Bobbi Brown's Necesssary Indulgences-Platinum Collection Spring 2009

There's nothing true makeup lovers anticipate more eagerly than a new Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick (photo on upper left hand corner). The Pink Shimmerbrick $40.00 for Spring 2009 from Bobbi Brown's Platinum Collection (on makeup counters this month), is one of the prettiest and uplifting shimmery shades yet! The silvery mirrored compact is glamorous in silver, grained, leatherette embossed with the Bobbi Brown logo. Inside, are five stripes of super-shimmery pressed powder: soft pink, bright pink, golden coral, rose and a new shade for eyes: Platinum, to light up your complexion, and add a little glamour to day or evening. You can wear them all together, or separately on eyes, face, cheeks. One swipe of all the shades produced a very soft, light pink that would work anywhere on your face. Use the rose and pink shades as a blush color and to add a highlight and sex appeal to cheeks. The new "Platinum" shade (second bar from the top) looks amazing on the eyes. It's not really silver, actually, it is more like a very softened gold on the skin and it's absolutely gorgeous! For anyone on a budget, consider: it's like getting five Bobbi Brown shimmer shades for one price and in one, tote-able compact.

Continue to "think pink" with one of Bobbi Brown's new colors from her Platinum Collection, a Shimmer Lip Gloss $20.00. I tried "Confetti." The petite, tube with brush applicator wand contains a sugar-spun light pink (with an addictive, vanilla-y scent) that's a perfect compliment to the Pink Shimmerbrick on your face. The sheer tint is so light it's really natural, but it's also reflective, so your lips look natural but amazingly pouty. If you take nothing else with you each morning or evening, take "Confetti" in your pocket or purse. It's an instant lift and a definitely must-have. "Glacier" is a steel-silver sheer, the lip's counterpart to the "Platinum" stripe in the Shimmerbrick. Also new is a non-Shimmer lip gloss in a neutral, glossy beige called "Nougat."

I didn't try the new colors for Spring in Bobbi Brown's Long Wear Cream Shadow $22.00 but as you can see from the photos, the newest coordinate with the other items in the Platinum collection. The four newest cream shadows are strong, subtly smoky, and cool: Platinum, Heather, Ash and Steel. The shimmery, creamy pot of shadow slides on with a fingertip and lasts for hours.

Aren't these just beautiful? These "necessary indulgences" are modern and light, feminine and optimstic. You will look and feel fabulous!

Biore Skin Preservation Collection for "Transitional" Skin

What kind of skin care do you use when you’re too old for teen acne prevention products, and not quite ready for the richer, anti-aging products? Biore has introduced an entire line of skin care products for women who are too old for teen products, and not ready to fight wrinkles, but want to protect the healthy skin they have. It’s called the Biore Skin Preservation Collection.

Biore wanted to address the unmet needs of women with transitional skin -- that is, women in their 2os to 30s who want to protect their healthy, young skin but also keep it looking it’s best, now. So the company created a collection of five products, packaged in metallic green, gradated boxes coordinated green tubes and bottles. The products are specifically designed to deal with dryness, improve texture and tone, and help reduce the first signs of aging. They features a "botanamide" technology, that marries botanicals and ceramides to deliver moisture and antioxidants, with key ingredients of white tea and blue lotus.

Although I'm no longer in this age range (sigh!) I think the products are quite exceptional., and all are an affordable $14.99 (except for the Gel Cleanser that is only $6.99). They also have cute names, so you feel even better about using them.

Here's the rundown:

The Clean Things Up Nourishing Gel Cleanser is a pump-bottle of fruity, foaming cleanser. It's mild and thorough.

Even Smoother Microderm Exfoliator is a a creamy exfoliator with various-sized microdermabrasion crystals that you can really feel. Rub gently, and you'll get the desired result.

Dual Fusion Moisturizer + SPF 30 - this is my favorite product. It's light, moisturizing, and has a strong enough SPF to be a good skin protector. I was told that the formula was created so that the SPF will be as strong at the end of the day as it is when you first apply it. I haven't checked this out personally just yet, but if it's true, that'a a major plus. I would use it for these reasons alone!

Hard Day's Night Overnight Moisturizer is a bit more emollient than the day moisturizer, but it's silky and pampering.

See The Future Fortifying Eye Cream is a cute name for a gel eye cream. It's light and non-greasy, and for this reason, it ranks second on my "faves" list on this line.

I asked if there was a facial masque and I was told that women in this age group don't use them (really?) But of course, Biore does have those wonderful pore cleansing strips that get the "yuk" out in ways you can really see. However, if Biore asked me what to add to the line, I'd at least ask for a tinted moisturizer with SPF 3o.

