia, Lancome, Dr. Brant, Sarah McNamara, Clinique and Smashbox. This is not an exhaustive list. There are several more foreign brands that are available online or overseas.

The four brands that I chose to swatch and test out are, from left to right: Sarah McNamara's Miracle Skin Transformer, Smashbox's Camera Ready BB Cream, Dr. Jart's Water Fuse Beauty Balm and Dr. Jart's Premium Beauty Balm. The first picture is of the BB creams outside, in a shaded area. The second is in direct sunlight. Seems pretty self-evident, but there's always that one person...

Each swatch was applied straight down the arm, but toward the bottom I patted each product out a bit to give an idea of how much pigment was left when it was sheered into the skin, as would be done when applied to the face.

The results:

Sarah McNamara's Miracle Skin Transformer is the softest, most luxurious anything I've ever put on my skin. It felt like creamy silk, like...I will never be able to accurately describe the feeling without sounding like a fruitloop. Simply put, it feels like clouds on your skin. But...it didn't cover anything. This product may hydrate and leave you feeling soft and pampered, but it left out the foundation and concealer element of the BB cream's appeal. There are a few different pigments available for a variety of skintones. The scent of sunscreen is also present, but isn't a deterrent. The price is $42 for a 1.7 ounce tube.

Smashbox's Camera Ready BB Cream seems to defy gravity, as the product itself gives the impression that you are squirting a heaping blob of moussey cream into your hands, but it sheers out into a soft, lightweight cream foundation. Unlike Sarah McNamara's product, the Camera Ready BB Cream does offer enough coverage to function as a foundation, as the pigment it provides is somewhere between that of a tinted moisturizer and of a liquid foundation. There is a slight sheen to it that gives off a dewy vibe. There are four colors available, and surprisingly, they match most skintones quite well. Sunscreen scent is also present, but isn't a deterrent. The price is $39 for a 1 ounce tube.

Dr. Jart's Water Fuse Beauty Balm is very hydrating and super dewy. Unlike Smashbox's formula, though, the sheen that it gives off can quickly make skin go from looking refreshed to just plain oily. Sunscreen scent is present, but it isn't a deterrent. Ultimately though, there wasn't enough coverage in this formula to consider it to be anything more than a hydrating balm. It also only comes in one color, and that color runs very light. If I had liked the formula more, the color would have been perfect for me. The price is $30 for a 1 ounce tube.

Dr. Jart's Premium Beauty Balm is less water-based than his Water Fuse Beauty Balm, which takes away the issue of inducing the look of oily skin, but the formula is still just as emollient as the Water Fuse formula. The best part about the Premium Beauty Balm is that more pigment has been added to it, thereby guaranteeing more coverage. I really liked this formula as it seemed to perfectly do everything that Beauty Balms were claiming to do for the skin: prime, conceal, even out and provide SPF protection. The sunscreen scent is the same as it is in the Water Fuse formula. The price is $39 for a 1.4 ounce tube.

Overall, for me, the winners were Dr. Jart's Premium Beauty Balm and Smashbox's Camera Ready BB Cream for the way they delivered on their claims to offer sun protection, radiance and coverage in lightweight, soft formulas.

At the Vanity - Comparing St. Tropez, Lorac and Pacifica bronzing lotions

Ah yes, springtime. Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, the sky stays blue past five o'clock, and the sun is bright and shining. And the sun's presence brings with it a bronzed population of people basking in it's warmth. (By the way, stop basking. SPF PA+++ is the new black, I hear.) However, should you wish to protect your skin from cancer and/or wrinkles, sun spots, vitamin D overdose (has this ever actually happened?) leathery skin, sunburn, and more, there are other options available of the faux-tan variety.

Aside from gradual self-tanners that can be layered day after day for darker color, there are bronzers on the market that add color to the skin, but that wash off at the end of the day. As anyone that has tried gradual self-tanners or bronzers knows, finding a formula with a color that looks natural, doesn't reek, applies evenly and won't stain skin or clothes is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Especially because I am fair-skinned, I have to be super careful with what I apply to my body, else I can end up looking like one of the following: 1) bruised, as though someone stood close range and threw golf balls at me; 2) like Snooki; or 3) like I have jaundice. Therefore, I've become quite the product patch tester in order to avoid all three of those unfortunate scenarios.

The three bronzers that I've tried are the St. Tropez 'One Night Only' Instant Glow Body Lotion, Lorac's 'TANtalizer' Body Bronzing Luminizer and Pacifica's 'Coconut Crushed Pearl' Bronzing Body Butter.

