the beauty alchemist

Glamour Squad Weekly Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:09:00 +0000

Aly is giving away a set of Wedgwood China!

DivaDebbi revisits Revitalash!

Product Pasha loves Smashbox's Tokidoki Skin Tint - hard to find but worth the trouble!

Butterflydiary cherry picks the best of Philosophy’s Holiday
Collection.

The Beauty Alchemist loves Bobbi Brown's Extreme Party Mascara.

Clumps of Mascara wonders how old is too to be rockin' glitter nail polish?

ThinkThruFashion tries out fall's chrome beauty trend.

The Bumble & bumble Styling Bar at Bloomingdales

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:41:00 +0000

Monday I went to NYC and got in a visit to several shopping stops. One was the Bloomingdales 59th St. flagship . Bloomies has recently completed a renovation of their beauty floor and it turned out incredibly well.

The space is very open with ample room for each brand with some brands like Chanel and Clinique having an almost mini store site.

Part of this new space is the first and only Bumble & bumble Bb styling bar. A place where you can not only buy Bb products, and a get a hair consultation but get a dry style done right there. There are also interactive touch screens to view styles available and a salon locator tool.

For the opening of the styling bar Oct. 19th, the brand took over the store windows and had live hairstyling going on. That was a one time thing, but all the rest is there if you happen to be headed to town for the holiday season or after.

Bamford Body

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:45:00 +0000

Bamford is a specialty line/farm/shop in the UK that includes a spa called the Haybarn . I've read about the Haybarn in many magazines and being an avid Anglophile have it on the "to visit someday" list. They specialize in holistic and ayurvedic treatments.

Since I don't see a trip there in the near future, I'm happy to be able to have some Bamford here in the States. The spa has a whole line of organic body products available here.

Their Organic line is body cream and body oil in either Rosemary or Camomile. I've been using the Camomile. The Moisturizing Body Cream is highly moisturizing without being greasy . The scent is of herbs, especially the camomile. The Nourishing Body Oil is not a dry oil but not heavy either. It gets the job done and can be used directly on skin or in the bath. Both are perfect for very dry skin and are said to be well tolerated by sensitive skin.

The lotion has a blend of organic plant extracts of Jojoba Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Seed Butter and Aloe Leaf. The oil has essential oils of Geranium, the Camomile , and Peppermint as well as natural vitamin E and Sunflower seed oil.

Made in England, Bamford seems very committed to having the most ( at least 95%) organic, natural product they can. It's certified and they even state on the box that irregularities in color may occur due to different harvests.

Products are available to buy in the UK via Daylesford Organic (part of Bamford) at http://www.daylesfordorganic.com/scat/bamfordbathbody.

In the US the line is at select Neiman Marcus locations, Barneys, http://www.neimanmarcus.com/ and http://www.barneys.com/

1.7 oz Body Lotion $ 20.00
1.7 oz Body Oil $ 24.00

Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:57:00 +0000

Are your lashes ready to get their party on ? If so then Bobbi Brown has an Extreme Party for them.

I've been hearing bits about this new mascara for months and now it's here . One of the things that makes this mascara different is that a new coat can be re-applied anytime. It's called a "re-activation" formula.

Using 2 coats I got really long, spiky, dark lashes. Some volume too . Basically it does exactly what it says- very dramatic lashes. It lasted well and yes, I was able to apply a new coat 6 hours later without any clump or mess. The lashes stay slightly soft , allowing that extra coat to go on easier.

This is my kind of party.

Extreme Party Mascara is out now and is $22.00

Stila Makeup Player

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Stila is giving us perhaps the next wave in beauty with interactive makeup and an appliance docking station .

I haven't seen or tried it yet, but it does look fun and certainly is unique. I will hopefully get one soon to see what all the fuss is about. If you have one or tried it, please let me know what you think.

Here's what Stila has to say about it:

"Part makeup case, part media player docking station with speakers, this portable vanity blends cutting edge technology with Pro Artist expertise, giving women the tricks and tools needed to create their own looks, on demand."

"Simply download tutorials from http://www.stilabeautytube.com/ (launching Nov. 3rd) onto the mobile device of your choice, dock it into the Makeup Player, and unleash your inner artist with the press of a button. Once your look is complete, pull up a playlist and let the Makeup Player blast out your favorite tunes while you finish getting ready. Right now there are lessons for natural look, smokey eye and many more to come- perfect leading up to the holidays when you want to be your own pro makeup artist and try out some new looks. The case has everything needed to execute the intro tutorial looks. There’s even is a continuity option where members can sign up to receive a new products every 60 days."

