Beyoncé’s tousled waves are simple to create. To get her look start by towel drying freshly cleaned hair. Spritz hair with Extreme Style by VO5 Heat Defense to lock in moisture and protect hair during styling. Tousle a palm-sized amount of Extreme Style by VO5 Curvaceous Curls to help set waves and promote curls. Finish drying with a diffuser for a more intense wave. For those with more naturally straight hair wrap strands around a curling iron to create waves. Use Extreme Style by VO5 Max Hold to set the style.
Carrie Underwood’s pumped upped hair just screams sexy. To get her Grammy style start with protecting hair with Extreme Style by VO5 Heat Defense after towel drying. Blow dry hair, occasionally flipping hair upside down to blow dry at the roots. Apply Extreme Style by VO5 Volume Blast at the roots to give hair a lift. Finish by blasting style with the blow dryer set on cool to easy frizziness. For a piecier look at the bottom use Extreme Style by VO5 Texturizing Gum which will help separate strands while providing a flexible hold.
Rihanna’s red carpet look proved once again that short dos can be edgy and hot! Gals with short hair can achieve Rihanna’s look with a few simple steps. Before shampooing make sure to condition hair with VO5 Hot Oil Shower Works. After showering blow dry hair and style with a nickel-sized amount Extreme Style by VO5 Reworkable Putty which will provide separation and definition.
While I was in New York for Fashion Week, Megan over at Clinique made sure I had a sample of Clinique’s Almost Powder, a new foundation, that also comes with build-in SPF 15. This product utilizes new technology in pressing and processing that ends up making production take twice as long as a normal powder would. It’s even produced exclusively in Japan!
I’ve been wearing Almost Powder for the past week or so, and I have to say, I do like it. I don’t think it is going to replace my holy grail Studio Fix Fluid (liquid), mostly because I like liquid foundation and the coverage. However, there are many days where SFF is just a tad too heavy, or I’m not really needing a foundation of that nature. I find Almost Powder perfect for everyday, incredibly natural-looking skin. The powder is incredibly silky, and it feels lightweight. The compact includes a sponge, but I also tried Clinique’s powder brush ($30.00) with it. I found the sponge was better at reducing any “powdery” spots, and it was a lot faster. I’m personally not a fan of sponge technology (just seems like it is a bacterial growth zone!), so I tend to opt for the brush method. The brush was SO soft, and I liked it for initial application and buffing later with a buffer brush.
The coverage you get is lightweight to light-medium coverage. It basically gave me natural coverage, so I didn’t look cakey or really like I was wearing any foundation–which is always a plus. I would definitely need to look into concealers if I wanted to wear this on more acne-prone days, though, since it covers, but not quite enough (though not many lightweight foundations do this, so it’s not really a negative).
What sells this foundation is how soft it is and how nicely it settles into the skin. If you’re looking for a more polished look, without looking like you’re wearing makeup, this is right up your alley. This is perfect for those on-the-go, and anyone who wants to keep foundation light, minimal, but something that works and really evens out skin tone.
Availability: March 2008 at counters and www.clinique.com, but currently available for preview at QVC.
This tutorial is designed to show you step-by-step how to create a look using MAC’s Fafi Eyes #2 Quad. If you have questions, feel free to ask, as the whole point of this is to help you!
You will need: Rollickin’ paint pot (creamy base in a shimmery aqua), Good As Gold eyeshadow (shimmery light gold), You’re Fresh eyeshadow (light pale green), Prankster eyeshadow (chalky gray-blue), Shimmermoss eyeshadow (shimmery medium teal), Freshwater eyeshadow (blue), Malt eyeshadow (matte flesh-toned highlighter), Graphblack technakholl (black kohl liner), Plushlash mascara (black mascara). For cheeks, Hipness blush (bright medium peach-orange) was used; for lips, Strawbaby lipstick (coral-pink) and Sugar Trance lipglass (white with pink shimmer) were used.
I had so many requests to do a look using the Fafi Eyes #2 quad, so here you go…
I used Rollickin’ paint pot on lid, Good As Gold eyeshadow on inner lid, You’re Fresh eyeshadow on middle of lid, Shimmermoss eyeshadow on outer lid, Prankster eyeshadow on outer crease, Freshwater eyeshadow on outer crease, You’re Fresh eyeshadow above crease, Malt eyeshadow on brow, and You’re Fresh eyeshadow on lower lash line. I wore Hipness blush with Sculpt sculpting powder on cheeks with Daisylight beauty powder to highlight. I had Strawbaby lipstick with Sugar Trance lipglass on my lips.
MAC Cosmetics: Guide For The Newly Addicted, Part 8
The “LE” Factor
The “LE” Factor refers to the Limited Edition collections that launch throughout the year. These are products specifically designed and developed for a particular collection that debuts in a month and is then sold out or removed from shelves shortly thereafter. Once this occurs, then it becomes quite difficult to track down the color you fell in love with.
How often does MAC come out with a new collection?
Quite honestly, it depends. Sometimes it seems like there is one a month, and other times it feels like there is one a week. It can be hard to keep up with what is coming out now, next, and when.
Should I buy everything just because it is limited edition?
If you can afford to, by all means! However, most of us cannot, and I would recommend checking products and perhaps getting at least one item from each launch (if you find something you like), but I advise strongly against giving into to the “LE” Factor. Certain launches, like 2007′s Barbie Loves MAC and 2008′s Fafi For MAC, do sell out incredibly quickly, and for such large, anticipated collections like these, I would be remiss if I didn’t let you know that you can’t deliberate too long! These collections had certain products sell out in a matter of days, not weeks.
Should I buy more than one item? Do I need back-ups?
I rarely buy back-ups of any product, because of how often MAC comes out with new items, I find myself constantly changing up my favorites and finding new things to fall in love with. If you find your perfect lipgloss or highlighter, I would totally say to pick up another if it’s available and it’s just that holy grail product for you.
What do I do if I fell in love with a limited edition product, and now it’s gone?
Take your favorite product with you and try to find a permanent item that is close to it, or be on the look out for potential new products that are similar. When all else fails, try to find a product that’s a dupe for it from another brand (gasp!).
