Review: Dr. Brandt pores no more® Pore Refiner

"Blessed" with unsightly blackheads and large pores that ooze oil on your nose? Not a pretty picture, I tell ya. Let me introduce you to Dr. Brandt's pores no more Pore Refiner, aka. a mattifying life-saver for your nose! I have been using this for two weeks now- every morning after my daily facial cleanse. I dab just a bit on my nose and T-zone area and it's like magic! (if you believe in that sort of thing)

It is flesh tone colored with tiny shimmers so although it may seem like it is reflecting shine on your face, it's actually brightening it. It's formulated to smooth your skin and leave a matte finish. I am amazed by the results- significantly less shine so I don't have use all those blotters all the time. When I'm still feeling a bit shiny by mid-afternoon, I use this for quick touch-ups.

The Dr. Brandt Pore Refiner is one of the best mattifying lotion I have used. It's also a great primer before you put on your foundation/face makeup. If you've got oily/combination skin, you should give this a try and see how it works!

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)
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Yagolicious NYC Beauty Affair Recap

The evening of Sept. 16 was quite memorable- not only did a storm/tornado hit and left NYC, I attended my first Yagolicious Beauty Affair! (sponsored by Yagolicious Cosmetics - gotta love women entrepreneurs!) The event was held in the private room at the Beauty Bar, which is a venue with drinks, snacks and you can get your nails done at the same time. How fab is that?! Special Thanks to YAGO for the VIP invite! :)

Check out more pictures below of the diva-licious event! Though it was a small venue, everyone who attended with friends had a great time sipping on le Vive drinks, mini cupcakes and learning more about Yagolicious Cosmetics.

They didn't showcase the Yagolicious cosmetics for makeovers until halfway through the event. I was waiting to check these out!! Gorgeous colors!!

To check out the VIP goodie bag...
Unfortunately, I was not able to stay long enough to pick up the giftbags that evening. With the rain/storm chaos that night, traffic caused the bags to not make it in time. However, Yagolicious Cosmetics were generous enough to mail the VIP attendees the bags.

	Yes, this is the same palette that makeup artists used the same night as the Yagolicious Beauty Affair! I was drooling over this at the party! :)
	Here's all the goodies that Yago personally selected for me! Goodies from sponsors as well as Yagolicious Cosmetics' palette and quad. These colors are super pigmented and will be doing a review soon! Gonna try out some Yagolicious looks this month! :)

Missed out and want to join in the fun? On December 16 Yagolicious Beauty Affair is coming back with conjunction with WIN (Women in Need) VIP guests get goodie bags along with their new Face Clutch Lip Palette! Get more info here: http://yagoliciouscosmetics.eventbrite.com/
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Review: Lavera Sunscreen & Organic Cosmetics

Earlier this year at the PrettyCity.com's Green & Gorgeous event, I was introduced to Lavera sunscreen. Did you know that they are the #1 sunscreen in Europe? After using this for the past 2 and a half weeks, I know why! This natural formula feels light and not sticky at all. It contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide to provide you SPF, this physical sunblocker does its job and is all-natural!

If there's one "beauty" related task you should do everyday, it really is to protect your skin and wear sunscreen. The Lavera Anti-Aging Facial Subscreen is easy enough to apply everyday and one that I am not allergic to! Hallelujah! Will I be stocking up on this? You bet- I can't risk getting a tomato-face burn after spending hours in the sun. :)

Lavera also has great natural, cosmetics that are paraben-free. Highly recommend these products b/c they contain organic ingredients and they work well! Especially lovee the glosses!

Lip glosses- These glosses are moisturizing and non-sticky. They don't have the chemicals that will make your lips feel icky, heavy and make you wonder what exactly is going into your system when you lick your lips. The clear gloss I tried made my lips look naturally shiny- nothing over the top, but gorgeous enough to wear everyday. The brighter red color in #6 will leave your lips berry stained and gorg!

Volumizing Mascara- The brown Volumizing Mascara really made my lashes thicker and stand out. I used this a few times without even curling my lashes though and although this mascara didn't give me volume with "curls" it did make it look thicker. Great formula that lasts all day without smudging! Eyeliner- This pencil eyeliner in Navy color is perfect to make your blue eyes pop, or to mix up your usual black/brown eyeliner routine. I found these to be pretty blendable so you can use it to create a smokey eye. I do have to say that if you have oily lids, you will need a primer! Also, it helps to set it with eyeshadow to make the color last longer.