For more information visit www.bioreusa.com or

http://www.biore.com/usa/products/skinPreservation.asp

Badgley Mischka Couture is a Treasure!

During Fall 2009 Fashion Week, I reluctantly missed the Badgley Mischka Couture (Elizabeth Arden) fragrance launch (although I did cover the Runway Show). I really wanted to be there, especially since I love the designers. Their beautiful clothes are not in my budget, but now there's something that is: Badgley Mischka Couture fragrance, Eau de Parfum Spray $65.00 1.7 fl. oz.; $90.00 Eau de Parfum Spray 3.4 fl.

Mark Badgley and James Mischka decided to launch their own line about 20 years ago. They've had ups and downs, but their brand name is synonymous with elegant, sophisticated, classic designs that are red-carpet ready. They've dressed some of the world’s most celebrated women, including actresses such as Catherine Zeta-Jones, Eva Longoria-Parker, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Lopez, Anne Hathaway, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

When you have a glamorous image and create high-end gowns and even some day wear, any scent with your name on it has to be one that reflects the brand. The designers worked with perfumer Caroline Sabas of Givaudan Fragrances to create a new fragrance that even the most sophisticated woman can relate to, along with any woman hoping for a bit of a "couture fragrance experience.”

The designers are known for classic shapes and feminine, elegant, luxurious looks. When I received a sample of the new, Badgley Mischka Couture fragrance, I immediately related it to their elegant, Badgley Mischka brand. Everything, from the outer packaging to the bottle to the seductive woodsy scent, is elegant, understated, more "Audrey" than "out there." The outer carton is a shiny, dark brown cube with a gold "nameplate" and simple gold metallic lettering, and no other design to mar it's statement. Inside, the bottle glistens, stuns, really, with the solid gold bottle and elongated, faceted, clear plastic cap (with an engraved, gold nameplate at top). The sides of the bottle are "slit" like a designer gown to show a hint of leg. In this case, the clear glass silvers showcase the golden fragrance within.

The fragrance is a floriental -- my personal favorite. It's strong, and it's a scent that will make people take notice, but it's not heavy--it just has a "presence." You can immediate sense the fruits and florals (key top notes of Purple Plum and Blackberry, with a touch of fresh Pear Nectar) with a heart of Jasmine, Gardenia and Violet , but at drydown, it's the woods and musks your nostrils want to cling. There is less perception of fruits and floral notes as they expertly blend with gorgeous, luxe, sensual musks and creamy woods. The bottom notes make the scent seductive and feminine, but not girly.

Badgley Mischka Couture is light enough to wear for daytime, but the incredible gold and "crystal" bottle, and the sexy vibe make it a very perfect special occasion and evening scent, and certainly one to display front and center on a dressing table. This scent is a true (and reasonably affordable) treat and treasure. The scent looks so indulgent in the bottle and smells that way on your body. It's the type of scent that your body chemistry will help make into a genuine designer original you claim for your own. If you love it (and who wouldn't?), three's also a Parfum Elixir $48.00 0.5 fl. oz; Body Moisturizer $42.00 6.8 fl. oz;. and an indulgent Body Cream $70.00 6.7oz. If you want a spritz of confidence, wrap yourself (or Mom--mother's day is coming) in the luxury of this glorious, designer scent, and be amazing!


Find Badgley Mischka Couture at the stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue, or visit www.badgleymischka.com

Hawaiian Tropic Products --Here Comes Summer a Little Early!

When I think of Summer, I think of cool drinks, cool shades, beach balls, and of course, suntan lotion. When I think of suntan lotion, one of the popular brands that always comes to mind is Hawaiian Tropic.

It doesn't have to be Summer to need SPF protection--you should wear it wherever you are exposed, every single day of the year! But it also doesn't have to be Summer to use Hawaiian Tropic products, as I recently discovered. The brand has plenty of products other than their suntan lotions.

One product that I recently tried that protects your lips, no matter what time of year, is the The Hawaiian Tropic Aloha Kiss Lip Gloss Island Berry srp. $5.35 by Playtex. It comes in a squeeze tube and it adds lots of shine and a slightly red tint, but it doesn't just look good. It tastes like ripe berries, and it moisturizes lips with a powerfully-effective mix of Aloe Vera, Cocoa Butter and Vitamins A, C & E. But the main reason to use it is to protect your lips against the sun's damaging rays, with an SPF 20!