"The Makeup Player comes equipped with all of the Stila tools needed to unleash your inner artist:
• NEW One Step Foundation (choice of four shades- Fair, Light, Medium and Dark)
• NEW Eye Shadow Trio in neutral shades complete with an aluminum compact
• Convertible Color in Camellia (for fair and light complexions) or
Convertible Color in Rose (for medium and dark complexions)
• Lip Glaze in Grapefruit
• #7 Eye Shadow Brush and Instructional DVD"

Each month, members will receive Stila products and the next month's empowering lesson.
Price: $69.90 for The Makeup Player (a $250 value) available at http://www.stilacosmetics.com/

Cyndi Lauper & Lady Gaga for MAC Viva Glam

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:14:00 +0000

I was thrilled last night to be one of the attendees at a small launch event for the introduction of Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga as the new MAC Viva Glam campaign spokespersons.

Here's the details on the campaign I can give. No photos are allowed up or anymore info until February.

From WWD:

Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga have been named the latest faces of the MAC AIDS Fund. The newest campaign, dubbed “From Our Lips,” will break on Feb. 25.

MAC Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick and Viva Glam Cyndi Lipstick, $14 each, will launch in North America on March 18 and globally throughout the month, with 100 percent of the proceeds being donated to the MAC AIDS Fund.

The MAC AIDS Fund has invested more than $150 million to organizations in more than 67 countries since its founding in 1994.

Images: Cyndi Lauper- official site, Lady Gaga- wikipedia

YSL Teint Resist Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

After looking in many stores I finally managed to track down a sample amount of the new YSL Teint Resist foundation at a Nordstrom stop last week.

I had high hopes for this as it is supposed to be long wearing, absorb oil , look and feel great on skin. In the end I had good results but not perfect.

I love the feel of it. Thats the major selling point here for me- this foundation truly feels like you have nothing on your face. It melts right into skin and is weightless. It lasted long but not quite the 14 hours stated. I did get oil breakthrough on my T Zone , the nose ended up shiny. Even though this is considered a more matte foundation, it isn't super matte. The wear and look on the rest of the face was good.

The finish is fairly light. I expected a medium -full coverage and this is more light to medium. That's ok as long as you know you may need to build it up a bit and use more in trouble spots. It looks nice on, blends easily, and sinks right in leaving no cakey-ness. I don't want to say natural but it's more your skin looking finished than heavier coverage.

So mostly I do like it and for the feel and look of it, that makes it tempting to buy a full bottle.

YSL Teint Resist is $ 55.00 at http://www.yslbeautyus.com/ , Department stores and Sephora.com

Glamour Squad Weekly Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:39:00 +0000

Aly is giving away a year's supply of Breyer's Ice Cream!

The Beauty Alchemist pre orders the new Cover Girl Smoky EyeBlast and ShineBlast lipgloss.

Clumps Of Mascara has reason to believe she started the purple lip trend!

ThinkThruFashion takes you behind the scenes at a MAC Halloween photo shoot.

Butterflydiary loves the skin-quenching properties of La Mer’s Hydrating Facial!

DivaDebbi does Demi's WANTED

Origins GinZing Eye Cream Free Event & Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:20:00 +0000

Origins has partnered with illy caffé to provide an energizing pick-me-up and there is no purchase required. If you happen to live near one of the stores having this event, go sample and have fun.

"Origins would like to invite you to stop by the below Origins retail stores, where you will receive FREE illy espresso, a FREE sample of Origins GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream, a FREE “Eye-Opening” Mini-Facial, a FREE Makeup Application and a FREE Origins and illy gift bag! "

You can also join the Wake Up & Win Sweepstakes from November 2nd until November 30th at www.origins.com/wakeupandwinsweeps. Fabulous prizes will be awarded to one Grand Prize winner and nine additional winners!

Origins and illy caffé are inviting the people of New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boca Raton and Dallas to stop by select Origins retail stores for an energizing pick-me-up on November 2nd, 3rd and 4th! Origins invites you to enjoy the following (with no purchase necessary!):

· FREE shot of illy espresso
· FREE sample of Origins new GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream (with Caffeine)
· FREE “Eye-Opening” Mini-Facial
· FREE makeup application
· Chance to win the Wake Up & Win Sweepstakes

To keep you bright-eyed and energized for weeks to come, Origins is giving away gift bags containing a three week supply of GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream and illy espresso, while supplies last.