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)
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Review: NYC Berry Bloom collection

NYC New York Color has a limited edition collection called Berry Bloom to celebrate the Fall plum and berry colors for your lips, eyes and face! I was sent a sampling of their products from this line to try and I def. have my favorites.

	First, their Individual Eyes Custom Compact eyeshadow palette in Berry Bloom, with 4 eyeshadow colors, primer, illuminator and sponge-tip applicator all in one convenient case! I loveee palettes and their color combination is just so pretty for the season. They have a how-to sketch in the back to demonstrate which color should be on your lid, contour, crease, etc. ($4.99, USD)
	Swatches: For their eyeshadows, I highly recommend using their primer to really get the colors to pop. See the difference? Otherwise, the colors are too light and you really don't get the pigmentation of the colors to show.

Next, they have Eye Dust Loose Powders in their collection in Wild Orchid and Sparkling Rose. I have never tried applying loose eyeshadow powder in a roller-ball packaging, and figured that the powder would get all over the place so I was a bit skeptical. I did a few swatches on my arm, and then applied it onto my eyelid. Although some powder fell onto my face, the ease of using these rollerball shadow cases is superb (the first few times you have to let the ball run smoothly and then it works OK!) The light pink sparkling rose color is gorgeous as an all-over color and highlighter.

Like most of NYC's collections, the Berry Bloom collection also carries blush and lipshades. The Lip Gloss in "Rose Kiss" will give you a pretty pink pout and the gloss in Peony Kiss is a bit darker, more of a berry wine color. The blushes in the collection unfortunately were a miss for me. The Rose color is so pretty in its packaging but absolutely had no color on me- it was super light and I might as well have worn nothing. The Cherry Blossom is bright and also not as pigmented. But if you're looking for a subtle look, a sweep of Cherry Blossom will give you fuscha, pink cheeks. ($2.99, USD)

Top: (Peony Kiss, Rose Kiss) Bottom: (Rose, Cherry Blossom)

Swatches:


Overall, I am liking NYC New York Color's products because they are affordable and offer great value. The eyeshadows and lip colors are my personal faves so I will be on the lookout for other great colors they offer. I also look forward to seeing their next, new collection at my local drugstore! They always seem to have new ones coming out! :)


(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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Conair's Power of Pink Supports BCRF

Happy 10/10/10 !

There's only 5 more days to enter my Conair Infiniti Pro giveaway! One lucky person will win this new hairdryer- learn about its new functions here. Hurry- ends 10/15/10. Enter now!

Conair is supporting Breast Cancer Research Foundation by donating a minimum of $100,000 and portion of its sales from their "Power of Pink" hair tools. Check out the full line at: http://www.conair.com/Breast_Cancer_Month.

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Zoe&Zac Naturals Beauty at Payless stores

Zoe&Zac Naturals is the new beauty products sold exclusively at Payless. When I went to a Payless store one day to browse, I was stunned to see BEAUTY products sold right before I headed over to check the shoes. Called Zoe&Zac Naturals, I was intrigued by the selection of the eyes, lips, nails and bath & body type of products. Here's a quick snapshot of the store. They currently have BOGO until October 11! Most products cost about $4-$10.



PS. If you didn't know much about Zoe&Zac check out their line here:
http://www.zoeandzac.com/index.html

They first came to Payless with shoes that are made of organic cotton and recycled rubber! I'll probably pick up a shoe or two to support them!

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Quiz: What's Your Fall Beauty Look?

What's Your Fall Beauty Look?

Take this quiz to help you find your fall look

This is a TotalBeauty.com makeup article This quiz holds the answers for how you can make fall beauty trends work for you, including celeb-inspired hair and makeup tips. Take quiz

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SHAPE Magazine's Pilates in the Park - October 2010

This past Sunday was the annual Pilates in the Park sponsored by SHAPE magazine. It was one of the first magazine workout events I attended in NYC back in 2007 when I knew this as Pilates for Pink. For $25 you get to participate in a 40 minute Pilates class taught by certified instructors with various backgrounds and a free workout mat + goody bag. The best thing about this is knowing that all proceeds are donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

I went last year to check out the vendors and they had my favorite- Spin & Win! By donating a certain amount to spin a wheel, you get a small prize. There were other vendors there, including Tribe Organics with delicious hummus, Truvia were giving out smoothies and I also got a massage at the Asics booth.

Check out the pictures and make sure to join in the fun next year! Note- I was surprised this year’s goodie bag didn’t have as many beauty sponsors as last year’s! The Pilates Mat was pretty nice though.



