A style blog for the fashionably, socially and financially conscious.
Showing posts with label Benefit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Benefit. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Skin Deep


The most important part of any make-up look is flawless-looking skin.  Unfortunately, unless you're still 15, odds are high that you no longer have flawless skin.  Luckily, some make-up and skincare brands have some excellent products to help us fake it well.  Some of the best ones are below.

Resurfacing
LORAC Make-up Prep
CARGO blu_ray Polishing Cloths
L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base


Primers

Super-Correctors
Stila One-Step Correct
Benefit "That Gal" Brightening Face Primer
Face Stockholm Corrector Quads

Airbrush Look
Kevin Aucoin The Liquid Airbrush Foundation
Philosophy The Supernatural Airbrushed Canvas
Urban Decay Razor Sharp

Under-Eye Dark Circle Fix-Its
Benefit Cosmetics Lemon Aid and Erase Paste
LORAC Undercover Lover
Smashbox Photo-Op Under-Eye Brightener

Illuminators
Benefit Cosmetics High Beam
Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer
Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion

Mattifying Correctors
Shiseido Mattifying Stick
CARGO blu-ray High Definition Mattifier
Smashbox Anti-Shine

Concealers
LORAC Coverup
CARGO One Base
Smashbox High Definition Liquid Concealer

Complexion Kits
Smashbox Complexion Perfection Kit
Benefit Cosmetics Confessions of a Concealaholic
LORAC Evening Out Complexion Kit

Foundations
Smashbox High-Definition Healthy FX Foundation
Stila One-Step Make-up
LORAC Breakthrough Performance Foundation

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Brands We Love - Benefit Cosmetics


For the last couple of months, I have fallen back in love with Benefit Cosmetics.  If you've never tried this San Francisco-based brand with adorable packaging, you are in for a treat!  Despite the names that are plays on words and the whimsical packaging, the women behind this brand are serious about their stuff.  The correctors are some of the best cosmetics you will ever use.  You might remember the pimple-pounding potion they call boo-boo zap being mentioned in the post on my September Crushes.  I also listed "That Gal" face primer as one of my top ten crushes for this month.  In the past, I have regaled my friends with my lovesick praise for the brand's, now discontinued, Dr. Feelgood's lipscription.  Those are just a few of the amazing products this brand makes.

Plus, those correctors I mentioned, they are so wonderful I have discovered a way to get my face looking great with no concealer or foundation!  Normally I cannot show my face without concealer because of hyperpigmentation scars, so this is quite a feat.  After playing around with different products in different combinations.  I have found that using "That Gal" face primer with a little High Beam and a $1 elf brand powder is enough to make my skin look phenomenal!  It takes all of five minutes to put on these 3 things.  All I need after that is a little blush (I'm most fond of their Hoola) and if I remember I'll put on mascara and that amazing lip balm.  If I really want to make myself up well, I use their eye cream (called Eye Con) and some of their Lemon Aid and Erase Paste.   They have other great products, but the ones I mentioned are so over the top amazing that I thought I'd share.  They also give beauty lessons on how to use all of their great products.

I'm not the only one raving, either.  Just take a minute to read the comments on their facebook fan page.  Their products have also won a bunch of beauty awards from AllureReal SimpleSelf MagazineO Magazinetotalbeauty.comTemptaliaBrides MagazineLatina MagazineIn StyleElleTown & CountryMarie ClaireSephora (full disclosure, Sephora & Benefit are both owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton S.A.), CosmopolitanLife & StyleWomen's Health7x7 MagazineWorking Mother MagazineRedbookSiempre MujerStar Magazine, and Fifi Magazine.  These are cosmetics that make you feel as good as a new hot pair of shoes does and they're definitely worth it.  

Sunday, September 5, 2010

September's Crushes

I am one of those people that falls completely in love with something and is obsessed with it for a bit, then totally gets over it because I become obsessed with something else. My husband refers to them as my "crushes." Since many of my "crushes" are beauty and fashion related, I thought it might make a nice monthly post for the blog. These are my top ten must haves that I cannot live without at the moment.

Gin Wigmore's Music

Benefit Boo Boo Zap


Madewell Rail Straight Jeans

Shu Uemura Skin Purifier
Paparazzi Emma Magazine Clutch

Tarte Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer

ALDO Gorrill Sandals
Gypsy 05 Adela Jumpsuit

Gorjana Lariat Necklaces

CHI Straight Guard

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Fruits of Your Labor

Labor Day Sales are popping up everywhere and, thanks to feedback from a reader or two, we thought we'd tell you about the ones we run across.  This will be a constantly evolving post that will be updated as we find more and more deals for you.

ALDO has an extra 30% off all clearance sandals (online only) and free shipping on all orders over $75.

