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C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S to Barbara F from San Diego, CA. She won our Philosophy contest!
Be sure to check out the contest we will be rolling out on Monday. It's one that will make you say, "Wow, that's a great prize/s."
All my blush,
~Cybele
When I saw the picture of the girl that reps NARS’ new Spring 2008 Shanghai Lily Collection, I pictured shades for someone like Amy Lee from the Evanescence. I was pretty wrong! Think really light (Duo Eyeshadow in Alhambra and Lip Gloss in Greek Holiday) vs dark (Lipstick in Success), both in one collection. NARS is thinking pale eyes with bold lips for the most part and note that some of the colors are new and some are not. And any collection that has the Orgasm blush in it (in a new The Multiple form) has to be a winner. All @ narscosmetics.com
Can't wait to check out these new products in the spring!
I have had a strange nail polish week. I have been back and forth on my nails with Before He Cheats (light pink) and then Makin’ Whoopee (iridescent rose) both from the LiPPMANN COLLECTION. Ever have one of those weeks? Both are great shades and I guess I’m just exercising my right to change my female mind, even if it is everyday! $15 @ beauty.com
Let’s see what CHANEL has on deck with their Spring 2008 Collection. They’re feeling clean crisp colors and soft pastels. Eyes flip from soft and girly with one Eye Shadow Quad to bold and daring with the other Quad. Here’s what we’re feelin’:
Eye Shadow Quad in Bleu Celestes ($55) – mix it up with the darker side of the collection and these navy tones. Navy is so happen’ for spring.
Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lip Colour ($30) – this is my first experience with these really fun push-and-click-to-open lipsticks. And the blue pink of Frivole complements most any eye look.
4 Fleurs de Chanel Yeux-Eyes ($65) – pastel eyes would look swimmingly with any of Essie’s new polishes.
Glossimer in limited edition Waterlily ($26) – what’s not to love about these? And this shade is the perfect frosty pink color.
Yes, the Blue Navy Nail Colour is all the rage and can’t be found anywhere but I say, fine, accept it and paint on their Rose Satin ($19) shown here. All @ chanel.com
I am delighted and disappointed with this next one. It moisturizes hands beautifully but it has no scent! I have become so accustom to scents when it comes to beauty products. TREAT BEAUTY Sugar Free Therapy Hand Butter ($12/1oz @ treatbeauty.com) is one of the
best hand creams I have ever used and I guess they call it sugar free because it has no scent, which is good for those that are sensitive. It’s made with organic ingredients and is paraben free and lanolin free and contains Shea Butter, aloe and jojoba. So if you have really dry skin, this is a good one for you to try. And maybe this one will help me get over my scent addiction.
Touch up shiny spots on the go with BOURJOiS Anti-Shine Blotting Sheets ($13.50/50 sheets @ sephora.com). They’re powder-free and come in such a cute giraffe-print dispenser.
I’m really beginning to hate MAC. They don’t seem to really miss the boat, like ever! Not that I wish them ill but come on. It’s funny, some of my favorite eye shadows and lipsticks are ones I wear once in a great while but I look and admire them all the time. Yes, most of them are from MAC.
Here’s the latest collection – Fafi. What is a Fafi? Click here. I don’t when the last time a graffiti artist was celebrated. It happens but just not much. The new Fafi Collection from MAC is all girly and mostly pink! So if pink is your thing, this is right up your alley. Two instant favorites are the Nail Lacquers ($10) in Girls Will Be Girls (pink with coral pearl) and Boom! (rich eggplant with purple pearl). Not only will I be admiring these but I will for sure be wearing them. Another favorite are the Clearly Fafi ($15, $25, $34) cosmetic bags. I have to be able to see everything I’m carrying around, right? If you’re in the mood to get in touch with your inner girly-girl and play, this is a fun collection for just that.
We loved The Youth As We Know It Moisturizing Cream when it came out last year and yeah, they’ve expanded the collection! I don’t think much will get by when you have this 5some on hand from BLiSS.
First up, we got the creamy The Youth As We Know It Cleanser ($30/6.7oz) and the The Youth As We Know It Toner ($28/6.7oz). There’s been much debate on whether or not the skin even needs a toner. I vote yes as I’ve read a few places that it resets the pH of the skin. I really like this next product in the collection called The Youth As We Know It Concentrate: Age Control ($70/1oz). This serum claims to release moisturizers two different times in the day. Wow! I guess I have to believe them since I couldn’t see it on my skin but I know my face did not seem dried out when I went to wash it at bedtime.