Events will be held in the following locations:

-New York, NY (opening at 8am)
Flatiron: 175 Fifth Avenue SoHo: 402 West Broadway
Upper West Side: 2327 Broadway
Grand Central: 62 Grand Central Terminal

-Los Angeles, CA (opening at 9am)
South Coast Plaza: 3333 Bristol Street

-San Francisco, CA
Embarcadero Center: One Embarcadero Center

San Francisco Centre: 865 Market Street (opening at 10am)

-Boca Raton, FL (opening at 9am)
Town Center at Boca Raton: 6000 Glades Road

-Dallas, TX (opening at 9am)
Southlake Town Square: 1426 Civic Place

Laura Geller Brow Marker

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

The Mom has almost no eyebrows. As long as I can remember she always struggled with getting the best pencil. She has a few that have been staples for years but is ready to try new things too.

When she saw the Laura Geller eyebrow marker on QVC one night she thought it a winner and picked it up on our next Sephora visit.

Unfortunately it went back. In theory this is great. It creates a fine line and you can draw with it. On her, though , since she was applying right on skin, it didn't stick, although it is said to be formulated to hold on skin. It smudges if put over foundation and you if put foundation over the pen line it rubbed right off.

I've seen some great reviews of this, so I have to think it's the bare skin angle. For filling in spare but there brows it may work much better.

For now, pencils still win.

Victoria's Secret Makeup- Re-Launch

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:16:00 +0000

Back in September during Fashion Week, Victoria's Secret previewed the new line and new look of their makeup collection. No longer called Very Sexy, it's just VS Makeup.

Nice guy and super makeup artist Quinn Murphy was handling the touch ups, but I was in a rush so wasn't able to get him to work on me. I would have loved it. He's done the VS models before, Adriana Lima etc. and knows his stuff.

The color line is really nice, more than I expected, with a huge range of shades and textures. There were some especially nice green and purple eyeshadows. Lipsticks are matte,creamy, shiny.

New additions are PRO Makeup primer ,mascara, an extensive concealer palette and more.

Brand new is the Heidi Klum for holiday line called Exotic Jewels.

All are up now at the website and in stores.

www.victoriassecret.com

Cover Girl New Smoky ShadowBlast & ShineBlast Pre-Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Cover Girl and legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath are bringing 2 new products to the market in January. However, starting Nov. 2nd you can pre-buy these plus new Lash Blast Length mascara at several online retailers. McGrath designed the shades in the eye and lip launches .

Smoky Shadow Blast looks fab. After seeing it in Marie Claire, I'm waiting to get my hands on one. Everyone in this image looks good ( although I have a hard time getting behind light blue eyeshadow). Smoky Shadow Blast is meant to make doing a smoky eye super easy. There's two coordinating shades ready to go, one for base, one for lining and crease. Easy.

ShineBlast has the patented ShineSculpt™ tip which is a "uniquely shaped applicator that delivers more shine in a single swipe than the leading gloss"

According to Cover Girl the gloss has "Polymer- and oil-rich formula delivers high shine with a lightweight feel .Luminescent droplets of pearlized pigment form a perfect amount of shimmer behind the shine. Embedded pools of shine add brilliant depth" and it has a non tacky formula.

The pre-sale details:

Log-on to www.covergirl.com/blastpresale to take advantage of this exclusive opportunity.
Pre-Sale on thru Dec. 5 or while supplies last.

Details for online retailers will be featured on www.covergirl.com/blastpresale on November 2nd.

- Consumers who visit Drugstore.com will save $5 and earn free shipping when they purchase all three products -while supplies last.

- Those who visit CVS.com will receive free shipping

Both ShadowBlast and ShineBlast have sugg. retail of $ 7.49

Shades available to buy are :

Smoky ShadowBlast
· Silver Sky
· Onyx Smoke
· Bronze Fire
· Purple Plum

ShineBlast Lip Gloss
· Dazzle
· Flare
· Ablaze
· Firecracker

LashBlast Length Mascara
· Very Black

Elemis Essential Beauty Secrets Kit for BCA Month

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:25:00 +0000

Elemis makse some great skincare. It doesn't come inexpensively , so when a set comes along at a good value , it's worth looking at. The Essential Beauty Secrets kit is the companies BCA month contribution. Elemis will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales of this new ‘Essential Beauty Secrets’ kit to Breast Cancer Care, an organization that provides information and support, and campaigns for improved standards of care.

