I’m loving the new Black Opal (I wrote about their new Mineral Foundation here), and their new Mineral Brilliance Eyeshadow Mosiacs, $9 are no exception! Seriously, these new eyeshadows are amazing! They are super-pigmented, vibrant and last all day. My only complaint is that there aren’t more colors, so I hope Black Opal will be releasing more soon.

I haven’t seen these around in my local drugstores, but they are available for purchase on the new Black Opal website. If you see them around, definitely give them a try!

Have you tried any of Black Opal’s new products? What were they and what did you think?

There are few things that are more fun than getting together with my girls. The gabbing, the laughter (the drinks! LOL) and catching up are always loads of fun. It’s even better when the friend-fest is for a good cause! So when the call went out for bloggers to throw A Girl Talk Cause Party for their favorite charity, I was eager to sign up!

B-Link Marketing Group and Johnson & Johnson’s asked bloggers to raise awareness for their favorite charity, so a couple of weekends ago I gathered some of my favorite gal pals to chat with them about the Sister Soldier Project. Sister Soldier Project provides African-American women soldiers with much needed ethnic hair care and grooming products while they are serving overseas.

Some may underestimate how important proper grooming products are, but think what condition your hair and skin would be in if you didn’t have the proper products? Hair breakage and dry, damaged skin. Not a pretty picture. So I’m all for supporting Sister Soldier Project as they provide these brave women with products to help them maintain their femininity, and healthy skin and hair.

So, at my party we chatted about Sister Soldier Project, discussed the importance of the proper beauty and grooming products in our own lives, and tested out the Johnson’s products the brand generously provided.

I strongly urge you to check out the Sister Soldier Project website, and make a donation if you can. Also, if your sorority, book club, church group or other organization is looking for volunteer work, please contact Sister Soldier Project to set up a “Packing Party”, where your your organization can pack boxes of products for these special soldiers.

Take a look at some pics from the party!

Me chatting with one of the ladies about Sister Soldier Project.

Some of the goodies Johnson’s provided.

You may have noticed the new Hot Hair section of the Essence website, which has tons of pictures of hot hair styles, for every type of hair. Well, on October 8th the iconic magazine is taking things a step further with their first ever special issue! The Hot Hair issue will feature tons of new hairstyle ideas, the best products and tools, and tips and tricks from celeb stylists!

If the website and special issue aren’t enough, check out the Essence Hot Hair iPhone and iPad apps, for hot hairstyle ideas on the go! Will you be picking up the Hot Hair issue when it hits newsstands on October 8th? Have you checked out the Hot Hair feature on Essence.com, or the new apps?

What made the chain of spas decide to release a fragrance? According to Bliss president Mike Indursky, “We are a brand which delivers happiness, and we decided to do it with a fragrance. A little splash lets you capture the spirit of the spa, even when you don’t have time to visit one.”

This smell-good has top notes of bergamot, dewy greens and cucumber; a heart of lily and ylang-ylang, and a drydown of violet. Sounds light and fresh, no? Two sizes are available: a 50 ml. for $54 and a 10 ml. eau de toilette roller ball for $18, at Sephora stores, Sephora.com and Bliss spas nationwide.

For a limited time, Sephora is offering a free deluxe sample to Beauty Insiders! Just enter code BLISSFUL at checkout.

Will you be picking up a bottle of Bliss?

If you’ve been reading this blog for long, you know that I LOVE a bold, red lip. Lucky for me, the sexy, matte red lip and all its variations (think shades of berry, wine, etc.) are very much in for fall! This chic and sexy trend was in full effect on the red carpet at the Emmy’s. Check it out!

True Blood actress Rutina Wesley was positively gorgeous! Her crimson pout was the perfect finishing touch for her flawless, glowing skin. Add a pair of false lashes and black liner for a little drama and definition to the eyes.

Access Hollywood correspondent Shaun Robinson looked amazing as usual! She went against a fashion/beauty “rule”, and matched her makeup to her dress. But I must say, she worked it! And Shaun’s braided updo was lovely as well!

