TheMakeupGirl

Beauty By Josi: Palmers Dark Chocolate & Cherry Lip Butter...

OMG...so can I just tell you how plump I feel right now? It's supposed to be summer but we keep flip-flopping between hot and cold and it's got my appetite all screwed up....one day I'm jeans/sweatshirt/EAT and the next it's shorts/tank/STOP EATING Josi!

Well I'm glad I found these little lip treats....Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula in Dark Chocolate & Cherry and Dark Chocolate &Peppermint ...SERIOUSLY ya'll, usually I think that dessert tasting cosmetics are disgusting (sorry Jessica....) but these little glosses taste so real they ALMOST hit the spot!

Palmer's Butter Lip Balms retail for less than $3 bucks at your local drugstore or mass merchant!!! Do treat yourself and go buy one of each....these are the kind of little indulgences that rock my world!

Butter Beautifully.....

Beauty Duty: May 20, 2008

A Touch of Blusher gets the "false-eyelash treatment" from YSL.

All About the Pretty is helping everyone get ready for summer travel with destination pretty.

KRiSTOPHER hangs with strippers in Tokyo.

Makeup Moxie reviews Hourglass Superficial Lash mascara.

SugarShock Beauty ponders whether wearing glasses makes you more – or less – attractive.

WE LOVE BEAUTY.com chatted up celebrity stylemaker and hairstylist Adir Abergel to get the 411 on Christina Ricci's Met Costume Institute Gala sleek pony!

Read Pretty!!

TheMakeupGirl: Lianne & Josi...NYC

Well contrary to popular belief - Josi and I had never met before (I know how can that be??)  So when I picked her up at the airport on Saturday in DC, we immediately clicked and it was like we had known each other forever.  So off we went to pick up the rental car which was the ugliest thing I had ever seen PLUS it was white!!!  BUT it got amazing gas mileage so go figure...LOL!!

At any rate...we hauled it to NYC (in 4 hours...LOL) and since Josi had never been before, I drove in using the Lincoln Tunnel so she could see the midtown skyline and she was SO freakin cute!  She was so excited just to see it and be there (she rolled down the window so she could hear the "New York" sounds) it was really cool to see her reaction to something I have obviously taken for granted all these years.  I guess nothing can compare to seeing New York city for the first time it was just cool to see.  Anyway so we checked into the East Houston Hotel (the building is pictured on the left...LOVE THEM!!) and we got changed to go meet up with India for dinner and drinks at a cute spot near Union Square called Spice.

Sunday morning we got up early and had coffee on the roof of the hotel - then it was off to The Makeup Show which is SERIOUSLY a beauty addict's paradise.  If you didn't make it this time - I highly recommend it.  EVERYTHING THERE is heavily discounted and over 60 brands are represented that run the gamut from beauty giants like MAC and Smashbox to smaller boutique lines like Face Atelier.  I got to sample some new stuff that won't hit stores until summer and had a blast with Josi!

So stay tuned for some beauty scoops over the next few weeks...

Stay Pretty!!

Get This: Redken Real Control...

I know I have been really into talking about hair lately but tis the season for dryness and frizzies.  I even went a WHOLE summer without putting anything on my hair and wore only protective styles just to see if I could grown my hair 4 inches in one summer...guess what it worked..LOL.

That being said, I love it when I find new products that help my fragile hair retain strength and moisture level and stay smooth at the same time.  Impossible??  Maybe not ladies.  Redken's latest line called Real Control is touted as a system for "dense/dry/sensitized hair".  To me that means fried, permed, dry, thick, relaxed etc.  My kinda stuff!!!

This line is indeed...intensely moisturizing (formulated with shea butter), and is specifically for hair that is dry, porous and prone to frizz.  I decided to try the shampoo, conditioner and hair mask first.  Last Saturday (Saturday is hair washing day) I did the shampoo and conditioner and I noticed that my hair felt really clean but I didn't get that whole squeaky feeling which I don't like at all...that makes me think my hair is being dried out!  I left the mask on for 30 minutes (which I don't normally do because I am impatient) and WHOA.  I could see/feel the difference while I was blow drying my hair.  It was shiny and I hadn't even put any product in it yet!!!!!

The line consists of shampoo and conditioner, the Intense Renewal Mask (that I soooo love btw), Thermal Resist leave-in spray for the those of you (and me...lol) that cannot live without their heat styling appliances, and the Crema Care leave-in conditioning treatment which would be great on thicker hair.

The line is available exclusively at Warren Tricomi salon in Los Angeles and will roll out nationwide in June at participating Redken Salons.  To find a salon in your area check the website or call 800-REDKEN8. 

Shampoo Pretty!!

Beauty By Josi: Teeth Bleachers Anonymous...

Momma, why are your teeth blue? SERIOUSLY, that is what my 4 year old asked me the other day. My husband kept asking me why I was bleaching my teeth AGAIN every time I have these last few months but I ignored him......so it's time for me to come clean. I, Josi Lauritzen am a teeth-bleaching addict!!!!

I knew that before my teeth became clear I needed to do something about it. I've seen the "enamel rebuilding" toothpastes out on the market and had tried a few with so-so results. Well after using Sensodyne ProEnamel toothpaste my teeth are finally getting back on track....I have laid off the whitestrips and my teeth look the better for it...I have been using that with my new Oral B CrossAction Pro-Health Toothbrush...I love IT because it has this awesome tongue cleaner and let's me know when it's time to buy a new one! After all, as vain as I am...I do know that it's all about health!