The waterproof formula has Hawaiian Tropic's "Sun Sure" technology that helps keep the protection lasting longer, although the silky feel and berry flavor may have you licking your lips more often, anyway! In the water, the lip gloss will retain it's SPF protection up to 80 minutes. The key ingredients are Avobenzone 2.0% Octocrylene 4.0% and Oxybenzone 3.0% . Why let your lips get old, dry and possibly, damaged when you can slick on this slightly red-tinted gloss and look gorgeous, while protecting them? This product won the The Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation, too!

Another Hawaiian Tropic product that isn't for sun protection, but can definitely make you feel much better after a day of baking in the sun, is the Hawaiian Tropic Body Butter srp. $6.43 8 oz. This jar of creamy lotion has the strong, delicious scent of coconut that makes me feel like Summer's here, even though I'm still wearing a coat! The whipped feel is light and fluffy and fun to slather on your body (it absorbs quickly). Actually, with the coconut scent and silky feel, it's pretty sexy (the perfect thing to rub on each other...) so you can heat things up, and do a good thing for your skin at the same time. Moisturization lasts for up to 12 hours and helps you maintain a tan, too.

Key ingredients in this product are exotic coconut fragrance, with Aloe & Shea Butter, cocoa butters, avocado oil, exotic, natural flora and fruit extracts, and an exclusive Vitamin A, C & E Complex.

For those who feel that Summer can't come soon enough, this product will help your mind as well as your body. For everyone else (including anyone reluctant to moisturize on a regular basis because it isn't any fun), it's simply a good moisturizing product that will encourage us to have better skin!

Find Hawaiian tropic in drugstores and mass market retailers and at www.playtexhawaiiantropic.com/

Elke Von Freudenberg - An Eyebrow's Best Friend!

Eyebrow specialist Elke Von Freudenberg is genuinely fascinated by faces. She manages the brows of celebrities and regular men and women with gifted, critical eyes. I never realized how transforming Elke's work really is, until I experienced her magic "up-close-and-personal." Her sparkling personality and calm demeanor puts even the most brow-phobic at ease. You can't help but feel confident that when Elke's finished shaping your eyebrows, no matter what shape they're currently in, you'll be looking much better.

If you ask Elke what sets her apart from other brow experts, she'll reply that she always asks her clients what they want, instead of just doing what she thinks they should have. Many brow experts skip this because the assume they know best, but if you've ever had the horrifying experience of walking out of a salon with "Joan Crawford" instead of "Brooke Shields," when all you really wanted was a cleanup of the stray hairs you were to lazy to pluck, you'll appreciate this difference.

The second thing that sets Elke apart is her uncanny vision that helps flatter faces. She sees each set of eyebrows with all the passion and vision of an artist. "I've always been fascinated by faces," admits Elke. "When I was a child, we'd go on vacation and my parents would be looking at the scenery while I'd be staring at all the faces. But I didn't realize my passion until I started doing my friend's makeup for high school dances and proms. I began to realize that I had much more fun doing their makeup than my own. I went to modeling school, and then started doing makeup for weekend photo shoots. I could see that brows had to look just right on film. A photographer suggested I could do really well at it, and that's how I started," she explains.

Elke creates new brow shapes, or fixes broken ones. Her tweezers are like a magic wand that can make all the difference in how someone looks right now, and in the future. She'd like to be known as the celebrity brow specialist in both coasts. With her combination of skills, personality and enthusiasm, and her own set of product called The Model Brow Collection, she's well on her way. She works efficiently, but takes as long as necessary to listen to a client's wishes, analyze each face, and get it right. Elke uses her eyes, not cookie cutter forms, to determine a perfect shape or ascertain what's needed to fix a messed-up brow. Before she picks up her tweezers, she explains exactly what she is planning to do. This star treatment is for everyone, whether they're celebrities, or models at a photo shoot, or just someone who wants to look his or her best.

While Elke does make some "house calls" for special clients, mostly she works out of two salons in New York. The first is Slope Suds in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The most recent addition is Janet Rufin’s Parlour Salon in Manhattan (25 W. 19th Street) *Elke's schedule is at the bottom of this post.


Janet Rufin's Parlour has been rated as one of the top salons in New York City but has a low-key, friendly feel. Services include color, styling, treaments, cuts and facial services from Anna Augustsson who "Mortal Man" treatments including those just for men. Elke's brow station at the back of the salon features a "sleeper chair" so comfortable I didn't want to move out of it. Her services include tweezing or shaping brows, brow tint, lash tint, flase lash and applications.