Then there’s the The Youth As We Know It Eye Cream ($75/.5oz), if you need it, and rounding it all out, slather on that Moisturizing Cream ($79/1.7oz). They say that products in a collection are usually made to work with one another, so I would give a few of these a shot. All @ sephora.com
Let’s face it, the first thing any woman does when picking up a product is smell it. The better it smells, the more we think it works, before we even try it! Some products live up to it, some do not. One that smells absolutely superb and works fantastically is CREATiVE SCENTSATiONS Hand & Body Scrub in Black Currant & Fig ($16/7oz @ amazon.com). When reading the ingredients on the back, there are some big wordy-words that I don’t know the meaning of. All I know is that I really like the scent, texture and the moisturizing it does and in that order. Is that bad? Am I to break down every product by what’s inside of it? Isn’t that what the FDA is for? We never did that before but it seems quite the trend now to break everything down. Yes, you should know what you are using but I say if it doesn’t break me out or cause any other adverse reaction, I’ll use it. Who’s with me?
A new men's line is hitting shelves in mid-April at Neiman Marcus. The Alford & Hoff line will be made up of seven products including a serum and shaving cream.
Nexus is releasing a few new products next month: Sleek Memory, for straight hair, 360 Volume, Alluring Curls, and Humectress Luxe. They will be available in drugstores nationwide.
P&G is hitting the scene with Boss Pure in April. This "fresh" scent is for men.
Spa Facial Collection from Lisa Hoffman is an at-home 10-step professional spa system. It's designed to cleanse, treat and hydrate the skin and will hit stores in April.
File under wow: Clinique debuted on the QVC channel this past Sunday and sold 41,000 untils and six of the items sold out.
Hermès is coming out with Un Jardin après la Mousson in May.
INUOVI Ivoluxe in Sensual has to be the most perfect mauve color I’ve ever seen. This formula is very creamy and lushly thick.
Not familiar with this line? They hail from Asia and just made their debut here a few weeks ago at the ISSE expo. Will keep you posted on other products we like from the line. $22 @ inuovi.com
Your skin is peeking out from behind the cold. PHiLOSPHY Winter Skincare Rescue Pack ($40 @ sephora.com) will wake sleeping skin and give it max hydration. This kit has some of my favorites from their line including the Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser (4oz) – this one is great for travel! When Hope Is Not Enough Replenishing Cream (1oz), Kiss Me Exfoliating Lip Scrub, Kiss Me Red Very Emollient Lip Balm.
We have a kit to giveaway! Simply email us the band that has a song with the same name as the title of this feature. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address or you won't be entered into this random drawing. Hurry, entries close one week from today at 12 noon PST! cybelesayscontest (at) gmail.com
Colorful and vivid, bright and rich. These are some adjectives for OPI’s new Spring/Summer India Collection of Nail Lacquers ($7.50 @ opi.com). From one end of the color spectrum to the other, this collection has a shade for every mood. There are twelve shades and here are our color picks from L to R:
Charmed By A Snake, Royal Rajah Ruby, Curry Up Don’t Be Late, Get Me To The Taj On Time, Keys To My Karma, I’m India Mood For Love.
Bored of lip healing tubes? Dive into a pot of KORRES new Lip Butter ($9 @ sephora.com). Each contains Shea Butter so choose one with a tint or without. Big moisturizing and lip smacking recommendation.
Keep toes and feet in shape with the foot care collection from Swedish line, NORDiC CARE. In the winter, the skin on my feet seems to get extra dry from being trapped in shoes all days. So three times a week I slathering on their Foot Care Cream ($12.10/2oz, 19.80/5.9oz @ nordiccare.com) before bedtime. Eucalyptus and Glycerin get my skin back in shape and the Lactic Acid and Urea soften and keep the skin healthy. Sandal season? My feet will be so ready.
A lot of companies are trying to make it really easy to create a look. Take the smoky eye. I thought this would be out by now but it still seems to be raging on and MALLY BEAUTY wants you to dawn it with their City Chick Smokey Eye Kit ($39.50 @ qvc.com). What I really like about this palette besides the ease of using it is the eye base that is applied first. This cream is key in keeping all the shades in place. Choose from six different color palettes.