MORE PICTURES AFTER THE JUMP.....






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Review: Tracy Reese Collection for Sally Hansen - Fall 2010

Spotted from the NY Fashion Week earlier this month, models wore neutral greige (gray + beige) nails. My two favorite from the Tracey Reese collection with Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure nail polishes are Wet Clay & Fedora. (2nd & 3rd from the left)

How do they look? The Wet Clay is definitely nude, neutral, barely there, you get the idea! It's nice though because it will give your nails the sheen so it's simply polished. Fedora is more taupe-ish brown with gorgeous little gold flecks that shimmer in the light. No Joke!

Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicture polishes go on so smooth and I absolutely love the brush. I have particularly small nails so the brushes are wide enough for me to use two simple strokes and I'm done! Easy, smooth, gorgeous colours are the result! If I want a barely there color, one coat is enough but I usually put on two coats to get the impact I want. I really wish ALL polishes had this brush width- it's so perfect for me! With one coat of Wet Clay, it lasted me an entire week without much damage. By the end of the week, it started to fade towards the tips but it's like that with most polishes. I am very impressed by the durability and it's EASE!

If you're looking for great one-step polishes, check out the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure at your local drugstore. Don't forget to check out this collection as well!

PICTURES COMING SOON!!!! Subscribe to get updates. :)
(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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California Baby Family Fest 2010

For those in the Southern California/Los Angeles area this Sunday, October 10, you won't want to miss the California Baby Family Fest event! This is a behind-the-scenes VIP tour of California Baby's manufacturing plant so you will get to see how all the products are made and learn about their products. Attendees will enjoy in fun family activities such as eco-chic arts and crafts as well as gardening projects.

Learn how California Baby is helping to support Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Interested? Check out the website: http://cbnaturalliving.com/familyfestival/ to buy your tickets.
VIP Tickets= $125 for kids and adults; VIP tickets include tours of the eco-friendly manufacturing facility from founder, Jessica Iclisoy and the “Mad Scientist Lab” where kids can mix their very own “CONFIDENTIAL” formula.
General Admission= $25 for 1 Adult and 2 Kids
Family Ticket= $35 for 2 Adults and 4 Kids

ALL Proceeds will be donated to the Garden School Foundation- a non-profit org that helps create a safe environment for children.

I really wish I could go check out California Baby's headquarters.

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Pacifica fragrance collection: California Star Jasmine

At the end of last year, I had bought myself the Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Travel set because I couldn't get over the over-the-top citrus-y Tuscan Blood Orange scent! It was also an early holiday gift for myself. :) If you're not familiar with Pacifica, they carry natural fragrances & perfumes in florals, herbals, fruits and woods and all in various products- including candles, spray perfumes, soaps, and more!

Source: pacificaperfume.com More Reviews on Pacifica products.

Recently, Pacifica added a new floral fragrance to their collection- California Star Jasmine. This scent is meant to capture the fresh, California air (probably near a sunny beach or something) and has notes of star jasmine, orange and faint driftwood. I tried this scent on their new roll-on perfumes and I really like the packaging of this. Each roll-on perfume ($12, USD, 0.33 oz.) has a screw top and metal-ish rollerball on top where the scent will come through smoothly on your skin. It's tall and slim and I have even mistaken this as my pen when reaching into my purse.

Another great product is their Solid Perfumes ...

As part of the Tuscan Blood Orange Travel Set, I thought this was very convenient to carry with for a party or a night out on the town for quick touch-ups. These are made of natural oils and waxes so everything is paraben-free and also 100% vegan. You can get these for $9 USD each in your favorite scents. Another fruity favorite of mine is the Brazilian Mango Grapefruit. This delicious blend is tropical and makes you wish you were sitting by the tiki bar with a delicious fruity drink. :)

Source: pacificaperfume.com More Reviews on Pacifica products.

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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Bath & Body Works celebrates Halloween!

October is here!! Can you believe it? Not only is October Breast Cancer Awareness month, but it's also the month of Halloween! :) Bath & Body Works has a limited edition collection of their PocketBac Hand Gel Sanitizers in various scents, Glow In the Dark Foaming Hand Soap in Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin and Warm Vanilla Sugar and Soap Figurines in a ghost or jack-o-lantern shape. ($1.50 - $10, USD)

Check your local Bath & Body Works store or www.bathandbodyworks.com to get these for Halloween this month!


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