the beauty alchemist

PixiGlow TinkerBellCollection from Pixi

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:49:00 +0000

Get ready for some cuteness from Pixi , Target and Disney. Pixi's Petra Strand has teamed with The Walt Disney Co. and worked with Disney character artisit John Quinn to re-imagine Tinker Bell and give her a vintage inspired look. Called the PixiGlow collection , it will be online at Target January 29th and in stores in March .

It's absolutely adorable especially the palette and nail polish . Tink has a modern yet Victorian look here that's more grown up and sweetly pretty.

The PixiGlow collection offers six color cosmetics, available exclusively at Target:

o Catching Shadows Crayon ($18.00) – a waterproof cream-to-powder eye crayon

o Fairy Dust ($14.00) – a glimmering loose dust that can be used on skin, eyes or even lips

o Fairy Face Palette ($34.00) – A “whole face in a case,” this universally flattering palette includes 5 eye shadows, 3 color blush palette, 5 lip creams and applicators

o Magic Tink Tint ($16.00) – a nourishing gel crayon that tints your lips, reacting to your lips’ pH level to deliver a perfectly personalized pink tint

o Straight On ‘til Morning Liner ($15.00) – an intense waterproof pencil liner in an enchanting deep green hue and pure peek-a-boo glitter

o Pink Nail Color ( $ 8.00) a bright pink nail lacquer with just a touch of shimmer.

Chanel Skyline Nail Polish from Bleu Illusion -Summer 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:15:00 +0000

Get ready for the next LE Le Vernis/ Nail Polish from Chanel. Called Skyline , it debuted at the Haute Couture show this week and will hit stores in July.

Also new is Exclusive Creation Le Crayon Yeux Precision Eye Pencil in Bleu Aérien.

This new collection, sold only at limited outlets, is called Bleu Illusion.

Dolce and Gabbana Velvet Wood from the Velvet Collection

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:34:00 +0000

New from Dolce and Gabbana is the Velvet collection, a beautifully presented line of six new scents inspired by the " concept of traditional luxury".

So far I've had the chance to try Velvet Wood. Velvet Wood ( inspired by ebony wood) is composed of soft sexy woods, benzoin and a nice hint of leather. My nose detects some patchouli, but that's not technically listed.

It's not simply masculine but a man could definitely wear it and it has masculine touches. It's deep , has presence and is subty sexy scent and very of the season, the Valentines season, that is.

Despite the strong sounding notes, Velvet Wood wears rather softly. The sillage is medium and it's not an overly strong fragrance .

These come , naturally, in a beautiful satin lined velvet box. Quite the presentation.

The full scent list is :

-Sublime
-Love
-Desire
-Vetiver
-Wood
-Patchouli

Each is $ 195 for 1.6 oz at www.saks.com

Bath and Body Works Rio Rumberry

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Rio Rumberry is one of the new tropical scents Bath and Body Works rolled out after the holidays. It could called Yumberry.

It smells like a delicious tropical cocktail without the alcohol. Lots of coconut , papaya , berries and just a little floral . No musk thankfully( musk is not a fav here. )

It's a little Caribbean vacation in a botttle.

Available now across all BBW categories.

Milk and Honey "No More Muffin Top" Tights

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:04:00 +0000

It's most definitely tights season and there's loads to choose from. New are a patented line by the shoe designers of Milk and Honey , designed specifically to battle that not nice muffin top bulge that some tights or stockings can give you.

These have a very wide waistband as you can see in the picture. The wider band means more coverage than a thin strip. It pulls everything in neatly and is seamless.

Currently they come on black and are one size fits all. They have a nice heavy and smooth feel and are very opaque.

$ 14.00 at www.milkandhoneyshoes.com

New Maybelline and L'Oreal Speed Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:41:00 +0000

We'll call this the lightning round.

Both Maybelline and L'Oreal have released so many new products. I've separately reviewed several of them and I've got a couple more individuals possibly coming, but for the rest thought I'd do a quick round up to give you the scoop.

Maybelline Dream Nude Airfoam - The one miss out of all the new launches from them. They've got some good ones in there ( Color Tattoo eyeshadow, Dream Bouncy Blush) but this just didn't do it for me. It goes on more like a tinted moisturizer. Very barely there, after 3 layers I felt I had some coverage. If you like a very sheer look than you might like this. It goes on nicely, is light and the mousse foam is fun. Tip - it needs shaken very well before use and a lot comes out at one time.

