Fall Color Preview

On this beautiful, and hot, summer day it is hard to imagine that fall is just around the corner, but these fall color palettes make the idea of crisp weather more than bearable. Some are a little spendy, but I've thrown in their budget equivalents for those of us with lighter wallets.

Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush in Tease

Marc Jacobs' new palettes and lip gloss for Sephora are beautiful and rich. This lovely palette in "Tease" features bright purples and deep smoky hues--perfect for fall.

Down side: $59. Yes, it is a definite splurge. With richly pigmented color this is worth it--if you have the money.

Revlon Photoready Primer, Shadow + Sparkle 

Alternative: Revlon Photoready Eyeshadow palettes. They come with bonus eye primer for those of us that need the color to stay all day and a sparkle overshadow or "topcoat". They come in several shades, including this purple palette "Watercolors". Only $ 8 at most drug stores.

Marc Jacobs lust for Lacquer Lip Vinyl

Marco Jacobs lip gloss--sorry, lip "vinyl"--promises shimmery color and a healthy champagne-grape infusion. Comes in 5 fantastic colors including this one in "Studded Kiss".

Down side: Price again. The lip vinyl comes for $28 at Sephora stores and online. Ouch. 

Burt's Bees Lip Gloss, courtesy of the Dermstore

Alternative: Burt's Bees lip gloss. Know for their natural products, this gloss is no exception. Nourishing with omega fatty acids, this is great for your parched fall lips. The colors are also amazing, like this one in "Starry Night". It also won't break the wallet at about $8.99 at most drug stores. 

So get those fall colors going and enjoy the changing of the seasons!

Best Fake Tanners Out There

Yes, I know: fake tanners can be orange-y and gooey and gross. But, many of us would love that warm, summer glow either without the sun damage. Here are a couple of the best self-tanners on the market and a few tips to keep from making a big, tan mess.

 Jergens Natural Glow

From Jergens.com

This light lotion is nearly fool-proof. It darkens gradually but results can be seen after 1 use and it won't get your hands all messy. It goes on clear like a lotion so it is nearly impossible to get streaks. It also comes in a firming variety so you can tighten as you tan.

Down side: it takes a couple applications to sink into skin so no instant gratification. But, if you prep your legs a couple days before that great skirt for that big date night, then you are good to go.

 St. Tropez

Courtesy of Sephora

Definitely instant gratification. This self-tanner comes in gradual and one-step so you can choose your level of tan. Easy application, washes off hands easily and little to no streaks, it leaves a realistic sunlit glow.

Down sides: spend. I's $32 for 4 oz, as compared with Jergens $5 average per bottle. But, if you have the cash it is worth it!

To Prime or not to Prime? That is the question...

Is primer really necessary? That is a question I've seen a few times by those who've never used primer (or never used a good primer). The truth is, if you wear very little makeup or can do a few touchups throughout the day, you probably don't need primer. If you just wear a good tinted moisturizer or bb cream and have no large visible pores, pimples, dark spots or red spots you want to cover, you are probably fine without. But, for the rest of us, primer is a very useful tool.

I use primer because I have very little time for touch-ups--generally one a day. I also use primer to correct any issues I have. In the summer, to fight the oily shine I see halfway through the day, I'll use a mattifying primer or a light, oil-free primer. In the winter, I love a primer full of vitamins and nourishing elements for drier winter skin.

Neutrogena Shine Control Primer from Neutrogena.com

Prime Time from Bare Escentuals

This summer I'm loving Neutrogena's Shine Control primer--lightweight, matte, and it's only $12.99 at the local drug store. It stops my makeup from settling into my pores for that large-pore look and it also stops the fine makeup creases from forming around my mouth. 

Last winter was Prime Time from Bare Escentuals. Packed with vitamins, it keeps my skin from getting chapped even in 10 below zero weather. It is the best year-round primer i've found as well since it is lightweight and gives your skin a smoothness few other primers do. 

So, how to choose a primer? Go with one that promises to correct problems your skin has such as large pores, oiliness or dryness, and always make sure that you see a visible difference in your skin's smoothness after application. If it doesn't seem to make you makeup last longer, switch to another. Finding a good primer is just like finding a good foundation; it takes time. So stick with it and if you change makeup from liquid foundation to powder, if you primer no longer works well with one or the other, change primers. I've found not all primers are formulated to work with powder foundation and some work better with powder, so experiment! 

Find of the Week!

Every week I bring you a great buy for a great price and this week is no exception. Sally Hansen Insta-Dri nail polish--dries in seconds, comes in 32 fun colors and retails for about $4.00 at most drugstores. Perfect for those pedicures to show off your new sandals and perfect for touchups too!

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Polish in Instant Iris

This stays for weeks with normal wear and looks smooth, not tacky.

Down sides: because of the quick-dri you need to be pretty steady-handed when applying or use more nail polish remover to fix any boo-boos. Other than that--perfect polish in great summer colors!

Must-Have Products to Take Camping

So your new boyfriend loves the great outdoors and the last time you went tent camping your biggest worry was how to fit your teddy bear in your backpack. Fear not, I have the low down on all the products you will need in your knapsack to keep yourself looking great without running water or a sink.

1. BB or CC Cream

A good beauty balm is a camping girl's best friend. If you are lucky enough to have subtle fine lines or slight skin discolorations, a BB Cream is the way to go. Most have light-reflecting pigments that make your skin look radiant without making him too suspicious that that glow comes out of a tube. They even have mattifying versions for those of us with excess oil.

If you have darker spots or redness from acne or rosacea, a BB Cream may not be enough. New CC Creams are a heavier-duty version that have more pigments for color correction and the same one-step application.

