Beautybloggers.org Charity Auction Just in Time for the Holidays

Beautybloggers.org is the brainchild of the fabulous Karla Sugar.  Many of us feel very blessed to have the opportunity to do something we love (whether hobby or career), try the products we try and share that information with those who either take a gander at our blogs or have become regular readers.  In the spirit of giving back, beautybloggers.org was created to progress an avenue to give a little something back to those in need.

BeautyBloggers.org is the collaboration of almost 50 different beauty bloggers and brands. At this holiday time, we wanted to make a meaningful contribution to charity — knowing that the most effective donation to any charity is cash.

So we’re putting our makeup, skincare and other beauty items on the auction block. Winning bids will be donated directly to Doctors Without Borders.

Karla came up with the magnificent thought to make DWB our charity of choice, and I'm delighted to participate in this effort. This organization is committed to bringing quality medical care to people in crisis, regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation. They treat rape victims in Papua New Guinea; they make sure women don’t die in childbirth in Pakistan; they helped flood victims in Mexico and earthquake victims in Haiti. They work in 65 countries around the world, and your donation will make an immediate impact. Click here to learn more about Doctors Without Borders.

The auction is live now, and will close on Monday, December 20 at 5 pm CST. We are asking people to register before they can bid. This is simply to try to discourage "spam" bids. Usernames will be public (because the auction shows the username of the current highest bidder), but first name, last name, and email address will be private. They will only be used to contact the winning bidders. And, yes, international bidders are welcome, too!

Now is the time as there are only a few days left.  Pick up great gifts of beauty for those you love donated from over 50 beauty bloggers and beauty companies and feel good knowing your winning bids are going directly to charity.  Click on beautybloggers.org to see all the great options and to place your winning bid. Bloggers will be working hard to get your items shipped to you in time for gift giving. We're not taking a penny of the money. It all goes to charity!

Donating Beauty Bloggers and Companies:

Afrobella, A Girl's Gotta Spa!, AlyWalansky.com, Armani Beauty, Bay Area Style File, Beauté Cosmetics, Beauty Alchemist, The Beauty Look Book, Bobbi Brown, Cafe Makeup, Cargo, China Glaze, EnKore, Estee Lauder, For the Love of Beauty, Givenchy, Gloss Menagerie, Gouldylox Reviews, Grace Gold for AOL StyleList, KarlaSugar, KraseyBeauty, Lancome, Leonor Greyl, The Makeup Girl, Miss Whoever You Are, Musings of a Muse, My Lips But Better, Nadine Jolie, The Non-Blonde, Older Girl Beauty, OPI, Out in a Pout, Pink Sith, Prime Beauty, Product Girl, Pursebuzz, Renee Rouleau, Sasquatch Swatch, Sicka Than Average, Spoiled Pretty, Talika, Three Custom Color Specialists, and Votre Vu

Sephora: Free Clutch + Samples ... Yummy!

Who can resist a booty of free beauty samples, especially when packed inside a chic and oh so useable little clutch bag? Not I ... now only to decide what I want to purchase to get it.

Free with any $25 Sephora online purchase.  The clutch is equipped with four pockets (perfect to keep your cell phone hidden), has a glossy black finish, loaded with 12 fab samples from great beauty brands.  These are the kinds of promos that speak to me!

Hurry ... supplies won't last long for this one! Check sephora.com for all the deets.

