Get Your Hair Ready for Fall


A new season means updating your look. While you're freshening up your makeup look and your wardrobe, be sure to do something with your hair. Here are some hints from Pantene and Hallie Bowman, Celebrity Hair Stylist.

As we enter the fall season today, it’s important that we do what we can to help prevent further damage that’s already been done over the summer. Luckily, the color trends we will be seeing this fall are conducive to rehabbing your hair – it’s going to be all about giving your natural hair color a chance to shine and staying away from the harsh colors and bright platinum shades that are most damaging to your hair.

“The days of striking, contrasting colors are gone this season,” explains Celebrity Stylist for Pantene, Hallie Bowman. “This fall people will be going back to their roots, or at least making it look that way. We’re going to see natural-looking tones to balance the more extreme hair styles that are going to be big, including mixed textures and nods to the 80s shapes.”

The Color Trends:

Blonde: Platinum blonde is out and warmer, neutral tones are in. If you’re blonde Bowman recommends shades of sable, vanilla or mink. However, if you’re not ready to let go of your platinum locks, soften the look by adding some golden highlights. (Note from Lydia, the platinum blonde: Even though it's fall, I have no intention of ditching my ultra-blonde...no matter what the trends dictate!)

Brunette: Reddish or bluish browns are out and warmer browns are in. Shades like deep chocolate and chestnut are going to be all-the-rage; it’s all about making your shade believable.

Redhead: Two words – true red. The key is to ask your stylist to stay away from blue and copper undertones, both of which reflect orange in the sunlight. One way to avoid orange is to add some highlights to cool down the shade.

Black: Stay away from blue undertones and go for ebony to keep the shade natural-looking.

Maintenance: Once you’ve achieved the shade you want, keeping your color looking fresh can be a challenge, but it doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot! Bowman recommends using a shampoo and conditioner system that is developed for color treated hair, such as the ones from Pantene.

“I love the Pantene Expressions collection because it keeps hair color looking fresh, and helps reveal the three facets of hair color: tone, depth and vibrancy,” explains Bowman.

The Pantene Expressions shampoos are formulated with a patented liquid crystal technology that helps repel water and condition hair to keep color radiant. The five collections are custom designed by shade – blonde, brunette, red, midnight and highlighting – to help color-treated hair maintain its vibrancy and multi-dimensional shine in between colorings.

The Pantene Expressions shampoos and conditioners retail for just $5.49 apiece at national food, drug and mass merchandisers, and online at drugstore.com.

Anastasia Has Her Eye on You!

Brow guru, Anastasia, is now branching out! Along with Anastasia's high-quality line of brow care products, they're now offering both a mascara and an eye serum. Here are the details:

ANASTASIA LASH LIFTING MASCARA
Anastasia Lash Lifting Mascara thickens and curls lashes with one stroke! The formula contains hard waxes to build lashes and synthetic polymers to give them body and volume. The rich and creamy formula conditions lashes and an elastic veil helps mascara adhere to lashes without clumping. Available at Sephora for $22 a tube.

My take: I've tried a tube of this product and I liked it! It gave my lashes both a good amount of curl and a nice boost in thickness. If you're in the market for a pricey mascara, this one is worth checking out.

LINE ERASING SERUM
This lightweight serum contains a unique blend of natural hydrators, Instalift™ Goji, and an exclusive Balkan Botanical™ Infusion to improve the appearance of skin and help reduce signs of aging. Designed for all skin types, it soothes, softens, and hydrates—leaving skin brighter and smoother. Fine lines and wrinkles don't stand a chance!
  • Instalift™ Goji (Tibetan Goji Berry): Gives the appearance of reduced fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin.
  • Balkan Botanical™ Infusion: Helps soften, soothe, and hydrate skin.
  • Sodium Hyaluronate: Delivers ideal hydration to smooth and refresh the eye area.
  • Chrysin and Hydroxysuccinimide: Masks the appearance of redness while leaving the skin looking brighter and lighter
Available at Sephora for $45 a bottle.

My take: This is a spendy product, but it feels great. It goes on cool and leaves the skin around my eyes feeling good. A little goes a long way, so one bottle should last a while...thankfully!