I swatched each of the three formulas on my arm for an easy comparison. There is a dark, more concentrated swatch of each formula paired next to how the it looks once sheered out on the skin. Just to show the hue, amount of pigment and shimmer of each one, the comparison pictures were taken in outdoor shade, direct sunlight, and indoors.

 (Outdoor shade. From left to right: St. Tropez, Lorac, Pacifica)

(Direct sunlight.)

(Indoor lighting.)

St. Tropez - This product already has a cult following, and it has been endlessly mentioned from magazines to blogs, but this is my first experiment with the brand. I must say, I'm a believer. The addition of a green pigment to the formula keeps that dreaded orangey pigment at bay and creates very natural-looking color. I love that, unlike some clear formulas, you can see where the color is being applied when you put it on your skin, and even though the color looks dark against my own skin, it can easily be sheered down to a lighter wash without getting splotchy. Of the three formulas, this one was the only without any shimmer to it. Another plus? The scent is wonderful, as it smells like a light Ralph Lauren perfume. Finally, the price of $18 for five ounces of product really can't be beat. 

Lorac - This bronzer won Allure's Best of Beauty award last year, so it's had it's fair share of acclaim. The main reason that I gave this brand a go was because while I was in Sephora, I saw that a fair-skinned redhead had applied product to only one of her legs, leaving the other intentionally bare so as to compare it to her natural skin tone. It looked amazing. I wouldn't have been able to tell that she wasn't naturally as tan as the 'TANtalizer' made her look. On the small swatch I applied to my arm, it looks slightly more red-tinged when compared with St. Tropez, but once sheered out, it looks uber-natural. 'TANtalizer' doesn't contain any glitter, but it does have a shimmer-sheen to it. The scent isn't off-putting, but it does smell artificially fruity, a bit like how scented ChapStick smells. The price is $32 for a 5-ounce tube.

Pacifica - This particular product seems to be more moisturizing than the other two, with less pigment, almost as though it is a body lotion first and the bronzing element comes as a perk. The color is a reddish bronze that, while not necessarily unnatural looking, does contain glitter pigments that would alert onlookers to its faux-ness. This lotion can be sheered out to the point where only the teensiest amount of color - with plenty of glitter - remains. The smell, unfortunately, turned me off of it almost entirely, as it smells like old, fake, stale coconut. I don't even know if coconuts can get stale or what a stale coconut actually does smell like...but I imagine it would be something akin to the scent of this lotion. The price is $24 for an 8-ounce tube.

At the Vanity - Violent Lips temporary lip tattoos

Similar to how a fly is mesmerized by a light, I am mesmerized by anything containing shimmer, glitter or shine.

When I saw a video tutorial recently on how to wear a new product - temporary lip tattoos - my interest and excitement immediately piqued. I had to acquire a pair for myself. Luckily for me, amongst the lip designs offered such as zebra print, pink polka dots, and the American flag, there were four glitter shades named, fittingly, The Glitterati. I bought pink, red and silver Glitterati packs (each pack comes with three lip tattoos) so that I would be stocked up for any occasion that called for vibrant, fun makeup.

The instructions for applying the lip tattoo are listed on the back of each wrapper and are pretty self-explanatory. There are also several online tutorials that guide people on the application process. Also, should you wish to see celebrities and bloggers sporting some of the other designs that Violent Lips offers, simply type 'Violent Lips' into Google's search, and then click on images.

The one issue I had was with where to snip the paper if my lips fell inside of the given parameters. For instance, the instructions say never to cut from the very top of the lip shape, nor from the bottom. I found, however, that my lip shape is much more of a curving cupid's lip than the wider shape seen here, so I snipped a bit from both the top and the bottom on my second tattoo so as to create a curve that fit my own lip shape, and found it to then fit better than the first tattoo I tried, which was a bit too big for my lips.

First try: Red Glitterati

Second attempt: Pink Glitterati

See how the shape fits much better the second time around. Others may have no issues on their first time wearing these, but for me, practice made perfect.

I was pretty psyched about it. Not only was I sporting some seriously glitter bedecked smackers, but the top and bottom tattoos weren't catching on each other. Hooray! Because it isn't attractive to be talking to someone and have to excuse yourself so that you can peel one lip away from the other.

