What do you do when you have five minutes to touch up your hair and makeup? What is worse then showing up to a last minute gathering with skin that is dull, lips that are pale and hair that is flat? How about dark circles under your eyes and smeared eyeliner? Yuck!

We have all been in this predicament. You’ve been working all day. You’re a total mess and at the last second something comes up. You’ve got about 5 minutes to touch up your makeup and hair without making it obvious.

Whether your boyfriend’s parents show up at your apartment without notice, or you decide to meet friends at the last minute after work, or a camera crew shows up on the scene…who knows!…here are some tips and makeup products that may help you to get gorgeous..or at least decent in a jam.

STEP ONE:

Last minute Hair: puffy…oily…ragged…frizzy…flat…are these some of the words that come into mind when you’ve been working hard all day? My suggestion is to duplicate your favorite brush at home and bring one that stays in the car. This way you don’t have to drag around a bulky brush or use a cheap fold up one. Find a brush that works magic on your hair along with maybe a sample of your favorite hair product to keep in your purse. This way it will only take a few seconds to apply the products and comb through. It won’t be a miracle, but believe me it will help.

Product Recommendation: Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder, I can’t recommend this product enough!! It gives life to dull flat hair, helps soak up greasy strands, and even covers up roots.

STEP TWO:

Old Eye Makeup: A long day of work can leave dark circles under the eyes and streaking eye makeup. A quick fix: Grab a makeup wipe to clean off old eye makeup, and then use a moisturizing concealer pen to brighten up around the eyes.

Product Recommendation: Sephora FACE 25 Makeup Removing Wipes for use on eyes, lips, and face. A perfect quick fix that comes in a travel friendly pack. For a creamy concealer fix try Dior Skinflash Radiance Booster Pen, a great little tool to slip into the purse. Or for a cheaper version, try the Sephora Light Touch Highlighter.

STEP THREE:

Dull Skin: The perfect remedy for pale, dull skin is moisture, color and more color. Give yourself a spritz of moisture. Just a little mist, not so much that your old makeup drips! Then dab on a creamy blush and follow with a colorful lip gloss and you will be all set.

Product Recommendation: Try The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist lightly scented with rosewater. Or stick with a popular mist, Evian- Mineral Water Spray, available in a convenient 1.7 oz travel size. Another easy solution, if your purse is small, is the Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Pocket Pal, which gives you a lip and cheek stain on one side and a clear lip gloss on the other. Or grab a roll on blush like Lorac Sheer Wash which also can be used as a lip and cheek stain.

I hope these three steps help streamline your quick fix!

Posted in Eyes, Hair, Lips, Popular Products, Skin No Comments

Tis’ the season to be traveling! This time of year everyone is planning a trip or two like a vacation to the cabin or a trip to see the family.

This type of traveling can be a bit of a strain on your typical beauty regime. With limited packing space, tight airline restrictions, and sometimes shared bathroom use, it is no wonder it is such a hassle to pack.

Here are a few items that to help ease the pain of planning for these holiday excursions:

GoSMILE Jet Set Kit: Keep your teeth sparkling white for all those parties you attend with this plane friendly teeth whitening kit. The kit includes fluoride AM and PM toothpastes formulated with aromatheraputic essential oils such as chamomile, lavender, and citrus fruits. Plus a travel size toothbrush all in a TSA-approved clear pouch. I also suggest you bring along a GoSmile Touch Up Mini On-the-Go Smile Refresher, for teeth whitening touch ups on the go.

Bumble and bumble Hair Powder: Nothing is worse then getting giving up the shower time to an obnoxious cousin with no respect for your hair routine. You can keep your hair looking great when you know you won’t be able to style your hair like usual by using Bumble and bumble’s hair powder. This is stuff is amazing! It absorbs oil on the scalp and keeps your hair style intact. And best of all, Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder comes in a variety of different shades which helps to hide roots! Pack it in your suitcase…just in case. And if your worried about frazzled ends bring along Bumble and Bumble Leave In Rinse Out Conditioner, which is a versatile conditioner for taming frizz or using as a lightweight conditioner.

Bring a Pen: A great way to maintain your nails without bringing the manicurist on the plane with you is to grab a great travel friendly item like the Sephora Nail Polish Corrector Pen. This easy to use pen simply wipes away any nail polish mess you make. Another great pen is the Sephora Cuticle Care Pen, which nourishes the cuticles without the hassle of creams and oils. And if you happen to want a French manicure then why not try the Sephora French Tips & Toes Manicure Pen, which is applied to the whites of your nails. You can use the French manicure pen to create your own manicure by following with a clear gloss, but I think it works great as a quick fix to a professional French manicure.

