LuxBuzz

I have found it:

A line of eau de parfums that everyone wants to smell like.

The “CLEAN” line is absolutely incredible! “CLEAN Perfume was launched by Fusion Brands Inc. in April 2003. Randi Shinder, the founder, desired a fragrance that was reminiscent of pure soap, that universal fresh out of the shower scent. Unable to find such a fragrance, she developed her own…CLEAN. CLEAN is formulated in small quantities to ensure all ingredients are fresh, pure, and of the highest quality. CLEAN is a lifestyle brand that has expanded from its core CLEAN fragrance to encompass ancillaries that remain true to CLEAN’s promise of simplicity in a complicated world.”

At about $34 an ounce, these sprays are well worth the price. My favorite scent is the “Warm Cotton”, which is truly, as Sephora describes it: “perfect for the modern woman who is confident enough to let herself–not her fragrance–command attention”.

Available at www.sephora.com.

The snow is falling, and the temperature is sitting under twenty degrees.

While dressing up in nice, soft layers may be fun, winter presents other, less glamorous challenges.

Dry hands are the worst! Constantly applying lotion is such a task, and a very inconvenient one at that. Luckily, I believe I have found a cure!

L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream has a nice, neutral, clean scent and produces soft, moisturized hands, even under the harshest weather! It’s enriched with twenty percent shea butter and blended with honey, almond, and coconut oil.

Though a bit pricey at about $25 for 5.2 oz, it lasts a long time and you only need to apply it (generously) three or four times each week for amazing results!

EyesLipsFace, or E.L.F. is an affordable line of cosmetics and cosmetic accessories. I recently made my first online purchase from their website. My order shipped more than 10 days after I made the purchase. They made me aware by email ahead of time that they had a high volume of orders. The products all go for one dollar. The quality is obviously not as great as more expensive cosmetics, but for a dollar the quality is definitely acceptable. E.L.F. also has various customizable products - compacts, lip sets, and complete kits. They also send great coupons and deals almost every week through email. Another advantage to their site is that if you refer friends to use it, you can win gift cards (100 referrals gets you makeup for life). The shipping issues are a turnoff, though. I’d recommend the products for those looking for bargains, but if you can, I’d suggest buying the products in a store instead.

-Sheryl

P.S. Sign up for the emails, though. Sometimes the deals are too good to pass up. Click the pic above to go to the site.

With a recent study revealing that several of our favorite lipsticks contain lead, and new trials hinting that chemicals in everyday products can enter our bloodstream over time, we may want to rethink our beauty product choices.

Although it isn’t proven if organic or natural cosmetics have any benefit, it’s better to be safe than sorry, plus, the majority of them contain delightfully smelling essential oils, are biodegradable, and are vegan or vegetarian.

My favorites include BWC (that’s Beauty Without Cruelty)’s Moisture Plus shampoo and conditioner. The line uses jojoba and plant proteins to provide frizz-free tresses.

Other eco- and health-concious brands to consider include Burts Bees (of lip balm fame) and Tom’s of Maine (look for their all-natural toothpaste), which, along with BWC, are available at Whole Foods and the like.

Looking for ‘holistic’ cosmetics and skincare? Look no farther than Dr. Hauschka, known for their opthalmologically-tested, botanical infused make-up, along with their devotion to worthy causes such as Heifer International. A current “best of Dr. Hauschka” trial package line donates 25% of each sale to the organization, which provides animals to help sustain families in need.

Sephora-addicts such as myself can also seek out organics and natural products at the makeup megastore, which stocks Stella McCartney’s 100% organic skincare line CARE, L’Occitane (straight from Provence) and Juice Beauty.

– Halie

Hey Fashion Fanatics!

I’m sure many of you older bloggers have been through the process of picking out an outfit for a fashion-forward job interview. You stand in the middle of your bedroom, clothes from your closet flung onto the bed, chair, and even, God forbid, the floor. Do you want to to avoid this process? Well here are some helpful tips when choosing what you wear to impress the one hiring you.

When choosing an outfit, choose conservatively. Pearls are the perfect accessory for an interview as they show both class and sophistication. Pumps are always a safe default as well. Now is not the time to try to show off your neon tights. Try a slim pencil skirt and safe blouse or even a nicely fit blazer. Not into the slim fitting skirt? Get one with a flare like the one featured below. But want to show some real style? Invest in some expensive pumps so they’ll know that although you show class, you’re not a bore. I recommend a flare with the red soled Christian Louboutins.

Hair and makeup could also possibly make you or break you. If you’re into the scene-esque choppy bed-head type hair, I recommend a trim. The person hiring you does not need to know you’re rebellious. For makeup, don’t walk in looking you’ve just walked out of a stange man’s apartment with dark eyeshadow. Go for a natural look. Choose a lipstick that is right for your skintone. You don’t want to look like Miley Cyrus at the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood party. Yikes!

I hope these tips have helped you better prepare yourself for what some call judgement day. Remember that your outfit is a statement about you, so make sure your outfit is lint free and ironed for a neat look. Good luck, but hopefully you won’t need it.

My new fitness obsession comes from an unlikely source:

Youtube.

