Last Minute Deals and Steals to Satisfy Every Beauty Lover on Your List!

If you're anything like me, you've barely begun on your shopping list.  Not that you haven't tried, right?!  During the holidays, gift shopping can be SO tough, especially in the malls where you're constantly bombarded by sparkles, cheer and things that would look A-MAH-AING on you!  Seriously, the last three times I stepped into a mall determined to find something special for someone on my list, I walked out with two bags of stuff for me, and zero for anyone else. It's not that I'm selfish!  It's the sequined clothing, the sparkly jewelry, and the limited edition beauty releases (not to mention the deals!) that A.D.D. me away from my original mission. Ugh.

Well, I've found the answer: online shopping!  No scents, shiny objects, or things to try on to distract me.  Plus, the inter webs are offering some CRAY sales right now!  So, friends, for those of you who suffer as I do, I've created a list of amazing holiday deals that will make sure everyone on your list is happy, and with all the deals and gifts-wtih-purchase, you'll end up pretty happy too :)

Drugstore Faves

As much as I love a good Sephora haul, I always find myself going back to (and recommending) some drugstore makeup and skin care finds that work great and rival their pricier counterparts.  When taking clients shopping for makeup and skin care, we almost always start somewhere like Ulta or Target for some of these products before venturing into a department store.  Here are some of my favorite products, found at any local drugstore, that work amazingly well and create a look that dupes many pricier department store products.

Skin Care:

 

POND'S Deep Cleanser & Make-up Remover with Cucumber Extract, 10.1 oz

This cooling cleansing cream by Pond's has a higher water-to-oil ratio than its "classic" cold cream counterpart, meaning it rinses off clean without the need to tissue off.  Using the same idea as oil cleansers, this cold cream dissolves all makeup - even long-wearing/waterproof formulas - for a clean complexion that isn't left dried out.  I've been using this on and off for years, and always find myself reaching for it when nothing else is working.

Phisoderm Anti-Blemish Gel Facial Wash, 6 fl oz

I only wash my face with a foaming cleanser in the shower, with my Clarisonic (which there definitely is not a drugstore dupe for!).  This pH balanced face wash by Phisoderm is super gentle, and is formulated without sulfates or dyes, so it won't irritate even sensitive skins.  With the added benefit of salicylic and lactic acids, this cleanser helps keep pores clean and acne at bay, all without stripping the skin of natural oils or throwing off pH balance.  What else could you want in a cleanser?

 

Thayers Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel with Organic Aloe Vera Formula Toner, Rose Petal, 12 fl oz

I LOVE this toner.  I'm kind of a toner addict, having tried at least a hundred others from all kinds of brands, and I always come back to this one.  It contains so much goodness: vitamin e, witch hazel, aloe, glycerine, and rose water - and doesn't contain alcohol!  This toner always leaves skin soft, toned and never dry or stripped.  While many people don't consider toners a necessary step, I deem this a staple in my routine for removing anything my cleanser may have missed, and for adding an extra little dose of moisture to the skin.  Also, I may be addicted to the heavenly rose scent.

read on for my makeup faves!

My Skin Brightening Regimen

My skin always goes through a period of dull flakiness every spring - kind of like it's shedding its winter coat.  This year, I've found the perfect regimen to get my skin bright and glowing without the flakes!  Introducing my go-to skin brighteners:

These products seriously haven't left my bathroom counter in over a month - a big feat for a product junkie like me!

Creating the Easiest Smoky Eye EVER with Sue Devitt

Ah, the smoky eye.  It's the ubiquitous symbol of makeup prowess, as it challenges so many.  Seriously, I talk to so many women who say they don't know how to apply it, wear it, or pull it off, even though they really want to.  Well, ladies, I'm about to show you the one product you need to create the easiest smoky eye that looks good on EVERYONE.  Seriously.

Behold, the Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Golden Triangle.

Love Lip Color? All you need is Lip Liner.

I'm a little obsessed with lip color... in all kinds of shades, finishes, and wears.  If you have a similar addiction, you could go broke buying balms, glosses, lipsticks, lip glazes, stains, lip liners, etc.  For a much more economical way to experiment with all those fun colors, all you need is these three items to get the different finishes created by the products mentioned above:

• lip liner in color of choice
• clear lip balm
• clear lip gloss

Here are instructions and pictures to show you how:

Pantone-Inspired Beauty Haul

Pantone Color Institute recently announced its Color of the Year for 2012: Tangerine Tango.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

As a long-time fan of orange shades, I LOVE this color!   And on a Personal Shopping appointment yesterday, I saw two MAC lip colors that perfectly create this red-orange shade:

MAC Lipglass in Knockout.  MAC Lip Pencil in Entertain Me.

How gorgeous are these two colors?  Individually, they're beautiful, and combined they perfectly create the Tangerine Tango shade I love!

Lip Pencil on left; Lipglass on right.

Starting with the gloss, applied in a stippling motion, I then blended in a bit of the pencil for a sheer, tangerine wash on the lips.  Wear this with a light wash of bronzer or apricot brush on cheeks and strong brows with simple, neutral eyes for a chic daily look.  This color is gorgeous on all skin tones, especially those with slightly pinker undertones.  I hear Pantone will be coming out with a line for Sephora this year, but for those of us who want it now, check out MAC.  The Knockout Lipglass is limited edition, so hurry!!

What colors are you feeling this year?

New Beauty Resolutions for 2012

Happy New Year, beauties!  I wish you all a happy, healthy, and gorgeous year ahead :)

Now, getting on to the "gorgeous" part, here are some New Beauty Resolutions that will help keep us looking pretty all year and into the next:

1.  Clean Your Brushes.

This might sound like a no-brainer, but I'm always surprised by how many women don't wash their brushes... ever!  This is so important; brushes are a breeding ground for bacteria that can result in acne and  will contaminate your makeup.  So, wash your makeup brushes at least once a month with a gentle shampoo, following these simple steps:

• Wet the brushes and squirt a small amount of shampoo into the palm of your hand.
• Wash one brush at a time in the palm of your hand using a back-and-forth motion - this is really important, because using a swirling or circular motion will cause the brush fibers to twist around eachother and break.
• Rinse under flowing water and gently squeeze out all excess moisture, ensuring that the water runs clear out of the brush.
• Reshape the brush and lay on a towel or the side of your sink and let dry.

At least once a week, spritz your brushes with an anti-bacterial brush spray to keep bacteria at bay.