Actress Nicole Ari Parker looked stunning with her smoky eye and coral-red lip. An can I just say that I LOVE her new short hair, and subtle blond streaks?! Fabulous!

The simplest way to get on board with the soft-matte lip, is to go for a lip stain. I’m working on a lip stain post (reviews coming soon!), but for now I’ll share one of my faves Try Tarte LipSurgence Natural Matte Lip Stain, $24 in Fiery for a lip look like Rutina, Shaun and Nicole. I am obsessed with this stain and I’ll be wearing it all Fall!

Did you check out the Emmy’s? What did you think of the night’s beauty looks?

Plus, for Emmy fashion, check out my NEW style blog, Brown Bombshell Style! See you there!

Here’s the scoop from WWD on what other budget-friendly goodies e.l.f. will release:

Among the top picks from e.l.f. are: a 100-piece eye shadow palette for $10, and a $15 mini palette box with eye products, blush, bronzer, brow powder, eyeliner, lip items and brushes. There’s also a collection under the Studio banner consisting of 11 professional brushes. Nail is where e.l.f. will add pizzazz with festive colors including Metal Madness, Party Purple, Golden Goddess, Twinkle and Glitter Glam. The polishes priced at $1 are perfect stocking stuffers…

This collection will hit e.l.f.’s website and Target stores later this year. Have you tried any e.l.f. products? What did you think?

Hey Bombshells! If you’ve been following me on Twitter (@BrownBeautyBlog) you know that I’m transitioning to natural. It’s been months since I’ve had a relaxer, so my new growth is no joke! After washing and blow-drying my hair, my sleek results were only lasting one day, two at most. And anyone who’s dealing with two hair textures knows that washing your hair too frequently is NOT what’s hot. Enter Avon Advance Techniques Frizz Control Lotus Shield Anti-Frizz Treatment, $10.

I received a sample of this wonderful gel-creme, and it couldn’t have come at a better time! I just smoothed some of it on wet hair and blow dried with a vented brush. It left my hair smooth and frizz-free for days, allowing me to go longer without having to wash my hair. Whether you’re a curly girl or wear your hair straight, give the Lotus Shield Anti-Frizz Treatment a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

I must admit that I’ve never been a huge fan of Maybelline mascaras. In my opinion, all the hype is unwarranted. That being said, I don’t know what made me pick up a tube of Maybelline Volum’ Express The Falsies mascara, $7.50 (wait, yes I do,  it was the purple packaging!), but I’m very glad I did! This mascara is amazing! I wear it in Blackest Black, and it gives my lashes the sexiest, most dramatic fan of lashes I’ve seen in a long time.

I’ve never been a fan of curved mascara wands, but I’ve found that if I wiggle the wand from the base of my lashes up to the tip, I get great definition. The results aren’t nearly as dramatic as Maybelline claims in their ads (when are mascara ads ever realistic?), but I was impressed and have been wearing it daily with great results!

Have you tried The Falsies mascara? What did you think? Share!

This week I’m wearing Fiercely Fabulous, an opaque red-orange. Take a look!

Sephora by OPI in Fiercely Fabulous

With Flash

Without Flash

Fab shade, no? What nail color are you wearing? Share it in the comments!

InStyle magazine, a.k.a. the celeb style bible, has recently launched the new InStyle Boutique. This adorable online shop has all of Fall’s best beauty and fashion trends conveniently located in one place! Just sign in with your Facebook account to browse your favorite stores and designers with a virtual personal shopper.

To sweeten the pot, InStyle is hosting daily and weekly giveaways for Boutique Rewards members, with swag from Sephora, Kooba, Rebecca Minkoff, 7 For All Mankind, OPI and more! Plus, one lucky shopper will win a trip for two to NYC for an incredible shopping experience at the Giorgio Armani 5th Avenue store!

Head over to TheInStyleBoutique.com to get your shop on and enter the giveaways. Oh, and be sure to check out the great Fall fashion and beauty videos! Hurry, the boutique closes September 17th!

Happy Shopping!