Hoping to get back to beauty blogging soon and I apologize it's been so slow, hit and miss.  I've some absolutely fantastic products to tell you about in reviews. Been so busy at the office!  : (

xo

The 3 C's: Estee Lauder Brands Raise Funds for Breast Cancer Awareness

Estée Lauder Companies’ 2010 Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign has launched a bold and provocative campaign theme entitled: Connect. Communicate. Conquer. Prevent Breast Cancer. One Woman at a Time. Wear It. Share It. The Pink Ribbon. This new campaign draws its inspiration from Mrs. Estée Lauder’s “High-Touch” method of reaching consumers through “Telephone, Telegraph, Tell-A-Woman.” Their approach to conquering breast cancer reinterprets this powerful messaging into a philanthropic mission for today’s modern and fast-paced culture.
Today, we are making more progress than ever and reaching more people each year with the message that if localized breast cancer is detected early, it’s 98% curable. While the American Cancer Society estimates more than 1.3 million people worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer, the good news is that mortality rates continue to fall, and we believe this is due in part to better treatments, early detection and greater awareness of the importance of breast health. But we must continue to persist and pursue, and raise as much money for research as possible, to attain what we all believe is possible in our lifetime – a world without breast cancer.

This month, October, 14 of Estée Lauders brands will be selling 20 fabulous beauty products to raise funds for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF), an independent, not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to funding breast cancer research and currently supports 173 researchers around the world. (To learn more about BCRF, visit www.bcrfcure.org). These wonderful products cover all beauty categories -- Skin care, Makeup, Fragrance and Hair care – and include products from brands such as La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Jo Malone, Aveda, Bumble + Bumble, Lab Series, Origins and more. Evelyn Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of The Estée Lauder Companies and Founder and Chairman of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, along with celebrity spokesperson Elizabeth Hurley, have also designed special lip collections to raise funds.

Aveda Hand Relief  $21
One of my favorite hand creams ever! Incredibly rich moisture therapy soothes dry hands, leaving them noticeably softer and smoother. Hydrating plant-derived emollients, humectants, exfoliating fruit acids as well as antioxidants, including vitamins A and E, help diminish signs of aging and provide optimal relief.  Donation is $4.00 from each sale of the Breast Cancer Awareness Hand Relief, with a maximum donation of $300,000.

Bobbi Brown Pink Shimmer Brick Compact $38
Exclusive, limited-edition Pink Shimmer Brick Compact. Hand-made in Italy, each brick contains five bars of iridescent color. Sweep it along cheekbones, lids or allover for a fresh, soft pink glow. Donation to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation $35,000 in connection with the North American sales. All Bobbi Brown counters in the USA and bobbibrown.com. Limited-edition release beginning in October 2010.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing  $35
It has become a Clinique tradition to offer a special limited-edition bottle of its best-selling Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. This year's edition features a collectable Clinique key ring with a Pink Ribbon heart charm and Clinique "C" charm.  $10.00 per this special-edition Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion sold during the month of October, while supplies last.

DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom Coffret  $38
Be sweet. Be playful. Satisfy your every mood. The DKNY Be Delicious/Fresh Blossom Coffret is perfect for the tried and true who want to take their favorites on the go. $15,000 to be donated to Breat Cancer Research Foundation.

Estee Lauder Pink Ribbon Collections   $25 each
The Evelyn Lauder Lip Design Collection and the Elizabeth Hurley Lip Design Collection - both available at Estee Lauder. Every purchase from this collection helps raise awareness, but does not affect our donation to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Estée Lauder will make a $500,000 donation to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.



Check here for more beauty products available through this campaign, as well as to learn more about Breast Cancer Awareness and this event!

Connect with everyone you know and Communicate the importance of breast health and early detection to Conquer this disease one woman at a time!  

Bluemercury: New for Fall!

Head on over the bluemercury to take a gander at the lovelies in store for Fall 2010 in the category of .... Beauty!

NARS
Soft Touch Shadow Pencils provide easy, portable, long-wearing application. These jumbo sized pencils have versatile functionality to shade the lid, line, or highlight the eye. $24 each

Smooth, creamy texture delivers a smooth, velvety feel to the eye and make for easy blending and an ideal base for layering with a powder shadow for increased color intensity.