At the Vanity - Benefit's "Hervana" blush and "Hello Flawless!" foundation

I recently described how much I liked Benefit's "Finding Mr. Bright" kit, and I wanted to talk about two of the brand's other products that I own that I'm a fan of as well - Hervana blush and Hello Flawless! foundation.

Hervana blush contains four pink shades arranged within the box in a pinwheel fashion, so that when a brush is swiped across the surface and then applied to cheeks, a single cool-toned, dusky rose hue appears to brighten up a complexion. I like this blush because it is user friendly; you can swipe just once for a slightly-darker-than-sheer pop of color, or layer the shade for more pigment.

Hello Flawless foundation has medium-to-full coverage that can be applied once for light coverage, or can be layered more than once for a more airbrushed finish. Though it is oil-free, it does have a slightly dewy finish to it. One thing I really like about this foundation is the addition of PA+++ sunscreen. PA+++, unlike regular SPF, actually protects the dermis of the skin instead of just the upper epidermis, so the UVA rays of sunlight that cause wrinkles and sunspots aren't able to penetrate when properly applied.

Both products have been applied with just a single swipe on my arm, thus why they are barely perceptible. But as we learned above, more than one application will deepen the opacity of these babies in no time.

At the Vanity - Benefit's "Finding Mr. Bright" makeup kit

I like Benefit Cosmetics simply enough because I find them to be inherently likeable. The brand's message seems to be, "Just have fun!" I like having fun, ergo, I like Benefit. All products come packaged in pin-up centric, retro-chic designs, with cheeky names such as "They're Real" mascara, "Girl Meets Pearl" luminizer, or "Georgia" peach blush. The line is devoted to encouraging people to not take makeup (or themselves) too seriously. Because when it comes down to it, we're dabbling in cosmetics, not quantum physics

The background history of how the company's first product was created is pretty great, too. Legend has it that the founding duo of Benefit Cosmetics, twin models Jean and Jane, created the original Benefit cosmetics item - Benetint - because an older stripper came into their shop and requested a product to make her "lady bits" pinker. Jean and Jane had no such product at the time, but they told the old stripper that they would have something for her the next day. The twins worked all night and after adding food coloring, plus several other ingredients, the product known as Benetint was born. Soon after, requests for the product came flooding in left and right, and Benefit Cosmetics' upward trajectory officially began. Nowadays it is one of the bestselling brands of makeup in the industry. All because of

I liked the "Finding Mr. Bright" set because it offers a taste of the bestselling "pick-me-up" products in the Benefit line. I am a luminizer and highlighter fiend, because I love the lit-from-within glow that they provide. And Benefit's selection of highlighters ensures that there are products specially suited to every skin tone. For example, High Beam has a pearlescent finish that suits cool-toned gals, Sun Beam that contains a golden-bronze finish for darker-skinned ladies, and Moon Beam, which offers a neutral-toned golden pink sheen that is universally compatible. I would love to get a bottle of Moon Beam, because even though I am fair-skinned, I like warmer hues to add some color to my cheeks during warmer weather.

                                       (Photos c/o benefitcosmetics.com)

The "Finding Mr. Bright" kit offered two other highlighters, Girl Meets Pearl and High Beam, as well as a concealer, Erase Paste, and a a sheer pink cheek stain, Posie Tint. I am pretty happy with this little collection, as three of the four products suited my light skin perfectly. Being the greedy little luminizer-hoarding gremlin that I am, I was delighted that this kit came equipped with two products that function as highlighters. Girl Meets Pearl has more of a neutral-toned peachy gold finish whereas High Beam has the blue-pink undertones that suit pale skin, so I've got options as to what look I'm going for on a given day or night. Posie Tint, which I use as a blush, is neither too dark, too unnaturally light or too garishly pigmented, which makes for foolproof application with buildable color. The one reason I've never been a huge fan of other cheek and lip stains is because they, you guessed it, tend to stain the skin. This can make sheering out blush an impossible task, because the pigment refuses to budge and dilute. Posie Tint has converted me into a stain blush believer, though. The only product that didn't work for me was the Erase Paste concealer, simply because it came in the second darkest shade, and I need a lighter color.

                                                              (Girl Meets Pearl, High Beam, Posie Tint)


Another reason to like the brand is because of the way it puts value on educating and communicating with its customers. The Youtube page not only features one of the Benefit makeup artists giving a brief tutorial on how to use each product in the kit, but the PR people at Benefit also respond - in the brand's irreverent tone - to viewer's questions posted in the comments. Being a journo and marketing grad, I appreciate that.