Ivory, Nude

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Higligher/ Concealer - A nice entry in the concealer category at the mass level. Many brands have these, more high end than low end. This comes in several shades, and runs very, very light so pick your shade accordingly. The Ivory was ghost white on me. Nude was much better . There is also Radiant, which is for many skintones and is more of a peach tone. These have no shimmer and work nicely under eyes and around nose etc.

L'Oreal Visible Lift Serum Absolute Powder - Rest of name is Advanced Age Reversing Powder. This powder has good coverage and can be worn on it's own as well as over makeup. It's not matte but is a flat finish, no shimmer, no brightening and is a medium finish. It does a nice job of polishing your look and making things more flawless. Even though it has good for skin ingredients like Vitamins C & E , aloe and copper, this is not in any way a creamy powder. As for me, I like powder, so I like this. It's going to be personal preference on this one. (Available in 4 shades)

Bronzed Taupe, Amber Rush

L'Oreal 24 HR Infallible Eye Shadow - LOVE these. They promise long wear and they deliver. They may not last the 24 hrs of the name , but no surprise there. That they do last almost the day on me is pretty fab and unusual. All but 2 shades are pearl. They pack a lot of shimmer, blend beautifully and look great on my eyes. Favorite shades are Amber Rush and Bronzed Taupe.

Beige For Good, Keep Me Coral, Timeless Crimson

Maybelline Super Stay 14 Hr Lipstick- Maybelline has done longer wear while making it less dry than most that we've seen. It's more satin than matte and feels pretty good on the lips. I can't help myself, I want to use balm over it, but you don't have to . They wear nicely but not 14 hrs. But hey, I didn't expect that. The pigments in these are deep. The lightest nude shade I can wear easily, the others have to blended or used with a gloss or balm. For those with darker skin or who want a bolder lip, these would be great.

Maybelline Master Shape by EyeStudio Brow Pencil -It's not easy to find light enough brow pencils anywhere and even harder at the mass level. When you're a blonde ( as The Mom is) or a redhead like me few ever seem light enough. We've had luck with Bobbi Brown and Lancome ones but now we have these new ones from Maybelline that are really nice. The Blonde shade actually is perfect for redheads as well. There is an Auburn shade and that almost works for me but is still a bit too deep. If you are red and have deep brows though, then it should be good. The shade selection also includes soft brown and deep brown.

Lancome & Saks Sophie Theallet GWP

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:45:00 +0000

It's GWP time at Saks and Lancome. These are always fun aren't they? If you are needing( wanting) to buy something, why not grab it when you can get an extra bonus. I know I have a LOT of those free makeup bags stashed away from all the times I've done this.

Lancome has teamed up with CFDA award-winning designer Sophie Theallet for an exclusive GWP at Saks Fifth Avenue.

It's filled with Lancome favorites (Visionnaire LR 2412 Advanced Skin Corrector, Bi-Facil, La Base Pro and Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara) , you can select your moisturizer (Absolue Premium BX or Absolue Precious Cells) as well as lip color (L’Absolu Rouge in Viole De Rose or Fleur De Lis) and and 4 pan eyecolor.

This GWP is exclusive to Saks through Jan. 28th and the bag is free with a $ 65.00 purchase. ( The new Spring collection is out , and I hope to have some previews soon).

There is also a promo to win a getaway to NYC at all Saks Lancome counters which includes airfare, ground transportation and hotel for two, a personal consultation/fitting with Sophie Theallet at her NY studio, a complimentary Sophie Theallet dress (up to a $1,200 value), a $1,000 gift certificate to Saks Fifth Avenue, beauty consultation with a Lancôme expert and dinner for two at an exclusive NYC celebrity hotspot (no purchase necessary to enter).

MAC Tendertones from Shop MAC, Cook MAC

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:59:00 +0000

We finally have the images and colors for the Tendertones that are launching with the Shop MAC, Cook MAC collection on Feb. 9.

You may ( or may not) remember that these have SPF 15, go on slightly glossy, have good moisure and sheer tints. Really they are all kinds of fabulous.

All seem to be re-promotes, but that's fine since they were so nice to begin with. Hot n Saucy is the one to grab if you want the most pigment . It leaves a sheer cherry kiss on the lips.

Hush, Hush- Sheer gold with yellow gold pearl
Purring- Sheer tangerine with pearl
Hot ‘n’ Saucy- Soft cherry red
Tread Gently- Soft lime green with yellow pearl

L'Oreal EverCreme Collection- Shampoo/Conditioner

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:09:00 +0000

Winter seems to be drying my hair . I'm not used to that, it gets dry occasionally but not very often. It's longer now and colder out so there is a difference. I have a lot of great shampoos and conditioners handy but not too many with deep moisture. More like average moisture , which had been fine.