In fact, on my trip in Mexico my best friends husband even remarked "how do you get your teeth so white, do you bleach them everyday?" So I figure that I am doing okay...phew!!!!

Sensodyne and Oral-B can be found at your local drugstore or mass merchant. The toothpaste is under $5 bucks and the toothbrush under $6!

Brush Beautifully Ya'll!

Beauty By Josi: New Mineral Makeup...DYG!

Hola Amigos!!!! Freshly back from the beach I've been looking for a new foundation...as much as I would like it, no SPF & sun hat in the world is going to keep my face from getting SOME color (and what about the whole melanin-mustache/hyper-pigmentation thing REGARDLESS of how hard I try and protect it? I wish someone could've given me a book on what to expect from my skin after I hit 30...

And as you all know I jumped on the mineral makeup bandwagon with both feet a few years back....so when I heard of new mineral makeup line that offered anti-aging benefits I just HAD to try it...when I found out it was developed by a dermatologist I got even more hot and bothered.

Check out DYG Mineral Makeup!  Created by Dianne York-Goldman co-founder and president of the acclaimed La Jolla Spa MD along with dermatologist  Dr. Mitchel P. Goldman, this makeup line offers benefits that no other line can claim right now....(can you IMAGINE if your hubby was a dermatologist?)  I'm sorry but I would be like "Honey..be sure to bring home those 5mls of Botox and the Cortisone injections from work..I've had another breakout and the kids have really been making me mad today"  I'd probably have a separate "injection" room in my house....lol...yeah, it's funny but kinda sad at the same time....)!

But seriously, I was delighted with the results of their Liquid Powder Foundation SPF 15 ($42).  Vanilla Creme was the perfect match for my post-Mexico face and it went on like a dream.  This oil-free foundation has a wonderful souffle-like texture that smooths onto the skin seamlessly - then dries down to a beautiful matte finish without looking too powdery (I still set with loose powder because I am a freak like that...) BUT if I was hip and could get over it, this stuff really needs no powder at all....one difference I noticed with this liquid-to-powder foundation right away was that it didn't dry down too fast...so it gives you plenty of blending time (my favorite method of application with this one is with a makeup sponge) blending out and then stippling where you need more coverage.

It gave me  medium-to-full coverage and I found that if you need additional concealer, taking a small concealer brush and using  the more concentrated,dried product off the cap works great....very pigmented and hides like a dream.. It's an all-in-one - worked wonderful under eyes, no creasing or caking but enough coverage to hide my circles (and they are pretty bad..it's a hereditary thing...thanks Dad)!

Oh yeah....and what is different about DYG? Dianne and the doctor worked together to formulate a one-of-a-kind anti-aging ingredient called Vitaphenol.  Vitaphenol is delivered to the skin in all their mineral formulas and is one of the most powerful antioxidant complexes to hit the market today.  It contains a blend of pomegranate, magnosteen and green and white tea extracts to protect the skin from all the usual suspects....That, along with the SPF and you are good to go girls!

So yeah, I am happy. I really enjoy this makeup and it is so easy...one product for my entire face..eyes, zits, brown spots and all..

DYG cosmetics are available for purchase at www.dygcosmetics.com or by calling their makeup boutique @ 858.459.6868.

Be Beautiful Ya'll!!!

How To Stay Cool On A Hot Day...

I have been getting a lot of email asking me what I do for a summertime routine.  I do love warm weather, I am a summertime kinda gal...love the pool the beach...whatever.  However...I don't like it when it gets too hot (85-95 degrees is my melting point!!) I don't ever like to feel like I am melting in the sun EVER.

My beauty routine changes as th weather gets warmer and I go into what I like to call "summertime survival" mode.  Some of my go-to ways to stay cool that I have used for years are, drinking loads of water or anything cool to drink (I am a fool for iced tea of any kind!), light meals...nothing heavy to eat so I don't feel weighed down.   Also keep your makeup in a bag with a gel ice pack OR my favorite hot weather item Icy Bag so you don't have a makeup meltdown on your hands!  I also roll up dampened washcloths and stash them in the freezer,  you can use them on your face and body for an instant blast of cool.

And last but not least...as little clothing as possible.....

Beauty By Josi: Bikini-line Bravery...

So I finally did it girls!!!! My best friend told me YEARS ago that getting her bikini line waxed was one of the best things she ever did but I never really considered it.....even though I am tortured every year when I "let it go" a little too much in winter and then have to "shape it back up" when bathing suit season arrives (I know...ewwww...)

Well anyways...since I have become a bi-monthly regular at Zaibees here in Dallas and was going to get an early jump on summer in Mexico this year, I decided to give it a go.  I admit, I was really nervous...laying there with my legs splayed open didn't sound too appealing to me.  Thank god for black underwear is all I gotta say on that one.  I kept thinking of those girls that go full-on Brazilian - I don't know how in the world...

But Ruby, my regular eyebrow and lip-threading magician was very reassuring and sweet about it....she managed to calm my nerves as she drew blood (not really)...but her quick hand made it so fast I barely had time to feel it.  I have to say the results are AMAZING!!  Not ONE single in-grown hair, no more nasty razor burn, not a single "itch" down there that I can't scratch..LOL!  Now here I am THREE weeks out and I don't even need a touch up yet!  It was so great to be in Mexico and not even have to think about my bikini line.

SOOO...I have to persuade you girls that are getting ready for summer...(and guys..can you say, man-scaping?)..if you have never done it - just DO it.  The short-term pain is SO worth it!!!!

Be Beautiful Ya'll....