Presented in a fuchsia pink cosmetic bag, the collection contains four award-winning Elemis products, including the Limited Edition Pro-Collagen Lifting Treatment Neck and Bust ‘boob tube’ as well as Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (1 oz.), Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream (1 oz.), Papaya Enzyme Peel (0.5 oz.).

I have used the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and it's very nice.

This kit also contains a 5 Step Breast Check guide to make sure you regularly monitor yourself for any abnormal changes.

Price: $95 ($222.00 value, savings of $127.00), available now at Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman and http://www.timetospa.com/

Lancome Polyvore Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:50:00 +0000

See more on Polyvore

Polyvore is a super fun tool to make some great fashion collages or any kind , really. Now your collage can win you some Lancome goodies.

Lancome is excited to announce that their very first Polyvore contest . Called “Hypnotize Lancôme with Your Fashion Sense,” it celebrates the launch of Hypnôse Senses, their sexy new fragrance.

Create a layout that illustrates your sense of style and Lancome spokemodel Daris Werbowy will pick the best one to win a $250 lancome-usa.com gift card and a bottle of Hypnôse Senses, signed by Daria . Five runners-up will each win $100 gift cards plus a bottle of Hypnôse Senses.

The contest runs through Nov. 2nd.

Here is the link to the contest info and rules on Polyvore: http://www.polyvore.com/hypnotize_lancôme_with_your_fashion/contest.show?id=118391

Good Luck

Clinique Deep Comfort Hand Cream & Body Wash

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

It's beginning to be that time of year when I ( and maybe you) can't get enough hand cream. My hands started to get dry as soon as we had a few cold days. I hate that. So I add good creams to the stash whenever I can. Clinique's new Deep Comfort one fits the bill.

I had the huge tub of their Deep Comfort Body Balm years ago. It was highly moisturizing but took long to sink in. The hand cream is equally moisturizing but sinks in right away. It lasts long on your hands, is soothing and keeps them soft. There is no scent so it won't compete with fragance and will be fine for them men as well. I have been using it every day.

The cream has conditioning agents of glycerin , sodium hyaluronate, birch extract, vitamins C and E, a blend of other natural ingredients from barley, wheat and murumuru butters and gentian extract which helps irritation. These help not just hands but nails and cuticles as well.

Also new to the line is Deep Comfort Body Wash which is rather nice too. Again, no scent, but a mousse like consistency that is so soft and leaves skin feeling hydrated. I still needed lotion but the feel of this is wonderful. No dryness at all. Perfect for the really cold days.

Both will be available in November at all Clinique counters and online at CLINIQUE

Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream $ 17.50
Deep Comfort Body Wash $ 20.00

Omorovicza Hungarian Mineral Skincare

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Omorovicza is a new high end skincare range that uses the healing waters of Hungary to benefit your skin.

Based in Hungary all the products feature the water that naturally filters through the Carpathian mountains and is used in the famous thermal mineral baths in Budapest. The line also has it's own proprietary complex called The Pannon Complex .

According to the company Hungarian healing water "is rich in key minerals, including calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper, which boost the synthesis of collagen and elastin, strengthen the skin barrier, increase moisture retention and provide anti-oxidant defense against free radicals "

I have tried just a few products as it's a pretty extensive line and has something for all skin types. Most of the products have peptides, and virgin ente plum oil as well as apple pectin in some. This line is very natural and has a huge list of whats not in there. No petrochemicals, no synthetic colors, etc.

Balancing Moisturiser- This one is for combination skin and is very light. It hydrates just enough and smooth skin. This one has Ruby crystals and Pineapple and Rosemary extracts , both of which work well for oily skin. $ 125.00

Radiance Renewal Serum - This is a strong firming serum. After using this, skin felt really tightened. I was surprised by that. It's great start to the day serum if you need a little "lift". $150.00

Complexion Enchancer- An SPF 15 light tinted cream that adds a little color , a little moisture with light, smoothing, matte coverage. It's very sheer but a nice base or for makeup free days. $ 135.00

Rose Lifting Serum- This one I didn't try but what's intiguing is that it has May Seaweed which is supposed to be a natural botox to inhibit contracting of facial lines. $ 185.00

Omorovicza is available in the US at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, in the UK at Liberty and Harvey Nichols. Worldwide locations on their site at http://www.omorovicza.com/

Vapour Beauty on Shop NBC

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:01:00 +0000

If you've been wanting to try Vapour Beauty, heres a chance to see it live and check it out. I reviewed the line earlier this fall and the products are all very nice. I especially like the Siren lipsticks.