Noting my drier hair , when the chance came to try L'Oreal's new EverCreme collection, I took it. I had used the original EverPure when it first came out and wasn't that impressed .
New EverCreme on the other hand has me very impressed. It worked really well. My hair was soft, conditioned , even the ends, and still had body . It looked much better. No flyaways etc.

EverCreme is sulfate free and also wax free. Like all sulfate free lines it lathers but only a little. Hair gets cleaned but not stripped .

I am using the Nourishing shampoo , conditioner and leave in spray. I love a good leave in but am fussy about them. EverCreme didn't weight hair down or make it over moisturized but left it well conditioned and looking healthy. My hair despite being drier than normal tends towards oily and the wrong leave in products will make it greasy fast.

Key ingredients of the line are Camelia oil, Apricot Oil and Grapeseed oil.

There are 7 products in all in the EverCreme line including a "First to Mass Market" Cleansing Conditioner. There are 2 shampoo/conditoner combos- Nourishing and Intense Nourishing, the leave in spray and a masque.

Chloe L'Eau de Chloe Perfume- Coming Soon

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Set to release in February is L'Eau de Chloe , an addtion to the Chloe line of fragrances. This one is said to be a chypre rose which would be awesome it it really was that. We have to wait to see, but here's hoping.

Notes include : include distilled rosewater, citrus and patchouli.

MAC Subtle Breeze Blush from Naturally

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:57:00 +0000

One of the new Mineralize blushes out with Naturally from MAC is Subtle Breeze. MAC calls it a Blue Pink and that's about right. It's medium pink and goes on with good pigment and has little to no shimmer. It's not super bright but packs color and can be built up. I'm not a big pink person but I did find this a bit dull for my taste overall in blush. But I am a shimmer girl and I am also not a fan of the Mineralize blush formula. Just personal taste. They never seem to work well on me but I usually love the colors.

Subtle Breeze is LE.

L'Oreal Color Riche Balm

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:36:00 +0000

Plush Plum, Caring Coral

These have been well reviewed by many of my friends , now I'm finally getting to them. We all know I LOVE tinted balms and I've been thrilled that every brand seems to be coming out with them this season. Well, the new L'Oreal Color Riche ones are not proving to be the exception. I am loving them as well.

They mainly go on very sheer with just a hint of tint. The one deeper shade I have- Plush Plum leaves more tint than the lighter ones , so if you want more pigment go for the darker ones. Plush Plum leaves just enough of a tint that it looks great on it's own but also layers well with my rather large collection of plum lippies.

Caring Coral is a sheer peach that warms up the lips just a little. It's very pretty and good for a barely there look or layering. This one especially will be fab for summer. It can go to the pool or beach with it's SPF and look just enough.

I think these have really good moisture. I can wear one on it's own and head out into the cold and it's fine for hours. Which brings us to another good thing about the Color Riche Balms - they seem to last long for a balm. No, they are not long wear but the Plush Plum, by virtue of it's deeper color I guess, stayed put for a couple hours. That's quite good for a tinted balm.

Ingredients include shea butter, argan oil, rose canina oil and vitamin E. They have SPF 15 , have little scent ( L'Oreal says there is a vanilla scent, I get just a hint of that ) and come in 8 shades.

Have you tried these yet? My local Target was cleaned out of them this week so they seem to be popular and I can see why.

China Glaze Electropop Spring 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:16:00 +0000

China Glaze Spring 2012 is Electropop and will be available in February. There are 12 shades in all , sold in sets of 6 or each bottle.

-Kinetic Candy

– Touch the sky in light blue crème

- Electric Beat – Periwinkle nails for a wink worthy performance

Gaga for Green

Aquadelic – Pool blue for nighttime gigs and daytime fun in the sun
Gaga For Green – Green lacquer for the girl craving the limelight
Sunshine Pop – Shine in the spotlight in bold yellow
Make Some Noise – Rock the mic in tangerine
Wicked Style – Party cocktail tropical punch
Fuchsia Fanatic – Fuchsia pink for the rocker diva in us all
Gothic Lolita – Steal the show on girls night out in seductive purple
Dance Baby – Hit center stage in cotton candy pink
Sweet Hook – Blow a kiss in dreamy lilac

Techno – Glitter confetti polish for a dazzling topcoat finish or all over finger tip bling

Techno

essie Spring 2012 Navigate Her

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:31:00 +0000

Navigate Her is the new Spring essie collection. It's 6 shades all in pretty pastel to bright orange and will be on sale in February.