Think Her has 25% off Dogeared Jewelry (a fave of mine) with the coupon code LaborDay10 until September 6 and 20-50% OFF brands such as Ella Moss, PJ Salvage, Melie Bianco, Deux Lux & more.  Plus, they have free ground shipping on orders over $100 and they do not charge sales tax if your order is being shipped outside of California.

Benefit Cosmetics has free US shipping on any order for the next five days with the promo code LABORDAY at checkout.  If you've never tried Benefit, start with High Beam, That Gal and Lemon Aid.  You'll thank me later.

BCBG Max Azria has an additional 30% off all markdowns for their Labor Day Sale both in-store and online until Tuesday.

Madewell has added more styles to their End-of-Summer Sale and are offering free shipping on orders over $100 with the coupon code SCORE at checkout.  If you're new to Madewell, they are J. Crew's sister store. I particularly recommend the rail straight jeans, the neon lights belt,the scarfi creazioni panarea sandals, and the petal shoulder dress.  My blackberry romantic ruffle dress is a favorite of mine.

Gorjana's Private Sample Sale is today and there are a few really good deals left (up to 65% off).  Keep in mind that these are all final sale.

Our new friends at Dollhouse are also having a Labor Day Sale today through September 7, with 20% off all full-priced items using the code 20X5N6 at checkout.  They are also having a $10 Off Jeans Sale that ends tonight using code 1YF8YA at checkout. Some items we love there are in our last post.

Shoes.com has a 15% sale (with some exclusions) if you use the code 15OFF at checkout. They are also having a Labor Day Sale with an extra 25% off all sale shoes with promo code 25SALE until 11:59 p.m. CST September 7.

Heels.com is having a sale as well.

Sephora has a few treats for shoppers at the present time.  They have an exclusive Bare Escentuals Get Started Kit for $60 and 20% off on this kit thru 9/13 using the code SEVENTEEN at checkout; quite a few free with purchase deals on different fragrances; a few pages of items on sale; a free sample of Murad Acne & Wrinkle Reducer using the code ANTIACNE at checkout; free samples of three Benefit Crescent Row scents using the code SCENTTRIO at checkout; free mini rollerball of Bliss Eau de Toilette using code BLISSFUL at checkout and Tarte Double Gloss for just $6.

This week's Philosophy offer is a free 4-week supply of the microdelivery peel with any purchase of $50 or more using the code FREEMDPEEL at checkout.

Ideeli is having an M Missoni sale, starting tomorrow.  If you don't already have an ideeli account, they do have a free option.  The paid option gets access to sales 1 hour earlier and I would imagine some other perks.  Ideeli is also currently having sales on dolce & gabbana, d & g,  Versace, Jil Sander, Donna Karan shoes, Emilio Pucci shoes, Chloe sunglasses, Big Buddha shoes, da-nang, buco, Julie Brown, and blank nyc.

Tarte cosmetics is offering $10 off a purchase of $20 or more until sept. 6 using the promo code BDAY.  If you haven't tried this eco-friendly line, try the Tarte Starter Set, the Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer, and the 24-7 Lip Sheer.

Dermalogica is offering a free Antioxidant Hydramist with the purchase of Dynamic Skin Reovery SPF30.  If you've never tried this one, start with one of their skin kits to try this amazing line of skincare products.

ShopBop is having a Summer Sendoff Sale with discounts of 30, 50 or 70% on hundreds of items, including some faves of ours from Joie, Nightcap, Nili Lotan, Jeffrey Campbell, Alice + Olivia, Young, Fabulous and Broke and more.

CoutureCandy is having a Labor Day Sale. Save 25% on any purchase with code: FALL

ASOS is offering 15% off ASOS Collection dresses with code AWDRESSES at checkout.

Banana Republic is offering up to 30% off some merchandise in their online store until September 6.

My favorite, Gypsy 05, also has a sale going on currently.

The Trend Boutique is offering 10% off with the code LABOR10 and free shipping until Monday.

Rachel Roy has an extra 30% off sale merchandise until September 6.

Bliss Spas is offering an extra 20% off already reduced Bliss and Labratoire Remede sets with the code LABORDAY until September 8.

Melie Bianco is having a Labor Day Sale offering 20% off some of their purses until September 17.

Neutrogena has up to 20% on a lot of their bestselling products.

Kenneth Cole has a 40% off Labor Day Sale until September 7.

Since this type of post announcing sales is a new idea, please let us know what you think of it.

Have a happy holiday weekend!


Update Sept. 3 10:00 p.m.:

Skinny Purse also has a round-up of Labor Day Sales on their blog. Their list includes Bliss Spas, Banana Republic, eBags, Max Studio and French Connection.