Tune in this Tuesday the 27th to watch Eric Sakas, makeup artist and co-founder of Vapour Organic Beauty, demonstrate the latest Fall beauty looks on ShopNBC. He'll be showing how to create the hottest looks for fall and offering special kits that make it easy to create jewel-toned eyes, smokey eyes and pale lips.

Date: Tuesday, October 27th
Time: 12 noon ET (A full hour of Vapour)
4 pm ET (A full hour of Vapour)
10 pm ET (part of Beauty Confidential)
11 pm ET (part of Beauty Confidential)

Liz Earle Superskin Body Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Liz Earle has added some fab smelling body balm to her already strong lineup. Everyone has raved about the scent from the Superskin facial line ( admission- I liked it so much, I would use the Superskin Concentrate on my hands, they needed the love and I loved the smell). To address that, she now has Superskin Body Cream.

This very rich balm has an aromatherapy aspect with notes of neroli, lavender and chamomile wafting around you. It's a bit smoky, herby and floral.

The cream itself has loads of heavy duty moisturizers including shea butter, rosehip seed oil, cranberry seed oil, grape seed oil, avaocado oil and borage seed oil ( borage oil being the one proven ingredient to actually get below the upper layer of epidermis). It gets the job done without being greasy at all. It dries fast and leaves skin hydrated long.

All Liz Earle products use as many organic ingredients as they can, and use no animal ingredients or testing. Superskin Body Cream has 25% pure plant oils.

6.7 oz tube is $ 55.00

Liz Earle can be found at at Studio Beautymix at Fred Segal in Santa Monica, California, Brownes Apothecary & CO. in Miami, Florida and at or UK site http://www.uklizearle.com/ to order and more info ( worldwide link there as well).

Glamour Squad Weekly Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:36:00 +0000

ClumpsofMascara may not be dressing up for Halloween but her nails are in total costume!

Aly gets up close and personal with her favorite style icon.

The Beauty Alchemist find you can be tres chic while fighting acne and oil.

Butterflydiary views the world through Victoria’s Secret PINK holiday collection glasses.

ThinkThruFashion shows how to incorporate traditional garb you get on vacay into your everyday ensembles.

The Product Pasha shows how you can embrace the season's blue and greens with a little help from Illamasqua Nail Varnishes.

DivaDebbi turns back the clock, with ZO Skin Health's Oraser for Daily Hand Repair.

Estee Lauder Sumptous Color Mascara

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:49:00 +0000

Colored mascara was rampant in the 80s , it was also very bold. Colored mascara has been making a comeback but in a much more subtle way. I had a great Bourjois burgundy a few years ago that you could barely tell was colored. Now Estee Lauder has a full line of colors in their nice Bold Volume Lifting formula.

The shades are much deeper than the images on the company's website. I have tried the green( Emerald), burgundy( Garnet) and brown( Amber). Now brown is easy, I love brown in general some days. It works for my coloring and is dark enough. Amber is a deep brown but not as dark as the black browns of drugstore brands. Emerald is bright in the tube , but again on, looks very dark and not in your face green. Just pretty. The wine colored Garnet is a fav. A Burgundy can just look so nice at times , a little different than black but still a deep , rich color. Amethyst and Sapphire round out the colors.

These are fun to play with , and the formula gives good length, volume and some curl. It holds up really well and doesn't smudge .

*Pictured are swatches of Amethyst and Garnet, Garnet also on the wand/brush. ( keep in mimd they seem brighter here too, due to white background and flash)

$ 19.50 each at all counters and online.

Lierac Event for Gilda's Club

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Friday Oct. 23rd you can support Gilda's Club with any Lierac skincare purchase. My rec- if you haven't yet tried the Diopti eye line, you need to.

Lierac In-Store Event/Gilda’s Club Initiative – October 23, 2009

100,000 consumers will have the opportunity to visit Lierac Paris European Skincare Centers at 700 participating CVS/pharmacy and Long’s Drugs.

On October 23, 2009, customers will be able to contribute to Gilda’s Club of NYC with every Lierac purchase. For each product bought, Lierac will donate $1 from its sale to the foundation. Gilda’s Club NYC provides free support to individuals living with cancer and their families. The organization has a unique philosophy that emphasizes interaction among its members, namely “community-building, collective wisdom, and shared experience.” Gilda’s Club also avoids discussing cancer using terms that carry a negative connotation. Instead, they seek to empower individuals through the use of their own “Gilda’s Club language.”