• Portable application
• Smooth, creamy, long-wearing formula
• Easy and seamless blending
• Ideal base for layering with powder eyeshadow to increase color intensity

BOBBI BROWN
Voted "Best Eye Shadow" by Self (2008). Bobbi's Metallic Eye Shadows are now available in a broad range of pastel to bold shades. Their high-shimmer, high-pigment formula applies smoothly and evenly and stays crease free for long-lasting wear. New shades: Black Berry, Black Charcoal, Black Cocoa $20

LAURA MERCIER
Laura Mercier Sequin Eye Colour has soft-sparkle effects that glisten and captivates. The deep-impact shades can be swept over eyes softly for a stunning day look, or applied with more intensity for evening glamour.  $22

TRISH MCEVOY
Lip-conditioning formula cushions while delivering the perfect amount of buildable color with a semi-matte, non-drying finish in Natural, the first of many timeless shades to come in Trish’s highly anticipated and here-to-stay Classic Lip Color Collection. New shades: Natural 22 and Vibrant 31  $23

TOCCA Kona Candle - Bluemercury Exclusive!
An exclusive candle created by Marla, Bluemercury's Founder. Marla found inspiration in her childhood family trips to Hawaii and the quaint Kona coast and its glorious waterfalls and exotic black sand beaches with rushing lava flowing straight into the ocean from the Hualalai volcano. Kona's essence creates your own tropical paradise with refreshing scents of coconut and hibiscus.  $36



See all the new collections, pieces and products for Fall 2010 at chic, trendy, gorgeous bluemercury!

Exercise in Happiness: Spirit Beauty Lounge Sample Packages

Another site you MUST check out for a sweet variety of sample packages at a ridiculously low price is Spirit Beauty Lounge! If you're a reader of ftlob, you know I adore this store and for so many reasons! They are committed to organic and green beauty brands and offer really the finest there is in skincare, fragrance, cosmetics, haircare and other beauty products. Their customer service is second to none!

Spirit and her team will cater a sample package specifically to your liking and it will come prettily packaged with love and goodness directly to you. I've found so many wonderful brands and products through her sample packages I'd never have probably tried otherwise.

You can choose to include a sample from just about any item in the store: fragrance, makeup, haircare, skincare ... they'll do you up a nice little deluxe trial.  Or, you can allow the team to create a sample box specific to your heart's desire, needs, wants and/or concerns.  Most of the sample packages are offered at $10, which is almost ridiculously low considering the variety of products you'll receive, the quality and the amount.

Do something good for yourself and check it out! Consider it an exercise in happiness. xo

Total Beauty Mini Sized Products for Trial

Oh wow, I had no idea they were doing this now!

FYI, my angels, Total Beauty now has mini and travel-sized products for sale at very low prices for their members so you can try products that sound good before you commit to buying the full-size.  What a wonderful idea. And ... it looks like you get free shipping to boot. Here's some of what's up on the Total Beauty Sample page now:

SKYN ICELAND OXYGEN INFUSION NIGHT CREAM
4 week supply - $13

A gentle, emollient night cream infused with natural extracts and nurturing bioactive elements.

Designed to work with skin’s natural renewal process, Oxygen Infusion Night Cream transforms your complexion into the translucent, glowing, fresh skin you crave. Microencapsulated oxygen fortifies and energizes skin depleted from stress, while helping to restore tone and texture to optimal levels. With a mild warming sensation, our night cream delivers anti-aging rice peptides and calming natural extracts to help alleviate the premature signs of aging due to stress.

Bioactive boosters: • Microencapsulated oxygen delivers energy to the cells and helps create radiant, glowing skin • Rice peptides help minimize wrinkles • Yeast extract moisturizes, soothes and helps calm inflamed skin • White willow bark, a naturally occurring form of salicylic acid, soothes irritation and helps provide antibacterial protection
Paraben-free, petroleum-free, mineral oil-free, sulfate-free, dye-free, cruelty-free, 100% vegetarian and allergy tested.
 