But you can also buy Elke's exclusive Brow Collection products at the salons, or online. These high-performance products are affordable, and feature colors Elke painstakingly hand-picked to flatter a wide range of brow and skin colors. Three of the newest items she showed me were a Clear Brow Tamer Pomade Wax $16.00 in a pot, to keep coarser brow hairs in place; a lighter, Clear Eyebrow Ware Mascara brow fix in a wand; and a really nice, dual-ended Mini Eye Brush with one side for shadows, the other, a flat brush that can be used for powder liners. There's a full sized Multi-Task Brush $18.00 too. Both brushes are made of cruelty-free 100% Synthetic Faux Squirrel Hair.

The bi-coast, very busy Elke, is also the Editor of The Beauty Ideal Magazine and Founder of the Beauty Blog Network.

Here's Where To Catch Up With Elke:

Elke's Web Site

Elke's Blog

Janet Rufin’s Parlour
25 W. 19th Street NY
212 627-2243
Wed 11-7 Thur 11-7 Fri 11-8

BROOKLYN
Slope Suds Salon
433 7th Avenue, Brooklyn
718 788 SUDS
Tues 12-9 Sat 10-7 Sun 10-6

LOS ANGELES
Private Clientele

Kerastase Double Force Controle Ultime Keeps Hair in It's Place

Spring hair styles are full of texture, but a "young, fresh, loose" look doesn't mean an uncontrolled one. To keep hair bouncy and in shape, you still need styling products.


A new product I've loving from Kerastase, Double Force Controle Ultime $36.00 9 fl. oz. is an exceptional way to keep hair under control. As long as you are going to reach for a product, why not make it one that helps as well as beautifies?



This hair finishing spray costs more than drugstore brands, but it does a lot (and does it well), too. It comes in a cool, mint green can, with a spray diffuser top that leaves an assertive, but not assaulting, mist. The product itself, suitable for all hair types, features concentrated fixing polymers that have a strong hold, but still lets your hair move without looking stiff or feeling crunchy. As a test, I sprayed a lot of Double Force Controle Ultime on my hand before I ever tried it on my hair, and when it dried (fast) it was so light, all I saw was a bit of a shine on my skin, and all I felt on it was a light coating. On my hair, it held my usually prone-to-flopping-in-minutes, style for hours without failing. The product also fights frizz when the weather is humid. Another plus? The typical "chemical" scent almost non-existant, and whatever scent I could smell, dissipated quickly.



Yes, you do pay more for high performance, salon products, but you also get a grea multi-tasker with good benefits for your hair, well as a being a strong styling fixative. Ceramides and UV filters help protect and strengthen the fibers of your hair. FYI: ceramides reinforces a hair fiber's internal structure by mimicking the natural "cement" that seals the cuticle and strengthens hair.



Sounds great to me!




Kerastase: www.kerastase-usa.com for salon locations call: 877-748-8357

MAC Cosmetics Launches 3 Limited Edition Collections In March and April

M·A·C Spring Collections include some very beautiful, limited edition collections:
Grand Duos, Sugarsweet and Colour Ready



Grand Duos launched on March 12th, offering a new and lovely way to blush. M.A.C. split their popular Mineralize Blushes in two: one side is marbleized with tri-colour veining to enhance and glorify cheekbones and the other, a complimentary mono shade to add a pop of colour. A soft, shimmery pearl adds a highlight and gives skin a subtle, pearly, and very pretty glow.

There are 7 colors to choose from (this is "Love Rock" a feminine pink) Also try:

Moon River (pale yellow pink)
Grand Duo (plums)
Light Over Dark (deep brown )
Earth to Earth (yellow brown )
Hot Planet (medium plums)
Intenso (deep


Sugarsweet, a collection of pastel colors that compliment Spring looks, offers a limited edition collection including the new and truly fun, Tricolour Lipglass. It features a partfait of three glossy lip colors in one tube that combine to make one sheer, shimmery tint.

Here's the runwdown on the entire collection:

Tricolor Lipglass ($17.50)

Consume Me (sheer white)
Just Dessert (pink perle)
Simply Delicious (peach)
Triple-Yum (gold)
Tasty (cool pink)

Lipstick ($14.00)

Bubbles (sheer frosty beige)
Saint Germain (light pink)
Lollipop Loving (coral)
Sweet Thing (magenta perle)
Touch (browned peach)

Eye Shadow

· Sugar Shot (frosted perle beige)
· Dear Cupcake (coral with gold perle)
· Aquavert (minty green)
· Stars’n’Rockets (lavender-pink)
· Club (browned pink)




Shadesticks ($16.50) (creamy, swivel-up eye shadow sticks that are truly travel-friendly)

Lemon Chiffon (frosted pewter)
Butternutty (frosted pale white gold)
Penny (light copper)
Red Velvet (medium frosted pink)
Cake Shop (frosted light beige)


Zoom Lash ($12.00) in Zoomblack

Nail Lacquer ($11.00)

Seasonal Peach (creamy light peachy pink)
Peppermint Patti (creamy mint green)

Mineralize Skinfinish ($25.00)

Perfect Topping (mix of Pink/Peach/Lavender)
Refined (mix of Tan/Peach/Coral)

Lashes ($12.00) #34 Lash - long and wispy, featuring a long, winged-corner edge.