For locations, contact 1.877.5LIERAC or visit http://www.lierac-usa.com/.

La Mer for BCA Month

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Everyone loves La Mer. Even I love La Mer although most of the time it's too rich for my oily skin. Yes it has hype and I once wondered, is it all that ? It is.

La Mer not only plumps, smooths and moisturizes, it heals burns or cracked noses after a cold. It does it all but repair the car engine.

So if you are a La Mer fan and it's time to stock up or maybe you've been waiting to try it, ( after all it doesn't come with an inexpensive price tag) now is the time. La Mer participates in BCA month by making a donation of $ 30, 000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation . The cream comes in a pink box to mark this month as well.

http://www.lamer.com/ for more info.

Payot Les Purifiantes Skincare

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

I knew some about Payot skincare, after all they are a top of the line French brand that has been around for many years ( since 1927) . What I didn't know that they had a whole line of oily/acne skincare. That was interesting. After all, it being French and luxe made me think it would be an adult oriented line and more gentle . It also doesn't hurt that it's a lot more elegant than Clearasil type products. You can be chic even while battling the oilies.

I've found the line to be effective but not harsh or drying . There is a full line of products and I have been using a few of them off and on since mid summer.

Pate Grise- A drawing and drying paste of sorts. When put over an eruption it helps pull out the oil/sebum and reduce the size quickly. It has ingredients of Talc and Bituminous Schist to heal, and dry. This really works. Yes it's a bit goopy and grey in color, but that's fine. Just don't wear it out of the house. $ 30.00

So Pure Balancing and Purifying Serum- Formulated with green coffee extract, this is a serum you can apply day and night to help reduce oil and mattify. It has a bit of the smell of acne products but this does a nice job of helping keep pores a bit clearer and keeping the T- Zone more breakout free. It's a very moist feel on the skin and not tightening at all. I used it under makeup in hot summer, and at night. Now just at night . $ 44.00

Masque Purifiant- has green coffee and mineral salts as well as purified schist extract and salicyclic acid. All this adds up to a top notch clay mask that really smooths and de-oils. $ 39.00

Stick Couvrent Purifying- A concealer for acne and oil, hallelujah. There just aren't many out there. This doesn't add the the oil on your pimple, just covers really well and has a nice bit of anti acne meds in it- oat extracts and triclosan. Now triclosan is one of those ingredients that is on the hit list for possibly not be good for you. I can say, though, that an old acne zapper long since discontinued I got in London had triclosan and worked amazingly. Oat also is great for drying up acne. $ 29.00 ( one neutral, medium tint shade)

Payot isn't the easiest line to find but I found some online outlets like http://www.3graces.com/

More info and spa/sales outlets at http://www.payot.com/

Sebastian Texture Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Sebastian Texturizer is part of a small new line called Texture from the company. New products from Sebastian are always worth checking out. After all their Shaper hairspray line is not just a staple here but for stylists everywhere. While this new Texture line is geared more towards giving those with long hair the texture and hold but softness they crave, it's been great on my short hair as well.

My favorite of the line is called a liquid gel , full name Sebastian Texturizer Flexible Bodifying Liquigel , but is really more gel. Just a thinner gel than others like their Liquid Steel.

Texturizer gave me great styling ( applied in damp hair before drying) , great lift, good style hold and piecey-ness. All the things I want. Nothing to weigh my hair down or add any greasiness to it. Worked as well as my gels and my hair was left super soft .

Also new are :

Matte Putty- Soft-dry Texturizer( a dry paste for piece styling, it does a nice job and will be great for dry hair. It was too much moisture for me ) and Microweb Fiber Elastic Texturizer-(inspired by the properties of spider silk – flexibility, invisibility and invincibility – to create soft texture that’s malleable and touchable . This one I haven't tested)

Great videos and more are at http://www.sebastianprofessional.com/

Glamour Squad Weekly Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Beauty Alchemist) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:00:00 +0000

DivaDebbi is heady over PurMinerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Powder Foundation.

ThinkThruFashion rounds up all the spring trends from Fashion Week in New York, London, Milan and Paris.

Butterflydiary gets all Parisienne with her review of the new YSL fragrance.

Clumps of Mascara is loving Illamasqua! Especially their blushes.

The Beauty Alchemist enters the EOSphere with EOS lip balm.

Aly Walanksy knows that big brows are back in style - are you ready?

The Product Pasha is not afraid of stains anymore! All about Lip and Cheek Stains.