 

FOREVERLILY EDP ROLL-ON
approx 35 applications; .125 oz - $25
 
I have this fragrance and it is indeed quite lovely! The fragrance, was intended to aid the wearer in opening the heart and reaching for the highest within them. The result is an enveloping Oriental blend with a top note dominated by clove and sweet accents of lemon and fresh lychee. The fresh green crispness of fig and the feminine presence of stargazer lily are equally balanced in the middle note. The base note is comprised of cedarwood, vanilla, amber and sandalwood. Comes in a lovely forevelily blue organza bag. Take your foreverlily eau de parfum with you everywhere in this convenient, travel-sized rollerball. Great for handbag, gym bag or travel bag.
 

BECCA LOOSE FINISHING POWDER in SESAME
approx. 45 applications - $12
 
Ahhh ... well, I have this one too! BECCA's Sesame shade has been deemed by many to be the most universal of the shades and the best at perfecting skin tone. I forgot I had this; gonna have to pull it out to use tomorrow morning in fact. Widely regarded by many markeup artists as the finest powder in the world, BECCA’s Fine Loose Finishing Powder is unlike any other. This unique formulation is lightly pigmented and micro-milled, creating a perfectly uniform, ultra thin layer that allows the skin's natural oils to lightly shine through. The result ensures your foundation looks like real skin, with the added benefit of your makeup staying on all day. Preservative and paraben-free.
 
 

JUARA RICE FACIAL CLEANSER
3 week supply; 1 oz - $10
 
Another brand very well worth your looking into! This softening foaming cleanser combines gentle yet effective cleansing agents, which is said to remove make-up and skin-dulling debris, with the conditioning benefits of rice starch. Known for its soothing and softening properties, rice starch helps prevent moisture loss by enhancing the skin's protective barrier. Rich in amino acids and proteins naturally found in rice, this cleanser evokes the ritual of a rice water rinse, traditional in Indonesia. Your skin will be so soft after using it you won't want to stop touching it. Dermatologist Tested. Sulfate-free. Oil-free. Paraben-free. Oil-free.

KLORANE GENTLE DRY SHAMPOO w/ OAT MILK
6 week supply (you get 2- 1 oz spray cans) - $15

Been wanting to try this one actually. This particular product and brand of the dry shampoo craze has been well received. The quick, portable way to clean hair without water now fits perfectly into every cosmetic bag or carry on. This dry shampoo cleans hair in minutes without water. Suitable for all hair types, it is formulated with protecting oat milk, making it appropriate for even the most sensitive scalps. Corn and rice starch deliver a powerful cleansing action and natural absorbent microspheres eliminate dirt, oil and odors. Hair instantly regains volume and texture. Quick and practical to use, it's ideal for traveling, people on-the-go, after the gym, busy moms, to extend a blow-out or protect hair color.

POP BEAUTY MINI RIBBON GLOSS DUO
8 week supply (at least) - $12

You get them both! Here's POP Beauty's cult favorite Ribbon Gloss tins in a mini version. Pocket-sized tins containing three coordinated shades of POP's deluxe lip gel. Nourishes lips with tons of jojoba oil and a yummy, coconut flavor. Keep one of each in your bag for super silky and always pout ready lips! Shades are Peony Pink and Daisy Glow.

DOSHACARE DISCOVERY SKINCARE KITS
each kit is a one week supply - $44

Sensitive Skin Kit and Oily, Congested Skin Kit are both available at this time.  This is a brand I'd adore trying! Your Dosha specific Discovery Kit assembles all the products required to honor your self with a daily and weekly ritual of skincare. Authentic radiance comes from rituals that restore and rejuvenate the mind and body. A customized DoshaCare Discovery Kit aspires to inspire you to move towards balance. Be good to the plant and to your skin with products packaged in convenient size bottles that are refillable and suitable for travel.
Kits contain Dosha specific Cleanser, Masque, Elixir, and Moisturizer in 10ml sizes. Also includes Sakala Ama Release Tonic and Sakala Environmental Shield 4 ml, Sakala Exfoliant 10ml, Sakala Eye and Neck Balm 3 gr. and a free trail of Sakala Sunscreen 28+.