Sephora CC Cream--color correcting, moisturizing and comes in 7 colors!

2. An All-in-one Concealer

If you have dark circles (maybe from staying up late around the camp fire) and dark spots or hard to cover pimples, try a concealer that is liquid but not drying and the same tone as your skin. I recommend a stick concealer for dry skin or a liquid concealer for oily skin.

Body Shop's All-in One Concealer is natural and comes in 4 colors

3. Dry Shampoo

If you are lucky enough not to have frizz, dry shampoos are your friend to get that fresh feeling without the shower. Most come in easy spray bottles (and even travel sizes) and work to fight oil and smell great. Just spray in at the roots and comb through. For those of us with frizz problems, I recommend dry shampoo in conjunction with a wet comb to bring back some of the style from the day before.

Suave Dry Shampoo--$4 and it works great, smells great

4. Make-up removing clothes

For removing that day's grime and the first day's eye makeup, a good make-up remover clothe is perfect. No water needed, these little buddies are usually enough to take off eye makeup, dirt and oil. They even double as a facial cleanser for the next morning and a good sponge bath. There are moist versions for dry skin and oil-fighters for oily skin. I recommend a gentle clothe or sensitive skin clothe since these are being used on the eye area as well.

Neutrogena Cleansing Cloths in Night Calming--great for eye makeup and dirt as well as redness. $5.99 from Drugstore.com

5. Combo Eyeliner/brow Pencil

If you are someone who feels completely naked without your eyes defined, go for a travel-sized pencil that will do double duty to lightly line your eyes and your brows. Try to find one with a brow brush on one side. Don't overdo it--just lightly line the top lid a blend well.

Tarte Brow Pencil--3 great colors for eyes & brows

6. Lip balm with a hint of color

Lip balm is the perfect covert operator--it looks like a chap stick and works like a gloss to provide shin and a hint of color. If you are someone with lips that disappear into your face, this miracle product will make them re-appear. And it fits in your jeans pocket!

Korres Lip Butter--7 great, glossy shades

Now, the practical: get all the primping done you can before you go--waxing, leg shaving, mustache bleaching, face peeling and tanning. Either wake up before the man to do your primping or find a little private time. No one would blame you if you say you need time behind the bushes!

The 5 Best Household Products for Skin Care

Here are 5 easy ways to make your own at-home facial masks and skin care remedies using products from your kitchen or under your sink. Each works to brighten, tighten and calm the skin for a great complexion.

1. Baking Soda

It is a little known fact that baking soda makes a great exfoliant. It can be little harsh so I recommend diluting a little in water and adding a little more dry to the palm of your hand. Wet face with warm water first and then work in the baking soda with your fingertips, concentrating on your problem areas. Your skin will be smoother after 1 application.

Down sides: it can be a little harsh. Try to limit the treatment to 1 a week.

2. Oatmeal

So good for dry skin, oatmeal can make a great mask. Wet your face with warm water and make up the oatmeal in hot water or milk. The heat opens the pores and the oatmeal moisturizes the skin as well as tightens.

Down sides: make sure the hot oatmeal isn't hot enough to burn the skin. Keep it warm, but not too hot.

3. Eggs

Egg whites make a great tightening mask and the yokes make a great moisturizing mask. You can separate the yokes from the whites or leave together for both effects. Rinse clean skin with warm water and pat egg evenly onto skin with fingertips. Rinse off with cooler (but not cold) water. The cool water serves to close clean pores the way hot water opens them.

Down sides: egg shells carry salmonella. Be careful when handling eggs, especially the shells. Wash your hands afterward and don't get too near your mouth or eyes


4. Yoghurt

Great for moisturizing and for healing, yoghurt makes a fantastic mask. Use plain, unsweetened yoghurt and whip with a spatula to get a creamier effect. Leave the mask on for 5 minutes and see softer, moister skin.

Down sides: make sure to get unsweetened, plain yoghurt. Sticky, sweet yoghurts can have ingredients that irritate the skin.

5. Strawberries

Nature's acidic face peel. Take one strawberry, wash and spit open and then apply to clean skin. Leave on for 5 minutes before washing off. The natural acids eat away dead skin cells and leave smoother skin.

Down sides: don't leave on too long. It can irritate more sensitive skin and can redness.

As always, don't get carried away. Test a small part of your arm with any of these just in case your skin doesn't like the ingredient. Have fun and start experimenting!

Lips to Die For: a Lip Stick that Shines like a Gloss

It's Monday and that's make-up day! Time to bring you the best make-up products out there and in that spirit I have a high-pigment lip color that shines like a gloss but wears like a lip stick. Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color is highly pigmented and packs a vibrant punch with a glossy finish. It wears as long as your average lipstick, which could be extended with lip liner.

Courtesy of Sephora

I recommend pairing it with Urban Decay's 24/7 Lip Liner to extend the wear, like I have in the picture below.

Here I'm wearing F-Bomb (a fantastic neutral red) lined with 24/7 lip liner in Gash, a darker red. I've worn the combo from 9 am through 7 at night and eaten twice--only 1 touch up. 

Down sides: only a few shades, and not all of them match with a 24/7 lip liner color. I love Naked, is a shimmery natural color that is the best nude lipstick I own, however if I want it to last longer, I'll have to put a layer of lip liner under it and my choices are either play up the pink with "Wicked", a brighter pink shade of the 24/7 lip liner, or give it a brick undertone with "Midnight Cowboy", a dark brown-pink. It makes me search for perfect liner to match and that's not too kind on the wallet though Super Saturated's initial cost of $19 is not too shabby.