Weekend Quickies: Beauty News & Events

It’s been a busy beauty-filled week, hasn’t it?

• Bobbi Brown’s Pretty Powerful campaign kicked off this week, and she’s launched a contest where you can submit a video telling Bobbi how you get “pretty powerful”! 15 finalists will be chosen and sent a personalized section of Bobbi’s essentials to create another video. These videos will be voted on by the public, and Bobbi will be donating $1 to Dress for Success (up to $10,000). Three grand prize winners will win a trip to NYC and a personal makeup lesson from Bobbi Brown herself. I hope to see some Temptalia readers up there!
• CoverGirl’s Clean Makeup for Clean Water Campaign wants you to submit a video telling them how you give back and make the world a better place, how this makes you beautiful. For every entry submitted, CoverGirl will donate one week’s worth of water to a child in need. Entrants also have a chance to win a humanitarian trip to Africa or an opportunity to participate in a CoverGirl photoshoot. Also in CoverGirl news, you can design a custom decal for LashBlast Length mascara and win, get details.
• Lancome taps Julia Roberts as their new global ambassador. Roberts described her new role as, “It’s kind of like every girl’s dream, really.” [WWD]
• NYFW is upon us – just a few weeks away — and are you ready for Maybelline’s return as the official cosmetic sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week?
• ELF got a whole new look this week (their website, duh!) — what do you think? They’re trying to create more online buzz with various social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook.
• MAC will be looking at Europe for more growth opportunities, as Karen Buglisi, SVP, says “Our strategy is to open freestanding stores, and we are currently looking for opportunities to open more in Europe.” [WWD]
• Looking for an ultra luxe treat for your Valentine’s Day? La Mer wants you to polish and soften skin with The Body Refiner and The Body Creme.
• If you’re near Henri Bendel on 5th Ave., you can meet Ellen Sirot of Hand Perfection from January 24th through 31st from 12 to 3PM.
• Korres is having their semi-annual sale now through January 27th. Save up to 65%! Happy hauling…

Weekend Quickies: Beauty News & Events

Most importantly, to help aid Haitians, you can donate $10 via texting “Haiti” to 90999 to the Red Cross. The donation amount will be added to your cell phone bill. You can also donate $5 via texting YELE to 501501 (again, the donation amount will be added to your cell phone bill).  The most effective way to help is by providing monetary aid rather than goods or products.  Make sure if you donate you are confident in the organization you’re donating to.

