To celebrate the new year, we want to give our readers the chance to win a spectacular prize–and by this, we really do mean one fantastic prize that will blow you away!As promised, here is the second giveaway for our New You with New Beauty contest…
The Prize: Moor Allure Naturals has generally sponsored this giveaway of Moor Allure’s Natural Skin Kit ($190 value) is a daily 3-step system that includes five products plus an exfoliating brush to keep your skin soft, silky, and so healthy. The first step is the purifying facial cleanser which gentle enough for sensitive skin. The second step is a soothing herbal toner that uses Moor Extract, antioxidants, and natural herbal extracts. The kit also includes the radiance mask (to use weekly) that exfoliates and repairs. Lastly, silky soft exfoliant is another weekly treatment that cleanses and exfoliates, ideal for most skin types.
How to win: Tell me what your New Year’s resolutions are and why you want to win this kit. Leave your answer in the comments. We will put all names into a drawing, and we will select one lucky winner to receive Moor Allure’s Natural Skin kit.
Contest is open until December 31st, 2007, midnight PST.
Chanel goes icy blue for their Spring 2008 makeup collection. Soft pastels in the Camelias palette, while Bleu Célestes is a gorgeous trio of shades of blue and a lovely highlighter. Blue Satin is supposed to be the next “it” polish amongst addicts, so be sure to scoop it up if you’re loving rich, navy blues.
AURORA BLUES
Camelias x4
Les 4 Ombres in Bleu Célestes
Joues Contraste in Enchanteresse, Luna
Mascara Inimitable in Noir-indigo
Ombre d’Eau in Rivage
Crayon Levres Cardamone
Rouge Hydrabase in Rose Drop, Rose Secret, Enigma
Rouge Allure in Frivole, Exquise
Le Vernis (Nail Polish) in White Satin, Blue Satin, Rose Satin, and Azur
Fafi will be incredibly large collection with special, limited edition packaging (as seen in the photo below) that has Fafi’s signature drawings on the packaging. While there is preliminary information available, we do not yet have color descriptions. When we do, we’ll be happy to share! However, we can tell you that if you like what’s pictured, be sure to start saving!
We had the opportunity to speak to Titi Branch from Miss Jessie’s, and we couldn’t resist asking her for some holiday hair tips because we know holiday parties are in full swing–so of course, you want to look your very best, from the roots of your hair to the tips of your toes. But first, let us tell you about Titi as well as her salon and hair product brand, Miss Jessie’s. Titi and her sister Miko opened up Miss Jessie’s Salon in 1997 in response to the lack of experts in natural hair and naturally curly hair. They had the unique hair experience of being born to a Japanese mother and African-American father, and so their hair texture was always a plight for unsuspecting salons. They learned to style and manage their own hair, and this is how Miss Jessie’s salon was born. In 2004, they launched their own line of systling cremes, moisturizers, and deep conditioning teratments.
Quick tips from Titi:
Curly Pudding: A fantastic styling crème for fingerstyling. Apply to damp hair and air dry or use a diffuser to speed up drying time. Creates wonderful elongated spirally curls.
Curly Meringue: An excellent styling crème for rod setting curls. Curly Sets are great because they last through the party. A lot of us are reluctant to get out there on the dance floor because we are afraid we will sweat our hair out. Not so with a Curly set. They last long after the party is over.
For your Braiders: Apply a dab of Miss to freshly blown out natural hair. It will transform an otherwise bumpy braid to a silky smooth plait.
What are some of the easiest ways to style your hair for a great holiday look? If you are going to wear it out I think accessories are a lot of fun, pretty headbands with ornamentation are really pretty and also keep your hair out of your face.
For straight-haired girls, what are the best products to use to increase volume? Straight haired girls need to increase volume in the root area. So root volumizing sprays are good. Hot rollers for sets are great. For styling straight hair curly I would suggest a spiral rod set with Curly Meringue. Dry under a dryer and separate the set when dry.
I ran across this helpful article that interviews several leading cosmetic individuals, including Gordon Espinet from MAC Cosmetics, about how to get ready for holiday parties and the inevitable photos that follow. I’ve included an excerpt, but be sure to head over and read what other artists like Rick DeCecca from Estee Lauder, April Jacob from Pink Beauty, Marie-Johanne Martineau from Yves Rocher, Lori Taylor from Smashbox, and Paul Venoit from Cover Girl had to say.
Gordon Espinet senior makeup artist and VP of makeup artistry, M.A.C Cosmetics:
“The holidays are a great time to experiment with makeup, things like shimmer that we can really be playful with.”
1. Start with hydrated skin. Look for spray-style humectant-fortified waters to help “plump up” your skin. But watch out for moisturizers: Too much can cause your makeup to slip. Use under-makeup products such as depuffing eye creams and lip conditioners, too.
2. For holiday, matte skin is in, but not matte foundation. Look for hydrating foundation and get the matte look from finishing with a powder. If you use a matte foundation and a matte powder, you risk the “crypt-keeper” look. To make eyes seem wider-set, take a dab of highlighter and place on the inner corners of the eyelid.
3. We’re seeing a return to lipstick and a retro red mouth. Anyone can wear red lips — just look for the shade that works for you. And don’t draw it on. Use your fingers and smudge it for a stained look.
Ready for your close-up: Photos with a flash will make you fade away. Try upping the intensity of your makeup by about 20%.
