I’ve been a fan of the TARINA TARANTINO line since I worked for Swarovski about 8 years ago and was delighted when I heard she was coming out with a makeup collection. Seemed like the next obvious step for her. Maybe a line of shoes will be next? Oh my, I can see it now! Swarovski encrusted heels (like I haven’t done that on my own but that’s another blog altogether!).

I’ve tried a few of her items now and while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend all of the ones I tried, a few of them are really good quality like the Eye Dream Hypershadow ($19). Nicely pigmented and the colors are brilliant. Shown here in Butterfly Black. The other one is the Eye Dream Hyperliner ($17). The formula is soft but not too soft and it blends well. Shown here in Ultraviolet. All only @ dermstore.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

How about this cool hair accessory from GOODY!!?? It’s from their new Simple Styles Collection and they claim the Spin Pin does the work of 20 bobby pins and while I’m not sure how they came up with that random number, I think it’s actually more! And it is super easy to put in. Simply twist your hair into a low bun and tuck the end in. Then spin one pin from the top of the bun and one pin from under the bun being careful not to interlock the pins. The bun you’ll get is not super tight but it really holds all the hair. Comes in Brunette and Blonde. $6 @ walgreens.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

The Los Angeles International Makeup Artist and Trade Show (IMATS) was this past weekend in Pasadena, CA and while it’s not as big as the International Salon & Spa Expo (ISSE) I go to every year, there were still some must-sees.

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I’m having quite the beauty conundrum so I’m just going to put it out there. The subject? Ingredients in beauty products. When I try a product, I usually go into it not knowing anything about it except that it’s a body wash or a mascara, etc, for example. I then use it a few times before reading up on it. That way I feel I can give a more of a honest answer and not just thinking I like it because of what I already know about it. But in the last few months when I like a product and the performance and wow, it lists great ingredients, upon looking deeper, POW, there are what some consider to be bad ingredients like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Mineral Oil, and polyethylene glycol, just to name a few. Maybe that’s why I got so excited when I discovered this one. I know that some people don’t care when it comes to ingredients in beauty products and that the FDA is there for a reason but I think more and more people are starting to pay attention.

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We have a new line upon us. It’s called FEMMESCIENCE and comes from the people behind the MenScience line. It’s made for the generation of woman that is not getting acne anymore but still not ready for the heavy duty products made for mature skin. The line is comprised of a full skin care line and also a body care line. I was sent their Revitalizing Body Polish ($32/6oz @ amazon.com) by their PR people to try out and it’s being billed as a two-fer, as in a body wash and body polish in one. Isn’t any body polish or scrub also considered a cleanser? Anyway, this one contains 3% Glycolic Acid and 1% Salicylic Acid to chemically exfoliate the skin and also microfine buffing beads to physically remove the excess skin though I could not feel these beads at all. They are that fine! Also inside is almond extract, squalene and antioxidants so your skin is benefiting too. It might take me some time to get used to the non-physical part of using these kind of chemical exfoliators, but I think I can manage to.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

I’ve been mostly warm when it comes to finding the nail strengthener. If you’re a regular reader then you know my quibbles of having thin and peeling nails. And with this one featured a few weeks ago, that was it, I found it. Said and done, except I just had to try this PERFECT FORMULA Strong Nail System ($29.50) just to see. I mean, I’ve tried them all, Nailtiques, Rejuvecote, so what’s one more? This one contains Keratin to strengthen the nails and it also comes with a second bottle of a moisturizing formula containing jojoba oil to help with new growth and keep them strong and this one too seems to work quite well without peeling off the nail and really helping them to grow. I keep the moisturizing bottle on the coffee table so when I’m watching some mindless TV, I can just rub-rub some of the oil into my finger beds.

And the formula also comes in colors called The Perfect Color ($15) and they are just coming out with some groovy pastel colors, which are right on trend. Just like the above regular formula, apply a new coat every day and change the polish altogether every 4 days or so.

From L to R: Sunrise, Nympheas, Water Lilies. Available @ qvc.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

There are some beauty products that are just everyone’s favorite but none more coveted than Shu Uemura’s Eyelash Curler. I mean, think about it, have you ever seen a beauty list that doesn’t include this one or lists a different brand? I was partial to the one from Shiseido for a while but I always seem to come back to this Shu one, until recently. TWEEZERMAN just put out ProCurl Eyelash Curler ($20 only @ sephora.com) and not only is it more comfortable around my fingers but it seems to curl just as well. See, the Shu one has a single piece of metal that goes around the finger and around the thumb. This Tweezerman one is doubled, they call it the doubled body design, and just feels like I have better control of it.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

There have been some developments in the hair tools category in terms of making them more user-friendly. Here are three that are rockin' my strands right now.

KWOF Series Finishing Iron ($189.99 @ kwofiron.com) – this one is designed to give your wrist a break! The plates are at a 30° angle so you can still get stick straight hair but without tiring out your hands. And like every good flat iron should, this one uses Ceramic and Tourmaline Plates to help seal the cuticle and make hair shiny.

Wanna see more? Click the link after the pic!

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When I first laid eyes on LORAC’s Baked Matte Satin Blush, in Flaunt I thought it had two of the traits I don’t look for in a blush – bright and shimmery. But trying is believing and like a lot of beauty products, you have to try them to get the real deal and I’m glad I didn’t write this one off at first sight. It’s one of those baked powder formulas so it’s very pigmented and blends easily. The shimmery part in this comes from Mica inside but it really aided in the glow it instills on the cheeks. No cheap-o looking shimmer, just glow. I was floored, really!

The two new shades are the above Flaunt, a bright pink, and Plush a peach. $24 @ dermstore.com. 

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

Now here’s something I never really thought about – I use shampoo and conditioners for color-treated hair but what about styling products made for color-treated hair? Thankfully the EUFORA line thought of this with their Color Locking System, which is a Sculpture Styling Glaze ($23/10.1oz), which has been featured on the site before, and an Illuminate Shine Mist ($20/4.2oz). Both of these help your color stay 30% longer then by using traditional styling products. These contain organic aloe vera gel and squalene, which helps lock the color into each strand. Both @ amazon.com .

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.