Japonesque Touch Up Tube: One way to ruin an expensive makeup brush is to smash it into a makeup bag. Instead of bringing along your usual brushes, find a travel set. This sleek little tube of brush miracles has all the brush power you need to keep yourself “brushed up” for the holidays. Touch up your make up with the concealer, lip, blush/powder, or eye shadow brushes. And if you’re feeling colorful you can find the Touch Up Tube in different colors like pink, green or snazzy black.

Benefit Pocket Pal: A great way to minimize space in your makeup bag and your purse is to bring along a two-in-one beauty tool like Benefit’s Pocket Pal. This handy little wand has a lip and cheek tint on one end and a clear lip gloss on the other. Multi-use makeup products are the way to go when you are traveling. Another great traveler is Nars The Multiple, which can be used as a bronzer, eye shadow, blush or highlighter.

Happy Travels!

Posted in Cold Weather Beauty, Popular Products No Comments

As a member of a family full of girls, I know, one cannot go wrong with giving the gift of beauty. The girls in my family always appreciate holiday make up kits, bath and body basket sets, and fun manicure gifts for the nails. This year, find the perfect beauty gift for your favorite girls. Here are some fun inexpensive gifts ideas under $50 that will put a smile on any beauty queen.

Smashbox 10th Anniversary Beauty Kit: You can’t go wrong with this gift. This beauty kit has the best that Smashbox has to offer. A sleek quilted makeup bag comes with Smashbox’s most popular items such as their Photo Finish Foundation Primer, their Layer Lash Primer, and their Focal Point Mascara. In addition, you get their best selling shades of lip gloss in creamy pinks and peaches. You also get their best selling eye shadow trio in Head Shot and thier best selling eye liner duo…Special Anniversary Price of $45 (total retail value of $97)

Jaqua Body Butter Trio Set: If you have a girl who loves her body butter then this body butter trio makes a perfect gift. Jaqua represents everything girly. This body butter set includes yummy scents in Buttercream Frosting, Mint Chocolate Cocoa, and Pink Champagne Shea Body Butter. And best of all, Jaqua body butters are made with shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, vitamin E, and fruity extracts such as grape seeds….$24 packed in a giftable box with rope handle

Sephora Fragrance Gift Certificate For Her: Sephora has really done a great thing…I can’t rave enough about what a perfect gift this is. This brillant holiday gift includes 10 samples of Sephora’s top selling women fragrances such as DKNY Be Delicious Eau de Parfum, Stella McCartney Eau de Parfum, and Guerlain Insolence Eau de Toilette. PLUS…a gift certificate that can be redeemed at Sephora for any full size bottle of the sample of choice. You will definetly make someone happy with this creative gift certificate!…$45 for the gift certificate

Bliss Mistle-Toes ‘Step-by-Step’ Pedicure Set: What is more fun than painting your toes cranberry red on Christmas Morning? In this holiday inspired pedicure set, Bliss includes a jar of Sweet Orange and Peppermint Sugar Scrub, a tube of Manicure’s Best Friend, a trial-size Foot Patrol, toe separators, a tube of Essie nail polish and a cute bag. A benefit to Bliss Mistle-Toes kit is that it is not just for the feet. The sugar scrub, made with almond oil, can be used on the entire body. Bliss Manicure’s Best Friend is an intensive cuticle cream for the hands and feet and is made with green tea extracts, shea butter, jojoba oil, and vitamin E. Bliss Foot Patrol is a packed with salicylic acid to soften tough heals. And it wouldn’t be complete without a great red polish made by Essie!…$40 for the set

Mario Badescu Bath & Body Luxuries: A great way to treat your girlfriends to a spa day without the high price is to give them Mario Badescu’s Bath and Body Luxuries gift set. A great little tote packed with Mario Badescu spa goodies like his rejuvenating AHA Botanical Body Soap (and sponge), his moisture rich Fruit Hand Cream SPF 10, and his silky Apricot Super Rich Body Lotion. In addition, the set has an 8 once bottle of the both the Lecithin Nourishing Shampoo and the Hair Rinsing Conditioner with a jar of Mario Badescu Lip Wax. You can trust that Mario Badescu products will give your girlfriends celebrity spa treatment! For all skin types…$49 for the set

Posted in Cold Weather Beauty, Popular Products No Comments