• In related news, several brands are donating a portion of sales/proceeds towards relief for Haiti. From what I’ve gathered so far via email and Twitter notifications, here are the brands and what they’re doing: Josie Maran (50% of all proceeds through the end of January towards Red Cross), Dr. Dennis Gross (10% of purchases from 1/15 to 1/18), Mario Badescu ($0.50 per product purchased towards Red Cross), Bond No. 9 (10% of proceeds from The Scent of Pease towards the Red Cross), PHYTO Hair Care (holding a fundraiser on January 21st), P&G (product and monetary donations, employee contribution matching), Kiehl’s ($5,000 to PSI, $1 per RT of their post up to $5K).
• Urban Decay launched their Alice in Wonderland palette, which features sixteen shades of their best-selling eyeshadows renamed with an Alice in Wonderland theme. It also includes two miniature-sized eyeliners and Primer Potion. According to @UrbanDecay411, it’s now sold out on the website, but we can expect to see it show up at retailers like Sephora in early February. Did you grab yours? Speaking of Alice in Wonderland, OPI’s four inspired shades are now available at various retailers and etailers.
• Shiseido offers up $1.7B to purchase Bare Escentuals. (WWD) Whew!
• Bobbi Brown has launched her Pretty Powerful campaign, and the campaign kicked off with a live Q&A session held on Twitter. The campaign is all about real women and real beauty. The campaign includes several different aspects from before-and-after galleries to video contests.
• Chanel will launch a brand new line of lipsticks in late Spring called Rouge Coco. It’s designed to be a long-lasting and moisturizing lipstick that will replace the existing Hydrabase line (so stock-up, if that’s your favorite formula). It will launch in March, with each shade retailing for $30. There are four color families: Roses-Pinks, Reds-Corals, Violets-Berries, and Neutrals-Browns–Chanel expects to offer 9 shades in Roses-Pinks, 8 in Reds-Corals, 4 in Violets-Berries, and 9 in Neutrals-Browns. There will be an additional seven shades that will be available internationally. (WWD)
• Illamasqua wants to know — do fans in the States want to see their Pastel Mint Varnishes in the Spring? (Nudge – mint; Blow – lemon; Caress – powder blue; Wink – lilac) Expect Body Electrics–all about seductive bronze–as their spring/summer launch, too. Those in London can check them out at IMATS on January 30th and 31st.
• Napoleon Perdis will be making an in-store appearance and doing makeovers next weekend, January 23rd, at the San Francisco Centre. To book ($100, fully redeemable in product), call 415.546.1711.
• Bergdorf Goodman is running their “Smart Beauty” event starting this Monday, January 18th, through Saturday, January 30th. You can receive a couture cosmetic bag filled with deluxe-sized samples with any $200 or more purchase on their beauty level. You’ll see brands like AmorePacific, Awake, Bulgari, Chantecaille, Clinque, DaNa Decker, Kanebo Sensai, Kiehl’s Since 1851, Laura Mercier, ReVive, Sisley-Paris, and Tom Ford included in your beauty gift.
• Halle Berry to launch Pure Orchid fragrance — yet another celebrity fragrance, are you intrigued or tired of ‘em? Pure Orchid is slated for a February launch and features top notes of crisp Italian lemon, papaya nectar fizz, and jungle cactus flower, with a heart of Masdevallia orchid, blackberry creme concentre and star anise, and a final dry down of gaitn sequoia, patchouli leaf, and tonka bean. It’s described as “a voluptuous floral experience.” Fancy! (WWD)
• Get ready to see Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne in upcoming Proactiv commercials and advertisements! (WWD)

Weekend Quickies:  Carnival Lights, Lancome Cream Shadows, Philosophy Holiday Shower Gels

Here are some products I’ve tried in the past few months with reviews done all quick-style

• China Glaze Carnival Lights Nail Lacquer ($3.50) has a medium pink jelly base with silver micro-glitter and larger silver hexagonal glitter. It doesn’t go opaque on my nail, as you can still see the tip of it a bit. Above is two coats.
• Lancome ‘Color Design’ Cream Eyeshadow ($22.00) came in three shades: Garter Belt (deep burgundy with red shimmer), Haute Smoke (soft taupe brown with multicolored shimmer), and Pink Lace (a milky pale pink). These lasted on my lids well (until I took it off, so about eight hours or so), though they are advertised to last for sixteen hours (I don’t think I usually wear my makeup for much more than eight hours!).
• Philosophy Candy Cane Shower Gel ($16.00) smells exactly as advertised — like the peppermint-y candy canes of the holiday season. Lathers up quite well, as the rest of their shower gels do.
• Philosophy Have a Cherry Christmas Shower Gel ($16.00) lathers up nicely and smells like slightly sweetened cherries that still have that tartness to them. The Muse has a more in-depth review if you’re curious. I love me some Philosophy Shower Gels, but how many times can I tell you that? Ha!

See product photos & swatches!

China Glaze Carnival Lights Nail Lacquer

Lancome Cream Eyeshadows: Pink Lace, Garter Belt, Haute Smoke

Lancome Cream Eyeshadows: Pink Lace, Garter Belt, Haute Smoke

Lancome Cream Eyeshadows: Pink Lace, Garter Belt, Haute Smoke

Philosophy Candy Cane Shower Gel

Philosophy Have a Cherry Christmas Shower Gel