Get the Sephora + Pantone Universe Tangerine Tango Eyelash Curler for $18 at Sephora.com
Tools
When we really want to try something different in the beauty realm, we go for a high-tech beauty product. This doesn't necessarily mean they have an on/off switch or make vibrating noises (as you'll see with one of the products below)--but it does mean they are technologically advanced from the typical lipglosses and eye creams we come across. Check out a few of our favorite high-tech beauty products below.Completely Bare Completely Smooth For Body
We shave, wax, do laser hair removal, the works. But sometimes, we just want the darn hair to SLOW DOWN as it grows! That's where this miracle-working moisturizer comes in. Smooth it on the area you want to inhibit, and within just a few weeks you'll notice the hair growing back slower and lighter. Pretty amazing, right?
$42 at completelybare.com
Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion System with Anti-Aging Sea Serum
Yes, this product has one of the longest names ever. But do we care? Nope--because it makes our eyes look 10 years younger. Seriously. Simply smooth a bit of the serum onto the head, press the power button and let the vibrations work their magic on your under-eye area (and your lips, too!). Satisfaction, guaranteed.
$185 at clarisonic.com
Dior Diorshow 360 Mascara
We know what you're going to say. The vibrating mascara has been out for years now--what makes this one different? Well, for starters, we absolutely love the curvy brush. It really grips each and every lash, from the big ones down to the babies at the inner corners. Within one coat, voila! Lush, long, curly lashes that look like falsies.
$36 at sephora.com
Continue reading Getting technical: cool high-tech beauty products.
Mineral makeup had us at our first swirl and tap. We will never deny that. But some kabuki brushes, especially in drugstore brand mineral makeup, leave much to be desired.
So when we first discovered Tarte's Glam on the Go kabuki brush (it came as a free gift at Ulta), we were excited to see if it lived up to our high standards. Oh, let us tell you...it did.
When you first feel the bristles, you almost can't believe how soft they are. Your next thought is how dense the brush is. We knew that with such a dense brush, we were going to get fantastic, full coverage with our mineral makeup - which we did. When we apply the right amount of makeup, we get a beautiful airbrushed finished that is hard to find with other kabuki brushes.
Plus, Tarte is such a wonderful cosmetics company. All of their products are cruelty free, phthalates and sodium lauryl sulfate free, wrapped in biodegradable packaging.
And above all, one of the most notable things about Tarte's Glam on the Go brush is how well built it is. We washed this brush out about one or twice a week for quite some time, and never lost a bristle. Now that's solid construction.
The perfect size for stowing away in an already-jam packed makeup bag, cute reusable faux croc (we like to use it for lipsticks or change) and a perfect dome top for beautiful blending, we find it hard to think we'd find another kabuki brush for the price that we loved more! $29, sephora.com
As far back as we can remember, we were always told that the more symmetrical your face, the more beautiful you were. We were told there were studies, and specific science behind the link between symmetry and beauty. Well, the proof is in the pudding, or rather, the iPhone app.
New app Muggum, which costs 99 cents, is a silly, and intriguing way of seeing what you would actually look like if both sides of your face were identical. Would you be more beautiful, or well, slightly strange looking, like Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie (who totally looks like a fake alien), and Natalie Portman?
We haven't tried it on our faces yet, but if these three slightly imperfect beauties came out looking like that, well...there can't be much hope for us!
But how does it work, exactly? Here's how the Muggum site explains their product:
This easy-to-use photography app takes images directly from the camera in your iPhone or iPod Touch and instantly creates two side-by-side symmetrical portraits, which you can fine tune using a bi-directional guide. Instantly upload to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Flickr - or, save to Photo Album or Email. Take fun and hilarious pictures of yourself, your friends, your kids, your pets, or even celebrities in magazines! Great for profile pics and online avatars!
We're itching to try it... are you? Upload your photos onto the Stylebakery.com Facebook page if you decide to play around with this fun app!
Celebs like Rachel Zoe, Kate Hudson, and Jessica Simpson have long had many of us longing for those seemingly effortless, loose, beachy waves they all have in common. If you've ever tried to get said waves, you know that "effortless" really isn't so effort-free after all. Whether your hair is fine or thick, long or short, you've surely spent a socially unacceptable amount of time curling and twirling your locks with an iron, only to have your waves fall flat five minutes after leaving the house.Enter Sultra's Bombshell iron. This iron has already gained quite the cult following, and after testing it, deservedly so. The 1 inch curling iron styles hair in half the time of traditional irons, utilizing Japenese Kyocera ceramic technology, and features a clampless barrel design: simply wrap hair around the base for perfect, kink free waves and curls.
To use, grab a small section of hair, hold wand vertical to head, wrap length of hair around the barrel, and release after a few seconds. Perfect waves! As an added plus, the Bombshell comes with a cute hot pink glove to protect fingers while curling around the rod.
When tested, the Bombshell was a winner by our criteria: It heats instantly, is easy to use, quick, and creates perfectly smooth waves or curls, no matter your hair length or texture. We were able to attain surfer girl waves on medium length, super thick hair in less time than it takes to blowdry. A+!
$130, at Sephora.
Stila's new Holiday Collection 2010 is, in one word, spectacular. For one, the value in the Color Wheel Eye Shadow Palette ($38), is insane. It comes with 37 colors in a case the size of a small dinner plate. Two brushes with four different tips sit on each side of the wheel, and they come in super handy to accomplish one of the 12 looks included in the step-by-step, color-by-number book. Our favorite was the lavender look, that gave us numerous "Omg, where's your eyeshadow from?" comments on our first night out. Really, the options and color combinations are almost endless.