MAC Redhead Mineralize Skinfinish from Naturally

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:40:00 +0000

When MAC's Blonde, Brunette and Redhead collection came out I really wanted the Redhead Mineralize. Somehow I never ended up getting it and of course it was LE. Happily with the Naturally collection both it and The Blonde one are available again.

I've been using it as a blush and it's worked great for that. It is pigmented and not as sheer as some Mineralize Skinfinishes. So better, I think, for blush than all over highlight . That depends of course on skintone and what you like. There is plenty of shimmer here as there usually is and that's ok with me too. I used a skunk brush ( MAC 187) but a fan brush will work nicely as well. Despite the shimmer and pigment I think it gives a nice lit from within glow that's not overdone.

The colors in Redhead go from what MAC calls gold to salmon pink and that's close. The final product on me ends up a warm, rich peach.

The Naturally collection is available now and was already partially sold out at a Macys I was in recently.

Mineralize Skinfinish is $ 28.00

Maybelline Color Tattoo by EyeStudio Eyeshadow

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:20:00 +0000

My makeup melt is well documented. Whenever a new supposedly long wearing eyeshadow comes along, I am right there to try it. More often than not, I'm disappointed.

I'm happy to report that's not the case with Maybelline's new Color Tattoo shadows. They do not go for 24 hours as the name implies, but I can't imagine that ever happening with any shadow. I do, however, get about 6 hours of good wear . For me, that's really good . For those of you who don't melt eyeshadow, you'll most likely get the better part of the day. The Mom, who has oilier lids than I is actually getting even better wear time with these than I am. They were still there at bedtime. Now that's truly something.

The shadows themselves are a thick cream ( cream/ gel per Maybelline) that blends easily. The shades in the pot are brighter/deeper looking than they go on. They still pack color but it will be a bit sheerer than what's in the pot.

I give these a total thumbs up .

Available now.

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:44:00 +0000

Maybelline has a score of new products out and one of my favorites so far is the Dream Bouncy Blush. Many of you will recall the Dream Mousse blush , but for some reason I either never tried it or don't remember using it, so can't compare the two.

Dream Bouncy is, however, quite good. It goes on fairly sheer at first but builds easily and you get nice color with a second layer. It's nice in a way that they go on lighter, your blush is not going to look overdone with these unless you really work at it and that can be a good thing.They give you a nice glow, a brightened look for winter.

They also last and for me that unusual with a cream blush. I rarely use them since they disappear on me literally within minutes sometimes. I have makeup melt prone skin as well as oily. These seem to hold up really well , so if you aren't prone to makeup melt, all the better.

The blush itself is very soft, it has "push" to it where the bounce comes from I guess. So if you rub too hard it will smush a bit. So go gently. That's the only compaint I have here , otherwise I think these are a real winner and worth looking into you if you love cream blushes and want something new for winter/spring.

Available now. 8 shades in all.

Aveda's New iPhone App

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Add Aveda to the list of beauty companies witha free iPhone/iPad app. You'll find it in the iTunes store.

Features of the app per Aveda :

-A full Aveda Style Gallery sorted by hair type featuring styling how-to’s, personalized product recommendations, and professional hair care tips for making the style last

-Videos of Aveda professionals in action along with step-by-step instructions for recreating the look at home

-The Aveda Hair Advisor, a hair consultation quiz developed by Aveda professionals to help users develop a personalized product regimen for optimal hair results

Live chat with Aveda experts for all things beauty, including style, skin care, makeup, and more

-A sharing feature to allow users, stylists, and friends to upload favorite photos to the Gallery

-One-touch access to the Aveda mobile website for additional content and easy-to-use shopping

-Seamlessly syncs with the user’s existing Aveda.com account to archive favorites, products and photos

Winter Hand Care & Primers on Loving You

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:57:00 +0000

Here are my two newest pieces for Loving You. I break down primers and help you keep your hands in good shape this winter. Stop by and take a look, if you like.

Winter hand care

A primer on primers

Year of the Dragon Soaps from Gianna Rose

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:52:00 +0000

Hard not to love pretty soaps and even better when they are great to use too. These new soaps from Gianna Rose could fall into the too pretty to use category, but luckily there are 4 in the set. So you can use some and save some for guest use/display. They make a great gift of course with there pretty presentation and were specially made to celebrate the Chinese New Year on Jan. 23rd.

