Aug 06

Makeup Artist Pat McGrath Sweetens Up D&G’s Makeup Line

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imageDolce & Gabbana recently launched a new cosmetics line, Dolce & Gabbana, The Makeup. The line was developed by legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath, who is also responsible for the innovative beauty behind brands like Giorgio Armani, Max Factor, and Cover Girl. Now, Dolce & Gabbana is stepping up their sweet factor with McGrath’s renowned skills. The line is enthused by the breathtaking Mediterranean coasts and Hollywood glamour. It’s a sexy and confident collection and McGrath gives us the beauty dish on a few of her favorite products. Click on over to the Essence blog for a run-down of her picks!
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Aug 05

Ready, Set, Prep: The Best Makeup Primers For Your Eyes, Lips, & Face

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imageAs the ultimate makeup junkie, I have a tough time saying no to a new shadow shade, lip color, or nail hue… and it certainly shows in my inability to organize it all. But now that my makeup collection has successfully taken over every drawer, zip case, surface, nook and cranny of my humble abode, I’m starting to resist the urge to buy more and more pots of colors that I’ll probably never use more than once. Instead, I’ve narrowed my focus to scouting out the newest and best priming products that can help make the most of the colors I already have for easy application, flawless appearance, and maximum smudge-free wear all day long. I love the way Smashbox’s face primer gives my skin a smoother, even tone and a less oily-looking complexion under my powder, and now that I’ve tried Urban Decay’s eyeshadow primer potion, I can’t understand how I lived without it in the first place! Designed to target specific problem areas like the appearance of pores, uneven redness, or runny eyes, today’s best primers are bound to keep your makeup in check and have you looking like a million bucks, even with the same shades you already have! Check the slideshow to see a slew of splurge-worthy products that can help keep your makeup in place on your eyes, lips, lashes, and face!

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Aug 04

Hot In The Hive: Shu Uemura Tokyo Lash Bar 2009

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imageIt’s tough walking into a Sephora lately without being overwhelmed by the store’s display of false eyelashes, boasting an impressive variety of designs, cuts, and colors ranging from modest to Vegas showgirl. However, the 2009 additions to Shu Uemura’s Tokyo Lash Bar bring a level of innovation to your peepers that put any collection human-looking lashes to shame. Designed by the company’s top creative minds from across the globe and inspired by nature scenes, the collection’s premium edition lashes channel snowflakes and ski slopes with “snow twist,” crisp autumn leaves with “goldglam leaf,” and the ocean waves with “marine tide,” just to name a few. While the designs may not be practical for an everyday night out on the town, you can’t deny that they’re gorgeously inventive! You could always stock up for next Halloween…

Price: $79 a pair
Who Found It: lindsaytimberlake was the first to add the Shu Uemura Tokyo Lash Bar 2009 to the Hive.

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Jul 30

Hot In The Hive: Crescent Row Fragrances By Benefit

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imageLeave it up Benefit Cosmetics to come up with the cutest fragrance concept in existence! Based on a fashionable row of flats in Bath, England, and three individually posh tenants, the Crescent Row Fragrance collection features three unique scents, all in cocktail shaker-shaped bottles and cleverly boxed in packages that mimic the enviably chic little apartments adorning the street. With names like “Laugh With Me LeeLee,” “My Place Or Yours Gina,” and “Something About Sophia,” each of the sassy scents lends itself to a different fashionista’s imaginary personality, backstory, lifestyle, and signature fragrance. Not sure which one you love the most? Sephora even has an online personality quiz you can take to see which one suits you best! The packaging and Crescent Row concept is so cute, you might even be tempted to pack your bags and move in!

Price: $36 each
Who Found It: xgalexy was the first to add Crescent Row Fragrances to the Hive.

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Jul 30

Fiercely ’80s Eye Makeup Straight Off The Marc Jacobs Runway!

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imageIt was hard to ignore the ’80s makeup that dominated the runways for Fall. Marc Jacobs sent his girls down the runway with a fierce-looking club kid eye makeup look and Versace and Zac Posen both featured “Debbie Harry meets Jerry Hall”-inspired makeup. Marc Jacobs wanted the eyes to take center stage — so much so that he asked makeup artist Francois Nars to create 65 different makeup looks on the 65 models! What makes this eye makeup look different than just a normal smokey or dark eye? Unlike a heavy-lined eye, these ’80s-inspired looks take it a step further, with the shadow up to the crease and often all the way up to the eyebrow, creating a large oval around the eye. To cop the look yourself, accentuate your usual blacks and browns with cobalt blues, deep greens, bright purples, reds, fuchsias, and even some glitter (not too much — we’re not going for Boy George here). An easy way to get a more street-appropriate version of the look is to shade the eye all over with a sheer eyeshadow of peach, gold, or soft blue. Lightly rim the entire eye with a black eyeliner (no need to be perfect since you will be covering and blending with shadow), then use a darker highly-pigmented shade like an espresso or navy on the lower lid and blend towards the crease and outer corner. Check out the slideshow for some great products to get the look, and click “See Video” to watch Marc Jacobs’ makeup master Francois create the looks for the Fall ’09 show.