Taking up a little less room in our makeup drawers was the Eye for Color Eye Shadow Palette ($18). It's all the fun of its larger sister, but in about half the size, and a third of the colors. No love is lost, though. It has some seriously beautiful metallic hues, and a great mix of neutrals and vibrant. All colors work wonderfully wet or dry (just like in the larger wheel), and last all night. We didn't even use an eyeshadow primer, and we got no creasing. Success, right? Right.
And we can't leave this post without thanking the Brush Set Essentials ($28). The bristles are super soft (some synthetic, some pony hair), and there's one for every area of your face. We have taken to using the concealer brush every day (it does an amazing job at blending!), and love the #9 all over blend brush for highlighting our brow bones and the inner corners of our eyes.
Bottom Line: The value, color options and fun of Stila's new Holiday Collection 2010 are endless. Don't pass these up! You won't regret it.
Tweezerman's tweezers have always been our favorite and most coveted tool for our eyebrows. With the perfect slant, file and tension, they pluck every stray hair with little effort.
Now, funky and edgy designer Betsey Johnson has released her own take on the heralded tweezers. The plucky (pun intended) collection has three designs in Betsey's staple pink and black - skulls, Marilyn Monroe and roses. Our favorite is definitely the Marilyn look, which we find sleek and retro chic.
Regardless of which piece of the collection best suits your style, your brows will have never looked so good. $25, Sephora.com
While everyone was oohing and ahhing over Sandra's super-shiny hair at the Oscars, we were busy obsessing over J Lo's perfect eyebrows! Yes, there are many salons that can shape similar brows, but remember the recession?! Not everyone can afford a trip to the brow Dr every month. The best advice is to lighten your brows a shade with dye, but it isn't safe to recommend any at home kits, because the trick is to know how light to go. Worst case scenario you end up with no eyebrows, or disproportionate eyebrows...it can get scary. Second to dye, brow shaping kits are a must-have and the best way to perfect your arch.
And the nominees for best eyebrow shaping kits are:
1. Tweezerman Mini Brow Kit, Sephora $25 2. Cle de Peau Beaute Eyebrow and Eyeliner Compact, Neiman Marcus $70 3. Too Faced Brow Envy Shaping and Defining Kit, Sephora $35 4. Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zings, Benefit Cosmetics $30 5. Anastasia All About Brows Kit, Sephora $75 6. Sephora Collection Arch it Brow Kit, Sephora $35
And the nominees for best eyebrow shaping kits are:
1. Tweezerman Mini Brow Kit, Sephora $25 2. Cle de Peau Beaute Eyebrow and Eyeliner Compact, Neiman Marcus $70 3. Too Faced Brow Envy Shaping and Defining Kit, Sephora $35 4. Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zings, Benefit Cosmetics $30 5. Anastasia All About Brows Kit, Sephora $75 6. Sephora Collection Arch it Brow Kit, Sephora $35
While Hollywood is prepping for the Oscars, we've been thinking about all the work that goes into making our favorite celebs look so damn glamorous on this big night. How do they (or their makeup artists — yes they have help) get that amazing red carpet glow? If you have a big Oscar-like event coming up...maybe even the Oscars who knows?...make sure you're covered with these red carpet must-haves:
Lip Plumper:
The makeup world got a lot more exciting after the invention of lip plumper. What's better? A good limp plumper + a good gloss all in one.
Our suggestion: Givenchy Pop Gloss. Sephora, $24.50.
Fake Eyelashes:
Talk about an optical illusion. Fake lashes are the best way to illuminate your eyes and add a dash of intensity.
Our suggestion: Andrea Perma Lash Starter Kit. Sally Beauty Supply, $9.99.
Eye Shadow Palette:
The best way to get a modern, glamorous eye is to layer the right colors and eye shadow palettes make it relatively easy.
Our suggestion: Sephora Colorful Artist Palette. Sephora, $32.
Body Shimmer:
Shimmer, shimmer and more shimmer. But we're not talking just the face. You need a good illuminating powder to apply all over the body.
Our Suggestion: Urban Decay Flavored Body Powder. Sephora, $26.
Lip Plumper: The makeup world got a lot more exciting after the invention of lip plumper. What's better? A good limp plumper + a good gloss all in one.
Our suggestion: Givenchy Pop Gloss. Sephora, $24.50.
Fake Eyelashes:Talk about an optical illusion. Fake lashes are the best way to illuminate your eyes and add a dash of intensity.
Our suggestion: Andrea Perma Lash Starter Kit. Sally Beauty Supply, $9.99.
Eye Shadow Palette:The best way to get a modern, glamorous eye is to layer the right colors and eye shadow palettes make it relatively easy.
Our suggestion: Sephora Colorful Artist Palette. Sephora, $32.
Body Shimmer:Shimmer, shimmer and more shimmer. But we're not talking just the face. You need a good illuminating powder to apply all over the body.
Our Suggestion: Urban Decay Flavored Body Powder. Sephora, $26.
Luminizing Lotion/Highlighter:
Now that the body is nice and sparkly, you need to light up the face. It's best to use an oil-free highlighter or lotion that will brighten up your complexion but won't leave you covered in grease.
Our suggestion: Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion. Sephora, $24.
Now that the body is nice and sparkly, you need to light up the face. It's best to use an oil-free highlighter or lotion that will brighten up your complexion but won't leave you covered in grease.
Our suggestion: Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion. Sephora, $24.
If you have medium length hair, hot rollers or a curling iron will kick your style up a notch. Give your hair some curls in the morning before work and pull it back to a low, slightly loose bun during the day. When it's time to hit the town, remove the bun, shake out your hair and you'll you'll be "set" to go.
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