In my experience, you really can't go wrong with Anastasia products. They're high quality and they really do deliver! Check 'em out.

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Your ANSR To Perfect Skin (Giveaway!)

As promised, I have another kick-ass giveaway for you all, this time from ANSR.

Never heard of ANSR? Well, they've developed a phototherapy treatment tool that can do wonders for your skin. I have never tried them out before, but I'd love to give the anti-aging kit a go. Their system sounds unique and interesting!

And they want to make sure that you have the best skin possible now that a new school year has started. Here's what they have to say about their product and skin care kits:

This school year, head back to the hallways with the best-looking skin in the building. Whether you’re a freshman in high school or a college professor, a law school student or a nursery school teacher, ANSR: has the solution with its two amazing skincare kits, which target the biggest skin woes, no matter what age.

ANSR:’s development team has harnessed the effectiveness of photo light therapy into the BEAM, a handheld, portable device that uses both red and blue photo light therapy to treat your skin – doing more than any other device out on the market and for a fraction of the cost of similar spa treatments. The blue light helps destroy impurities beneath the skin, and the red light penetrates deeply to rejuvenate the skin and stimulates collagen growth to improve skin tone and texture and reduce redness.

If you are troubled by acneic skin, your ANSR: is the Acne Care Kit. Along with the BEAM, the kit includes PREP, an exfoliating cleanser, DAY, a protective moisturizer that helps prevent blemish outbreaks, and NIGHT, a concentrated gel that treats blemishes overnight. Together, the BEAM and the topicals create an easy-to-follow skin regimen that will have your skin looking better in no time. $185

If you’re concerned about fighting the signs of aging, your ANSR: is the Skin Rejuvenation Kit. In addition to the BEAM, this kit includes SERUM, an advanced formula that combines powerful antioxidants, botanicals and vitamins to rejuvenate skin texture and tone. You’ll be mistaken for a student in less than a semester. $195

If you want to try out one of these kits for yourself, please leave a comment here on this post. Let me know which kit you're interested in and be sure I have a way to contact you. Sorry, this contest is limited to US residents, only. Get your comments in by noon (PST) on 10/9--I'll be drawing a winner at random. Good luck!
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Review: L'oreal Paris Telescopic Explosion Mascara


PRODUCT NAME: L'oreal Paris Telescopic Explosion Mascara
COLOR: Black
DESCRIPTION: L'oreal claims this mascara can be apply from every angle to reach each and every lash; adapts to every eye shade, grabbing even the smallest lashes in hard to reach corners; creamy smooth formula that lengthens, thickens and separates every little lash for a fanned-out eye look; formula contains jojoba oil, palm oil and Pro-Vitamin B5 for soft texture and lash conditioning; and of course, no clumping, smudging or flaking.  Additional Info: suitable for sensitive eyes.
PRICE: USD $9.49 (Suggested)
AVAILABILITY: November 2009 in the USA (Already available in Europe)

A couple of weeks ago I received this mascara for me to try it out and share my experience with it.  I didn't know about it, so I decided not to look to reviews or videos done by other beauty bloggers (the mascara is available in Europe) to make my decision without any prejudices.  I mention this because I always look for reviews of products I'm interested in b4 buying them (hey, I like to spend my money as wisely as possible).

I was very curious because of the Telescopic Explosion wand, which of course reminds us of the Givenchy Phenomenon Eyes Mascara. I also have to agree with a youtuber (I forgot her name!) who said the wand looks like one of those medieval weapons, the morning star. LOL.


The mascara tube is like the regular Telescopic mascara, this one is just red.  When I saw the wand my first thought was "how do I work with this?"  And then I began playing. To my surprise, it is really easy to work with.  Way easier for me than the regular Telescopic mascara wand (it bends, so it was difficult for my to apply the mascara).  When L'oreal says the wand is designed to grab every little lash at every possible angle, they really mean it. Applying mascara to the the lower or the inner/outer corners lashes without making a mess is very easy to do.

What about the formula? I don't agree much with the thickening part, but this product separates my lashes and make them larger, like really spiky. I like that it provides length without making my naturally curled lashes all flat. 