M.A.C. Colour Ready debuts TODAY! (April 2, 2009) and features high performance products to prepare skin as well as enhance it with some seriously intense color. Three new products of special note that aren't color cosmetics, but make them work better, are:


Prep + Prime Line Filler ($19.50) that plumps up the skin to minimize the appearance of the wrinkles, while it minimizes the look of wrinkles, and boosts natural collagen production. Combine it with Prep + Prime Skin Refined Zone ($19.50), to help reduce the look of pores and control excess oil.


Also new is a Transparent Finishing Powder ($21.00), a silky "last step" to set your makeup, reduce oil/shine, and help keep your makeup fresher, longer. It contains corn starch, silica, and mica to help get the job done.

Also in the collection are:

Lipstick ($14.00): Show Orchid (magenta) and Impassioned (deep rose)

Eye Shadow ($14.50): Bitter (lime green) and White Frost

Penultimate Eye Liner ($16.50) in Rapid Black (black, felt-tipped liner makes "cats eyes" quicker, regular lining as easy as writing)

Eye Brows: Stud

Prep + Prime Line Filler
Prep + Prime Skin Refined Zone
Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

Brush 129SH (elegant, large-sized powder brush)

Visit www.maccosmetics.com for more information on all of these collections!

Elisa Ilana Jewelry Makes Words Into Wearable Art

Statement jewelry is a must-have right now, and once you've invested in a piece, it is sure to pay dividends every time you wear it. Perhaps it will become a treasured family heirloom.

Recently, I discovered Elisa Ilana. This company has been producing amazing, handcrafted jewelry since 1996 in Omaha, Nebraska. Their designs are copyrighted designer originals by Laurie Langdon-Gerber using made by hand, one piece at a time. What's super-great about Elisa Ilana is that you don't actually have to go to the Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska to see the collection, and although you can lavish your made-to-order pieces with stones and 14K gold to create a pricey masterpiece, you can also order online, and create a custom piece of jewelry that ranges from modestly priced at around $79.-00 to bracelets for hundreds of dollars, or some

If you just want to get a nice piece of jewelry in a wide variety of price ranges, the web site features a number of different collections to suit varying styles and occasions, but one I really like for now, would be great for Mother's Day. Old-fashioned mother's bracelets simply use birthstones to signify a child's name, but the name or mother's bracelets by Elisa Ilana are impressive pieces of jewelry.

As you can see from the four-strand sample above, Elisa Ilana gives this sentimental classic a new twist. I love the bold, square, sterling silver "alphabet beads" plus accents of silver, 14K gold, or 14K gold filled beads, some fluted, some plain, and if you wish it, a choice of semi-precious and precious birthstones (traditional and modern choices), crystals and handmade glass beads. The more bells and whistles you add, the higher the cost, but you can order up to four strands spelling out the names of children or loved ones.

You don't have to use the Mother's Bracelets as a place to show off your children or grandchildren's name, however. Get creative! These of course, make impressive name bracelets for yourself, or why not promote what you do? I asked for "Advice Sisters" and received a stunning, 2-strand bracelet that spells out my domain name and manages to look like a boutique bracelet as well. Everyone asks about it (a real conversation starter). I love it! The photos don't do it justice.

The elegant and intricate beads make this bracelet more than just a statement....it's a statement piece that will be truly your own.

Even the secure clasp with both additional lock and safety chain is embellished.

Elisa Ilana jewelry really makes words into wearable art. These bracelets are a great way to remember a special time in your life, or even memorialize someone you want to hold close to you. They're a fantastic gift for a bride or new graduate of for any special occasion. Depending upon the style you choose, these bracelets are available in five sizes ranging from a 3" baby bracelet to 8.5" Precious and semi-precious gemstones can be added although they add to the cost, of course. They company sent mine quickly, but I'd go now and check out what you might like to order for special occasions in the coming months:

If you're in Omaha, visit the store. But more likely, you'll order from the web site: http://www.elisailana.com/