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Jul 28

Go Golden With Real 24K Beauty Products!

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imageDecadent beauty doesn’t get much more luxurious than pampering your skin with real 24K gold (unless of course, you want to bathe in diamonds, but this is your face we’re talking about here). And as a modern makeup maven, you deserve the best… and the prettiest, of course! As a compulsive beauty buyer, I can’t help but notice that products featuring shimmer and sparkle are being upgraded lately to include real gold flakes in addition to mica — both for its glittery shine factor and its role as a skin-aiding mineral. From moisturizing golden hair pomade to solid gold flake sheets for an opaque gilded look, these products certainly give a fresher, much younger connotation to the term “Golden Girl!” Flip through the slideshow for some of my favorite Midas-touched products.

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Jul 27

Hot In The Hive: TokyoMilk Kiss Me Kit!

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imageYou always remember a summer fling. With everyone leaving their homes and traveling by plane, train or automobile, you never know who you’ll meet… and get to know! Pack a little more pizazz into those flirty kisses with the Kiss Me Kit by TokyoMilk. These creamy lipsticks come wrapped in an elegant and feminine silver metal and paper and are available in a variety of seductive shades that will have him lusting after those lips well into the winter months! TokyoMilk Kiss Me Lipstick colors are infused with avocado oils, vitamin E, jojoba and aloe extract and protect your pretty pout with SPF 15. So whether you’re the vivacious vamp in the lush rose of “Your Kiss Is On My List,” the seductive sex-kitten in the shimmery champagne of “Kiss and Tell,” or the sexy girl-next door with the sparkly, kissable pink lips of “Kissing Booth,” TokyoMilk Kiss Me Lipsticks will nourish and hydrate your lips while making them luscious and unforgettable. For added spark, the Kiss Me Kit spices up the lip-locking and includes “Knock Him On His Knees” cinnamon mints that’ll have him begging for more!

Price: $22.00
Who Found It: idabone was first to add the TokyoMilk Kiss Me Kit to the Hive.

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Jul 27

Lipsmacker Exfoliants and More Drugstore Bargain Beauty Bump-Ups!

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imageTo look pretty on less cash, you could yoink your roommate’s fancy conditioner and hope she doesn’t notice. Or you could try out these drugstore and designer beauty bait-and-switches. Either way, you’ll look so good only your stylist will know for sure what you did!

1. Color formulas are generally the same among mascara products, so no need to spring for a department store version. Black is black at $7 or $20. But it is worth investing in a clean mascara wand or comb that you can use to separate your lashes before the cheaper one dries.

2. Instead of giving yourself a spritz of pricey perfume, get a more subtle version of the scent all over your body. Spend less for the fragrance’s body lotion or cream and blend with unscented generic-brand lotion.

For even more great tips on how to balance your budget at your local drugstore, click on over to our friends at Lemondrop!

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Jul 19

Get Flirtatious Lashes with New Lash Extension Treatments!

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imageEyelash extension treatments are this year’s “it” beauty treatment. It’s a semi-permanent extension that gives your lashes a huge lift – without makeup! Just imagine, having long, gorgeous, flirty lashes for a few months. The initial treatment can take two hours run up to $500, but it’s totally worth it for a fantastic look sans makeup. Madonna’s have diamond studs on them and cost around $10,000, while Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan opt for the much subtler mink version. For a less serious commitment, you can get a semi-permanent lash extension for $50 that lasts around ten days – perfect for a special occasion or vacation. For $45, I Love My Lashes offers an at-home treatment, which takes about thirty minutes to apply, and lasts up to fifteen days. Why not get a few girlfriends together and make a night of it? It’s practically the same costs as cabs and a night out! Don’t trust yourself? Check lashpros.com to find a professional near you!
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Jul 17

And The Winners Of The Ormonde Jayne Giveaway Are…

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imageThe cluttered surfaces in my room are a testament to the fact that you can never really have too much perfume (or too many bills, apparently..). Signature scent? I have five. And don’t even get me started on the collection of Sephora sample vials living in my top drawer. But enough about me. Let’s talk about Ormonde Jayne, the London perfumer that we introduced you to last week. Ormonde Jayne fragrances and lotions are purely elegant- the kind you’d spritz before a special occasion. They’re also much more skin and environment-friendly, without parabens and sulfates. We told you all about how you could enter to win one of THREE Ormonde Jayne gift sets, each containing a hydrating shower creme, replenishing body lotion, a sample programme of their scents, and a full sized Parfum d’Or Naturel. Want to know if you were one of the lucky winners? Read on to find out!
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