**REMEMBER TO CLICK ON THE PIC FOR ENLARGE VERSIONS**


Look at those lower lashes!
The fanned-out look is totally achievable

I normally don't buy regular washable mascara because, thanks to the heat and humidity here in my beloved country, it's only a matters of minutes under the sun before it starts smudging and going all around my under eye area (doesn't matter if I haven't applied mascara to the lower lashes  o__O.  I have been testing this product for a few days now and it works okay =). Definitely no smudging and flaking (I hate when that happens). 


 

I find I do need to work fast with this product because it may clump while it's setting.  I don't like that but I have to say the clumping is minimal. When I do my dark smoky eyes look, I like that my lashes stand out and are very noticeable.




About the lash conditioning properties, all I can say is that my lashes doesn't feel hard as a rock after applying it, so that's good.  

I wish the packaging was a bit more sophisticated, the red "explosive" color just makes it look cheap. But that's just aesthetics, I know.  The price (USD $9.49) is the same as the regular Telescopic mascara (if I'm not mistaken) and average to other L'oreal and drugstore mascaras.  Of course, you can get this product for less at BOGO sales...which yours trully always do, LOL!!

All in all, this product is okay. Great for those morning I do the "bright eyes" look, where I need to appear very, very awake.  ;)

 



Rating: 3.5/5 (thumbs up for providing the spherical brush to the "drugstore mascara world"; but it dried up relatively fast and became more messy to apply)

ETA: I had to lower the rating 1pt of my original 4.5 rating because after less tha three months, I noticed the mascara got thicker inside the tube (and I know I closed it well & I always kept it in a cool place) and it was very difficult to apply. Something for L'OREAL to deal with. I normally use my mascaras for 6 months. It's still a great product and I would buy it again, but for a cheaper price.

'Til next time my beauties!



¡Vivan, amen y rían

T3 Featherweight Winner!

Congrats to Briannon! You are my T3 Featherweight Hairdryer winner. Be on the lookout for an email from me soon.

And to those who did not win, fear not! Be sure to check my site on Monday for an awesome skin care giveaway

Supreme Collection x A.P.C.

The Supreme Collection x A.P.C. collabo will hit stores and online October 1st, 2009 and October 3rd,2009 in Japan. The collaboration includes two differnet pieces of clothing, a pair of denim and a graphic t-shirt.

The jean, a specially designed version of A.P.C.’s classic New Standard style, will feature a back pocket embroidery and a removable pin. The tee will come in two colors; red (available exclusively at Supreme stores) and black (available exclusively at A.P.C. Stores).




Oprah meets Brooklyn.

Oprah allowed HipHop to sit on her couch. . I'm not exactly sure of my thoughts on that but I know thats history in the Hip Hop/Rap world.

Part 1


Part 2


In part 3, Oprah addresses why she isn’t a big fan of rap music and they debate on the “N” word and it’s meaning.

Jay-z on the "N" word:
“People give words power. For our generation, What we did is we took the word and we took the power out of that word. We took a word that was very ugly and hurtful and took the power out of that word.”

Oprah on the "N" word:
“My generation and generations before me (coming up through the civil rights movement), that word carries a sense of hatred and degradation. I always think about when people are screaming it at your concerts, I think about Black men that were lynched and that is the last word they heard.”

They both "agreed to disagree."

Part 3


At the end of that, Jay taught Oprah how to freestyle, comedy within itself!

Baby-G meets MOB

A couple weeks ago we did a post about Baby-G going green with there new watches. And because of that post we were lucky enough to be sent some of the watches that were featured on the blog. Baby-G mentioned that they wanted more of a younger and female crowd wearing their watches and I guess they felt that M.O.B. fit the criteria :-).
Below are pictures of us in the watches that were sent for us & the watch itself.








Beauty Product of the Week: Paint and Peel

What is it? Sula Cosmetic's Paint and Peel is a "collection of good-for-you (nail) hues is inspired by what’s happening on the street and the runway - colors that are hard to come by but not to remove! Touch ups are a snap with the fast drying formula. For extended wear, use water-based Permanent in clear or metallic. Apply 2 coats to clean naked nails. Touch up when required. Peel off when desired--no polish remover needed!" Hard to find--I found it at my local Ulta--for less than $10 a bottle (I think I paid $9).