Good things come in small packages and that’s surely the case with TRiSH MCEVOY’s ‘Be Prepared’ Pink ($28 @ nordstrom.com). It’s two levels of lip treats! The Top Deck is three glosses and a lip color: Tropical Pink,
Babydoll, Rosette, Sparkling Pink Lip Color. The bottom is three lip colors and a gloss: Bare, Buff, Sugared Pink, Sexy Lip Gloss. I don’t think you can get any smaller or cuter than this cube.
And the name? The net proceeds will go to support Girl Scouts of America.
Here’s a strange confession - I’m not always in the mood for a Body Butter. Lotions and creams seem easier to use, in every way. A Body Butter takes some time to work in. Ok, not that much extra time but still. I don’t exfoliate every shower but if I do,
I make sure to take the time to rub in a good butter afterward so my skin will really reap the rewards. One I’m loving right now is SEPHORA’s Body Butter ($16/6.7oz @ sephora.com). Each is lushly spiked with Shea Butter and beeswax. And this Citrus Sage one totally gets me excited for spring!
I’ve been curious about this next line for quite some time and finally got the chance to try it out. We all know what great brands Sephora carries and this COSMEDiCiNE was created especially for the outlet. They claim to have the highest
grade of ingredients just short of a prescription. The products also have what they call Instant Recognition Technology, which is a way for the ingredients to deeply penetrate the surface so they can do their thing.
One of the most interesting traits is one that the Medi-morphosis Self-Adjusting Exfoliator ($42/4.2oz). This face scrub is made with stop-action crystals that won't let you overdue it. That's a first!
And as with any line you want to try, if they have some kind of sample kit, I say go for it. This Spa-It-Yourself At Home Facial Kit ($95) contains nice sizes of all the essentials – The Facialist Deep Exfoliator (2oz), 1.35 oz Medi-Mask Intensive Clay Treatment (3.35oz), Hydra Stat Intensive Moisture Mask (2oz), Mega Dose Skin Fortifying Serum Ampoules (6 x 0.5 oz - these are my favorite items in the line), an adjustable white terry cloth head band, all packed in a white terry cloth travel pouch. All @ @ sephora.com
I’m pretty easy. Give me a gift of beauty and I’ll love you forever! Here’s a few I’ll be wearing tonight… 
NARS new Dolce Vita Set ($50 @ sephora.com) – Blush Duo contains Albatross and Lovejoy for defining and sculpting. Round out a sexy pout with the mauvy Dolce Vita gloss.
LUSH new Play Your Cards Right ($8.95/2.8oz @ lush.com) – it’s no secret that I an obsessed with their massage bars and this one in the Sex Bomb scent is the latest addition.
SHU UEMURA False Eyelashes ($18-$50 @ shuuemura.com) – I still need a lot of practice at applying but once they’re on, wow, sexy! 
We dipped our lips into this line when it hit the scene a few years ago and liked what we tried. The HAUTE FACE line touts having a shade for everyone – from African-American to Asian to Caucasian.
This time around I was able to try the Finish Face Powder ($26 @ hauteface.com). It’s really lightweight and goes on smooth and what would a powder be these days if it didn’t contains vitamins like, A, C and E and nourishing anti-oxidants? Now we’re talking!
There’s a new line on the horizon and we’re please to introduce you to it. If your skin seems to be extra sensitive, flaky, dry or red this time of year, then this line is for you. What sets this line apart from others? ATOPALM has a patented
MLE technology, which helps restore the skins’ lipid layer that can be broken down in these colder months. Think of these as a toothpaste made for when your teeth are sensitive.
The 7-product line has ones for your face and body and they have a great kit with nice sized versions, which I always say is the only way to try any line. The Skin Repair Kit ($99 only @ skinstore.com), contains a Facial Foam Wash (5.06oz), MLE Cream (2.19oz), MLE Body Lotion (4.05oz) and MLE Face Cream (1.18oz). These are worth a try.
Well it’s not really new since the line has been around since 2006 but it’s new to us! And this is not just another mineral cosmetic line so get to know it. FERRO COSMETiCS signed a pledge to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and truly does not use any non-mineral ingredients that we, well me for one, assume the larger mineral lines don’t use. Ingredients like Bismuth (cheap filler) and Talc (a known carcinogenic. Yikes!) are two of the main offenders. Thanks for the education, Ferro!