The soaps have fresh ginger, green tea and natural botanical extracts along with bergamot for fragrance. They smell very much like a soft green tea scent. Not strong but nicely scented.They also are moisturizing, being triple milled , vegetable based. And each design will last for the life of the soap.

Retail is $ 25.00

Available at Neiman Marcus, Saks and www.caswellmassey.com

www.giannarose.com

Smashbox Studio 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

I've been very remiss in not blogging about this newer foundation from Smashbox. It's been on to do list for months . But I'm here now with a look at it. If you're looking for a great new foundation, you can't go wrong here.

Smashbox calls is skin perfecting and it is. It's medium/full coverage that smooths and brightens. It's not heavy at all and is oil free , but gives a slightly dewy finish that sets and stays all day. It's long wearing but feels light on skin. It has SPF 10 as well as vitamins A,C and E.

It's become the favorite of The Mom who can be a hard lady to please when it comes to foundation. She has only a few she truly loves and this has jetted to the top of the list. So it works for everyone including more mature skin.

Studio Skin comes in 12 shades and is $ 42.00 at www.smashbox.com and Sephora.com

Bite Beauty SPF 15 Sheer Balms

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:51:00 +0000

Bite Beauty launched earlier this year with a line of lip products containing resveratrol , the anti-oxidant found in red wine grapes.

There are several great products in the line and I wrote about the Superfruit lip butters and Vitamin Gels ( one of my winter staples) earlier.

Another favorite is SPF 15 Sheer Balm. These have good , medium I would say, moisture and great tints. They run from barely there sheer like mine shown in Sparkling to deeper berry or sheer red and they have SPF. Winter or not, you still need SPF most of the time.

The formula features organic mint and blood orange essential oils to refresh and cool the lips but I don't notice very little taste, maybe a hint of the orange and there really isn't any scent either. They are made with food grade ingredients, so this is one lippie you can eat off your lips with no worries.

There are 6 shades in all at $ 19.00 each . Bite Beauty is exclusive to Sephora and Sephora.com

Princess Eugenie dons star stockings

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:39:00 +0000

Stockings/tights are the "thing", we keep hearing. And hey I like them - to a point. And in the UK they are really the thing and have been for awhile. We didn't jump to this trend on our own you know. While I'm not much for sheer nude, I do like a good pattern which brings me to the post's point- these star stockings on Princess Eugenie.

It's rare that I like the York girls style, although I do like them and never feel any need to emulate them but the stars? These I love. I want. Any UK'ers know where they came from ?

Since the 80s I've had a thing for unique printed stockings. In fact I still have a few pair left, some in their packages un-opened. You know the neon trend for 2012, well I did neon back in the day. Once in the form of lime sheers. Yes I did and I loved them. Managed to stop people in their tracks in the Village in NY and that was not easy to do in those days. I had lime earrings and a top too as I recall so it was a bit OTT. That was the 80s. God bless them.

So now in the 2010s we are back to printed hose. Looks like I need to shop the UK online a bit more since I don't fit in my maps , pearl beaded or tweed ones anymore.

*** Anyone besides me remember The Sock Shops in NY? They were so damn cool then. I just found a Sock Shop UK online. Oh boy.

Maybelline 2012 Calendar Images

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:35:00 +0000

Happy New Year. May 2012 be really, really good to everyone.

To start us off, we have Maybelline's exclusive , special edition calendar images. Using some of the top models like Erin Wasson and Kemp Muhl and with the team of Charlotte Willer on makeup, Pat Field on styling and Serge Normant and Stephane Lancien on hair you get some wild and fabulous images.

These are not what we always think of with Maybelline but if it's the direction they're headed in, keep on doing it. Some of the key trends we see here are brights and metallics. Neon is this year , so grab your hot pinks and oranges .

Photographer: Kenneth Willardt

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Flirt & Candeur / Glossimer in Petillant -Spring 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:03:00 +0000

Two new Rouge Coco Shine's make their debut with the Spring collection. These are a perfect representation of the orange lip we saw at the fall shows for spring. What's best about these is that they are not too bright . They are beautiful shades and easy to wear.

Flirt is light to medium coral, that leans more peach I think. It brightens you up just enough . Candeur is called pastel pink by Chanel, but it goes on more sheer, very light peach. So call it peachy pink. This one gives just a hint of color. Both are fabulous not just for Spring but right now if you want a little pop of color for winter. Plus it's the Rouge Coco Shine formula which makes it very hydrating.

One of the new Glossimers this season is Petillant. It's sheer shimmery peach. Very much like Candeur lipstick but in a gloss form.

All of these are on counter now and will be permanent.