What did you think? I like that this nail polish is free of the "big 3" nasty chemicals found in some nail products (Toluene, Formaldehyde and DPBs). I also like the idea of not needing to use a nail polish remover since it just seems like one extra step (and one step that also exposes me to more bad-for-me chemicals!).

When I bought this nail polish from Ulta, I didn't have very many shades to pick from. I settled on Moss, and funky green shade. The polish goes on easily--just like every other polish. The color is decent--perfect for Halloween! The green tint had quite a bit of gold and earthy tones to it, and it looked surprisingly pretty next to my very pale skin. I put on a clear top coat from OPI and went about my day.

I was tough on my nails when I was wearing this polish. I got a wild instinct to scrub my bathtub which did not help my manicure last a long time. I noticed that after a day of hard use, the tips of my nails did not have color on them. I also noticed a few "strings" of polish around the side of my nails that was easy to pull off, but a little gross.

After about a day, I wanted nothing more than to but the peel part of the polish to the test. So as my husband and I spent a quiet day playing board games, I peeled all the paint off my nails. It felt oddly satisfying to pick away at the paint and then pull big strips of it off my nails. I can only imagine how annoying I would have been when I was much younger and in school if I had this product. I could visualize myself sitting through a boring math class, picking and peeling my nail polish to my heart's content. Ick.

The polish did all peel off without the need for a nail polish remover...for the most part. There were a few spots that I couldn't get to peel off for the life of me. And the surface of my nails was a little rough and dry immediately after peeling off the paint, but their condition returned to normal after an hour or so.

The final verdict? Peeling off nail polish is both disgusting and satisfying at the same time. It's probably not very socially acceptable to be pulling off nail color in public, but as long as you keep your picking and peeling confined to the privacy of your home, you'll be fine. This product intrigued me and I am left with mixed feelings about it. I wish it was a little tougher and able to withstand my tub scrubbing, but it did what it said: it peeled off easily and my now naked nails are ready to be painted anew.

My one main concern is this: how healthy is this for my nails? Is there any risk of damaging my nails by peeling off the paint? I don't know the answer to this. Anyway, if you're a nail product junkie, you may want to give this a try...if you can find it!

MAC Fuschia P/M and UD Smog Dupes?

I like to find dupes for more expensive products, mostly on eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks not so much for brushes and other tools.

What do you think of these?  I think they are pretty similar but not exact duplicates. 

MAC Fuschia Pigment vs. L'oreal HIP Pigment in Fiery





 


*Both pigments are great quality, I think Fiery is a bit more purple and dark than Fuschia.
**Please note: If you are gonna buy the HIP Pigments, consider getting them on one of those BOGO-Free sales.  They are pretty expensive at regular price (~$12 for 1.5g vs. MAC $19.50 for 7.5g)
***They look the same on my eyelids .


Urban Decay E/S in Smog vs. Milani E/S in Golden Bronze




 




*Smog is a tad darker, but both colors looks almost the same on my eye lids. Both e/s are so soft.
**Milani: ~ USD $4   vs.   Urban Decay: USD $16


Just sayin'...


MAC Style Black Collection Available Online


I've been waiting for this collection for quite sometime now, can't wait to go to my local store. The swatches I've seen are very interesting. Ah, this collection reminds me of my "heavy metal lover" days...so cool. So, if you like the goth, punk-rock chic, heavy metal groupie or just in-your-face look, maybe you would like to check it out. ;)

Check out pictures and swatches of the products from this collection HERE (link will take you to Temptalia.com; the lovely Christine has made swatches and reviews).



Oh, MAC is offering free shipping (US addresses only--including Puerto Rico) until 9/27/09, 11:59 pm EST with any purchase.  Use code BLACK at checkout.

What are your thoughts about this collection? Are you getting something from it? Share with me. =)



¡Vivan, amen y rían!





T3 Giveaway!

Don't forget: I've giving away a T3 Featherweight Hair Dryer. This is an awesome tool that retails for about $200. Click here for all the details and be sure to enter today!