Now let’s get to what they do offer - some great powder foundations like the Ultimate Foundation ($7-$29/1 and 5grams) and the Radiance Foundation ($7-$25.50/1 and 5grams). And I’m really into matte shadows right now so the Eye Candy Matte in Toasted Plum ($9.99/2grams) has me smitten!
The line also has products for the cheeks, lips and even brushes so you can make sure you are using the right tools for application. Each of the products comes in a mini version so you can try many different shades and the $7 for the minis will get you a coupon for $7 off a full size. Perfect!
And my favorite discovery in the line? The Face Palette ($6.99). It's an artists paint palette with slots to pour out different colors instead of using the top on the jar, which I think we all do. This palette is so useful and seems so obvious. I'm just glad someone thought of it. All @ ferrocosmetics.com
Dry skin got you down? SANCTUARY Body Moisture Spray from UK’s BOOTS is a really light oil infused with vitamin E, jojoba oil and almond oil. In the depths of winter, it’s nice to apply a light moisturizer and still reap the benefits of a heavy one. $9.99/8.4oz @ cvs.com
Oh how I love a good hairbrush. And like the toothbrush, I sometimes become a nester in that I don’t notice when I need to replace it. So here’s a reminder for both of us! OLiViA GARDEN Healthy Hair HH-3 Ionic Massage Hair Brush ($10.75 @ aveyou.com) has a natural bamboo handle with an ionic cushion. The bristles are wood so unlike plastic bristles, you don’t have to worry about them breaking and actually damaging your hair. And this one makes for a great scalp massager!
Soft, innocent, delicate, girly …These are just some of the adjectives I would use to describe ESSiE's new Spring Color Collection. Can you believe it? No dark colors, just soft ultra-feminine pastels. The most surprising shades of this collection have to be Great Expectations and Body Language. These are gray. Gray? Yup and they totally work on my light olive skin tone. Believe me, I was Joe-skeptical when I first spied them. So just try one of them and you just might be a convert. $8 @ essie.com
Top L to R: Body Language, Hi Maintenance, Secret Affair
Bottom L to R: Hard To Get, Great Expectations, Looking For Love
If you color your hair at home, then this is a must have. So do yourself a favor and have REPELLE Skin Shield Wand on hand next time you dye. Just run this stick along your hairline and around ears and presto, no stains on your skin! $4.99 @ walgreens.com
TACT BEAUTY CARE invites you to “Discover the World” through each of their four bath and body collections highlighting different regions in the world. The Brazil collection uses the ingredient Cocoa, the France collection all contain Lavender, the India Collection is just what you would guess, Ginger & Spices. And the forth collection is what I’m focusing on here, the Greek line, which focuses on their number 1 export, Olive Oil. We all know it’s good for your insides but did you know how good it is for the outside? These Olive Tree products contain organic extra virgin olive oil and powerful plant extracts and anti-oxidants. We loved their Shower Gel a few months ago and just got a chance to try some of the others in this group. Really liking the Body Cleanser ($14/10.14oz) and the sister Body & Hands Moisturizer ($16/10.14oz). Also check out their hair care line and there’s even a Hair Mask ($28/6.76oz). Gotta try that one out! All @ tactbodycareusa.com
What is blush? BENEFiT COSMETiCS has created exactly what blush was created for – to mimic the color our cheeks turn when, ahem,
we’re turned on. Thrrrob ($28 @ benefitcosmetics.com) is the newest addition to their collection of powders with the others being Dallas, 10, Dandelion, Hoola and Georgia. When I first heard this was coming out, I thought it might be a lot like the Dandelion but Thrrrob is more of a bubblegum pink and this powder has a slight shimmer to it.
This BiG BAD MAMA BiKER BODY WORKS line is hardcore! At least the packaging is. Each of their products comes in a 12oz beer bottle! Cool! There’s Biker Body Wash ($12.99), Biker Slick Chic Edible Massage Oil ($16.99), Biker Mojo Mist ($16.99), Biker Groove Lube Lotion ($14.99) and Bath Fizzzz ($12.99). And the scent names are just a hoot. Pick from scents like Beer, Weed, Herb, Jailbait, Born2bwild, Smokin’ Citrus and the Massage Oils also come in Ragin Razzberry, Devil’s Food and more. I played it safe when I tried the Body Wash and went with the Jailbait since I am a big cherry fan. The formula is a little on the thin side but it still lathers nicely to cleanse your whole body and the scent is right on. All @ bigbadmamabikerbodyworks.com <--say that five times fast!