I login and simply type in something to the effect of “work out” and thousands of results come up.  And with a limit of ten minutes on all YouTube videos, it’s a quick and easy way to exercise and you can do it whenever, several times a day.

My favorites are the Pilates videos!

So check it out, work it out, and be able to eat tons of candy because Halloween is just around the corner!

Peace.

If you missed out on part 1, you can read it here. Without further ado, let me continue my top ten countdown…

5. Analog Watches
Although old fashioned, analog watches are often more beautifully designed and crafted than digital watches such as your common “Baby-G.” You can find one-of-a-kind analog watches at vintage shops, often at rediculously low prices - and if the battery is dead or the watch has water damage, wear it anyway.

4. Gold
Metallic clothing has been quite fashionable for the last few seasons but now silver is fading slowly out of the picture leaving us with gold! Gold is an elegant color that can be worn either day or night and can be quite fun too. Just a word of advice - don’t mix gold with silver.

3. Hats
Hats are great for bad hair days, just throw one on your head et Voila! Instant chic! Anything from top-hats to chef’s hats are great and if you’ve got a couple of (thousand) dollars to spare, you can buy a mini work of art like the hats by renowned milliner Philip Treacy.

2. Metallic Eyeshadow
This has been quite a big trend for a while now but is now hotter than ever. You don’t have to spend a fortune on MAC or Chanel cosmetics either, L’oreal or Maybelline will do the trick just fine - especially since we dont know how much longer this will be “in.”

1. Full brows
I’m sure some of you know who Brooke Shields is, right? She is a model/actress from the 70s and 80s who is famous for having full eyebrows. In a time where everyone was overplucking their eyebrows and walking around with surprised looks on their faces, Brooke’s eyebrows made her face look powerful. You don’t need to go cold turkey on the plucking, but slowly let your natural brows show - who knows, you might even end up with “Brooke brows.”

Most girls I know hold a lengthy get-ready session every morning to get a perfect face: concealer, foundation and powder are just the basics — some even add primer, eye cream, and a multitude of other face-fixers before they even start with the mascara or lip gloss.

But what for? Most makeup ends up looking like a mask and melts off by lunchtime.

The solution may seem to pile on more, when in reality, it’s more effective to apply less. If you’re puzzled on how to do this and still have a perfect canvas of a face, look towards Make Up For Ever makeup, available at Sephora.

The brand was launched in Paris in 1984 with the aims of imitating the infallible pigments favored at opera houses and ballets for runway use, and has become a cult classic among makeup artists.

Make Up For Ever’s 5 Camouflage Cream Palettes contain 5 different concealors that can be mixed and matched for covering different skin ailments, rather than the traditional single-color cover-ups. This also solves the problem of picking out a shade of concealor or foundation and realizing it looks different than you originally thought; here you can just mix a different shade.

Four different sets are sold to suit a multitude of skin tones (No. 1 for light with pink undertones, No. 2 for light with yellow undertones, No. 3 for medium, No. 4 for dark). Set No. 1 is shown below.

Use the first and lightest shade to disguise under-eye circles, the fourth shade to add warmth if you’re feeling gray, and the last to counter redness (in other sets it’s a counter for sallowness etc.). The middle two shades can be mixed to fix anything in between.

This product can be used with foundation, but with it’s wide color spectrum, you’ll be able to fix everything and won’t need it! Sweep on some powder and you’re ready to go in half the time.

I’m always striving to get that perfect lash look.

So, LuxBuzzers, I’ll give you the how-to that works just in time for the weekend.

Firstly, to have beautiful lashes, they must first be healthy. I condition my lashes every night with Vaseline. I apply it before I go to sleep each evening, and it gives my lashes the moisture they need to stay healthy and even grow! Also, I find that using mascara each day takes a major toll. Vaseline on the lashes reverses and prevents this damage.

Alright, so you are conditioned. The next step is finding a curler and mascara that works for you. Personally, I like the drugstore brands best. Sure, I bought DiorShow and tried it out, but it was beaten out quickly by Maybelline’s “XXL” mascara. Honestly, DiorShow is ridiculously over-hyped.

Always curl your lashes before applying mascara! If want a real curl that will stay, invest in a heated eyelash curler. Sephora has a great, easy to use version available on their website, www.sephora.com for about $16. But you can find them at most drugstores as well for about $6-$10.

Of course fakes are always an option, but consider going natural. It can be beautiful.

Alright LuxBuzzers, it’s drug-store raiding time!

Shopping List

1. Vaseline!!

2. Mascara of your choice (pick up a couple to try)

3. Heated eyelash curler

4. [Optional] Fake lashes

Now get to a drugstore and rock those fabulous lashes this weekend!

Strangely, I got shaving advice from a guy friend. For whatever reason, he shaves his legs, but that’s not important.

What’s important is the fact that he had smoother legs than I do. They were smoother than most girls I know, actually. Women’s razors aren’t as advanced as men’s razors are. The razor he uses has five blades. It’s called the Gillette Fusion. He also uses Aveeno shave gel. Aveeno is made with all natural products, prevents irritation and doesn’t dry skin out.

-Sheryl