House Brands

I buy the majority of my beauty products at places like Sephora and Ulta. I also stock up at Target, and only occasionally pick up a essentials (like nail polish remover) at the drugstore. I like Sephora and Ulta the best because they carry so many different brands of products. In one store, I can compare products and prices from dozens of companies. But I also like Sephora and Ulta because they offer a nice alternative to the more expensive brands in the shop: their house brand.

The Sephora line is massive. They sell makeup brushes and accessories, hair products, skin care, and tons of makeup under their moniker. The quality of their brand of products is very high, but their prices are much better than the high end competition in their store.

Best Sephora Brand bets? Their tools! I have many Sephora brushes and they're great. They're not super expensive, and they really get the job done. I also like Sephora's lipglosses. They have a wide array of shades to pick from, as well as different applicators and formulas, so there's something for everyone...or every mood...for around $10. Not bad.

I love to shop the Ulta house brand during their many sales. (They'll often have BOGO deals or vaastly reduced prices during their sales, so it's a great time to stock up!) The Ulta closest to me sometimes runs out of stuff, but despite that, I love Ulta's eyeshadows, eyeliners, blush, and lipsticks. Their lipglosses and other products leave me cold, but when I want to try out a funky new look for my eye, the Ulta brand is almost always my choice.

Like Sephora, Ulta is now also selling a professional line of nail polish that's cheaper than OPI and Essie, but that offers a ton of shade choices.

When you're trying to save a few bucks but you don't want to miss out on higher quality products, you really should consider the Sephora and Ulta house brands. I've not been disappointed so far. If you shop these house brands, what are your faves?

Video of the week 2*

Video for Drake (Feat. Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem) - Forever.



Enjoy MOB lovers.
x and o's

How to Wear Dark Lipstick

Fall is here and that means trading in your light, shiny lipgloss for a deeper, richer, dark lipstick. But pulling off the dark lip look can be tricky. If done wrong, darker shades can make thin lips look thinner. If the color feathers or is not applied flawlessly, it will look sloppy.

Here are some hints to help:
  • Focus on your lips only. If you try to pull off a dark lip with a dramatic eye, you're going to look a little clownish. Avoid this by making your eyes look very natural with minimal shadow, just a touch of liner, and mascara. Also ease off the blush. Rosy cheeks and almost black lips could make you look silly.
  • Be sure to pick your shade well. Consider your complexion and the undertones in your skin. And don't forget, dark lipstick doesn't have to be black.
  • Exfoliate your lips. This is easy to do and requires no special products. When you brush your teeth, just gently brush your lips as well. This will remove dead skin cells and soften your lips. Dot on a little lip balm or moisturizer for added protection.
  • Consider a lip primer. Again, don't buy anything special: just put some concealer or foundation on your lips. This will help to neutralize your lips' natural color and may help prevent against feathering. If you want a special product, try for something with silicone in it so the darker color has something to cling to.
  • Line your lips. Try using a small lip brush and your dark shade to line your lips. I'm not a fan of using lip pencils for this, and you probably know why. Just think of the first image that pops into your mind when I say "lip liner." I rest my case! Next fill in the rest of your lips using your lipstick and the lip brush. Using a brush will give you better control and should result in a more precise look.
I've been trying out a few shades from Mattese Elite, one that's a deep raisin shade and one that's a vibrant (though dark) pink. Unlike some deeply pigmented lipsticks, this brand made my lips feel soft and moist--not cakey and dry. If you're looking for a dark shade, you might want to check them out (plus at just $10 a tube, they're pretty budget friendly!).

Video of the week

Keri Hilson - Slow Dance



Decided to "slow" down on all the rap and put up something new from the one we all love. MISS KERI BABY !
im personally feeling this song alot.
peep Monica, Omarion and Chris Brown in the video.
also peep the snake skin dress she has on.
looks familar doesnt it ? well Amber Rose recently had it on at an event.

but anywho, enjoy the video
x and o's

Hellz Bellz Fall 2009 Delivery 1 "Style Warriors" Collection














Here's a sneak peak of Delivery 2 "Midnight Riders"



and that's it. lol
x and o's

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