The Beauty Sleuth

Carol's Daughter Hair Care

“I must say I have been loving the Carol’s Daughter hair products. Not only are they all natural, they smell absolutely delicious and they visibly and physically nourish the hair. They add tons of shine and moisture, pieceyness when needed, flyaway and humidity control. I give Carol’s Daughter two thumbs up!”

Maribel Carrero, Hair Stylist NYC
www.maribelcarrero.com/

www.carolsdaughter.com

Products Maribel Loves:
Healthy Hair Butter
Hair Milk
Mimosa Hair Honey

Clearogen takes on Proactive Solutions

I know I cannot be the only one who goes through periods of monstrous breakouts. While my personal experience seemed to start somewhere at or around the time my kids arrived in my life, it’s been a roller coaster ride from mild to moderate depending on stress and hormone levels and after talking with some of my best BFF’s, we all came to a conclusion that there is a thing called Adult Acne. It can be really distressing, especially if you have never experienced it before, like back when it would have been more appropriate, say at 14 or 15 years old.  And like my Mum told me upon hearing I had given her a Grandson: “But I don’t know ANYTHING about boys!! “…having only produced girls, mind you. What are we meant to do then, having had no experience dealing with Mt. Saint Helen-style eruptions on our faces? » Read the rest of this entry …

PackaBaby, Acrylic on canvas, by Jordan Betten 2010

Beauty trends don’t always come from the runway. Often, it would seem that they are derived from and array of key elements in our world, think as vast as something purely environmental to various forms of art. With the Haute Couture shows in full gear, I guess my eye was focused on seeing things from that certain perspective but I was inspired to share a little bit of trend forecasting based on my observation of how these external elements play in the world of fashion and beauty. » Read the rest of this entry …

Makeup Trends Couture 2010

Well it’s that time of year again, folks! Couture week in Paris…This is where we REALLY get to see what fashion is all about. Unlike here in the U.S., the French fashion industry doesn’t have to produce clothes that will send buyers into a frenzy by the fact that they can sell, as-is,  off the runway. In fact, despite the fact that several of the designers with an artistic bent ( the likes of  John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier or our dearly missed Alexander McQueen, to name but a few) actually make clothes that aren’t really made for wearing in real life, they fly off the proverbial shelf and become immediate collectors items.

Of course for me I look forward to the couture shows  because of the amazing looks that emerge from each designer’s beauty departments. I am so inspired after seeing these shows. Like the clothes, these looks aren’t necessarily made for real-life wearability but to enhance the look and feel of the collection. I think its really an elaborate performance art project on the grandest scale and I absolutely love it! The looks I am showing here are from Spring/Summer and Fall  presentations are happening RIGHT NOW, but to be frank, people, with New York City being over 100 degrees in the shade, I can’t even look at Fall…. more on that soon as it cools down. But don’t despair if you’ve seen a look you absolutely can’t live without because each of the beauty houses have your back. They will all work diligently to distill and capture the essence of the look so you can buy all the right stuff at a local department store, near you.

So with that I leave you with a few samples of what will surely hit the consumer market, eventually anyway. From left to right: Galliano, Givenchy and Chanel. looks like we better get the red lipstick out!

Tarte Cosmetics

When I came across a few new TARTE COSMETICS products, I have to say I went a bit gaga. First of all, the purple quilted packaging is sleek yet oh so fashionable, then, there’s the product itself. I tested Provocateur pressed mineral powder SPF 8, Femme Naturale refillable eye shadow palette (which came in a refillable, patent leather and zip palette box that could be fooled as any stylish girl’s pocket book, its just that pretty!  Not to mention its filled with a perfect array of eye shadows, that you will really WANT to use and the Four Day Stay lash stain. I really loved the results of all three of these products. Not only were they extremely easy to use, but they were top performers. I used these on many phot shoots, spanning an array of skin types and it performed well in all cases.

» Read the rest of this entry …

Daphne Guinness for Nars Cosmetics

This Fall, Nars Cosmetics will release their new beauty collection and campaign muse, Daphne Guinness. This has been a long-standing lovefest between M. Nars and Ms. Guinness (their last collaboration was for his photography project 15 x 15) and this latest collaboration embodies the best for both icons. She, with her love all things fashionable yet oh-so unpredictable and he, for his love of the dynamic color and makeup artistry, and the maestro who introduced some of the best makeup products, well, ever.

Of the collaboration: François Nars tells WWD “She fits the image of the brand so well. She’s very creative and elegant and is a chameleon. And she really loves makeup — the whole process of it. Any makeup artist dreams of having someone like that as a muse.”

There will be an eye shadow ( an exotic violet ) simply named Daphne to be unveiled as part of the new collection set to release this September. I hear that there is a stand alone store to come as well ( in NYC’s west Village, right next door to his pal, Marc Jacobs). So for those lucky girls who live in the city, stay tuned and I will keep you posted on that opening. For those who are living far and wide, you will be able to get the new Daphne Guinness inspired beauty collection at all major department stores nationwide.

Kiss My Face Skin care

Recently I have been noticing an array of skin rebellion that seems to be camping out on my face these days. Blame it on the changing seasons, lack of sleep or general need to slough off last season, my skin seems to be on the receiving end of all this epidermal craziness. Would there be any better time to try out some of the new fangled skin care solutions?  I think not and with so many new products made just for skin rebellion, I have decided to take one for the team and give my fickle skin the test drive of its life. » Read the rest of this entry …

Slip into something Silky

I don’t know about you but my legs, knees and elbows can always do with a seriously deep moisture treatment. It’s like the season’s sneak up on me and, Bam! Suddenly I am into full summer when it seems like yesterday, I was still bundling up with my winter woolies! With seasons changing so quickly, this is the perfect time to get your skin into shape and welcome a few new friends into your daily routine. Enter Silky Cosmetics. The creators of this 100 % Vegan, no Paraben , pertroleum, mineral or sodium lauryl sulfate-free product line have some natural remedies for your tired, stressed out, parched skin that will get your body ready for the seasons to come in no time at all.

» Read the rest of this entry …

Natalie Portman for Christian Dior Parfums

I have always been a fan of Natalie Portman, since the early days of her career. I was fortunate enough to work with her for several years and watch her grow from a young girl to a sophisticated woman, who was even back then very funny, sensitive and did I mention, whip sharp? Yeah, I can still remember her lugging her japanese language book into a press event so she could study between interviews.  And if I remember right, that was in junior high.

So I was really happy to hear that she had been named the new face of Parfums Christian Dior . There couldn’t be a better fit for such an iconic label. Natalie personifies a classic yet modern elegance yet she has the ability to add texture and edginess too. The perfect combination.

But mostly, I think I love the fact that this uber-smart, funny, beautiful woman can swear like a fisherman and still look like a lady. Ha! Now that’s what I’m taking about!

Keeping it on the Straight and Narrow

I have wavy hair that tends to ‘grow wide’ in extreme heat and humidity. One a really bad day, think Bobble head Doll— Little body, (I’m only 5’3”) with a huge head ( my hair is very long) and you get the picture! and like most girls with this kind of hair, I often covet sleek, satiny straight hair. With summer in full gear, it’s a pretty hard thing to achieve unless you have the right tools. So when I was introduced to H2 Pro’s Vivace nano technology straightening iron, I didn’t hesitate to put it to the test. » Read the rest of this entry …