Pitta/Pitta This daily and weekly ritual provides cleansing and exfoliation that calms, soothes and nourishes to harmonize an aggravated Pitta skin condition. Your Pitta/Pitta Discovery kit comes complete with every item in the Pitta and Sakala collection to treat your skin type for 3 to 5 days. Be good to the planet and to your skin with products packaged in convenient size bottles that are refillable and suitable for travel.

____________________________

Other brands I see available now include 100% Pure, Avene, Alterna, Code.ai, Demeter, Go Smile, Goldfaden, HydroPeptide, June Jacobs, LaRocca, Mama Mio, Oscar Blandi, Paula Dorf, Pevonia Botanica (love them), Warren-Tricomi and others.

So, click over to Total Beauty to check out what they have available in these mini, trial-sized products from really great brands.  If you're not yet a member, don't worry, you can register when you get there.



ShopNBC Day of Beauty is TODAY!

So, I got caught up watching the beginnings of ShopNBC's Day of Beauty last night and was so enthralled with the new products that I couldn't turn it off.  Not real smart as I have an extremely early morning and an all day conference for work that I'm facilitating. WTH?

Surprisingly, I'm fresh a daisy this morning, bright-eyed and feeling like I got 10 hours, forget 8 hours, of sleep.  Don't worry, I know it'll catch up and I'll be better .... well, tomorrow night as I know I'll be stuck to my TV screen again tonight watching the remainder of the Day of Beauty into the late night hours.

So enough about me ... this is about what appears to be fantastic, mostly new beauty products.  And you'll find them all day long on ShopNBC and ShopNBC.com.  Trust me, ladies and fellas, you do not want to miss this.  I really encourage you to check them out on TV if you're able as the demonstrations of these products are so amazing they sell themselves.  You won't get them from just a perusal of the website.  True beauty education awaits you on the tube.

A gander at the ones that are jumping out to me? 
Skinn Cosmetics Plasma Foundation Kit ($45).  It's the channel's Today's Top Value and comes with a sweet gift with purchase (GWP), which includes a brand new foundation brush.  The kit itself offers you two complementary foundation shades as well as a concealer - all in Dimitri James' sure-to-be-famous new plasma technology.  You choose between Light, Medium or Deep. I saw the demonstrations of this foundation.  A-mazing! The models truly looked as if they could be front and center on any top beauty magazine - forget the photoshopping ... they were flawless!

Skinn Cosmetics Line Stop Eye Treatment System ($49), a four piece set that includes Dimitri's Crease Release Eye Serum, Sinta Fill for Eyes, EnergEyes Anti-Fatigue Eye Firming Mask (loaded with green tea) and Luxe Premier Mascara was truly "eye-opening" in the on air presentation and I do mean that pun literally, ladies. Oh my gosh ... you should have seen the way these products worked on the model's eyes.  If you're like me you've seen many an on-air demonstration of brands parading eye and facial products to yield jaw-dropping results only to leave you feeling like, "eh".  No here, my friends.  I've gotta have this kit having seen this demonstration.  Truly impressive!

Another product that looks like something I'll wanna try?
New skincare complany ClickR is launching exclusively on ShopNBC until January 2011, then they'll be available at Sephora as well.  For now, though, you can only get beauty veteran Florence Sender's new skincare line on ShopNBC.  Her Diamond Dust Skin Polish ($30) from the Figure It Out Line looks and sounds wonderful.  Diamond Dust is a lightweight face and neck treatment that polishes, exfoliates and refines pores (without a grainy feel, by the way ... it's not a physical exfoliation texture, the ingredients just act in the manner of exfoliation) , evens tone and controls moisture to eliminate dullness and restore a beautiful, glowing radiance to the skin. It's said to bathe skin with a treasure trove of special ingredients including real diamond dust, roots, seeds, herbs and gold and silver which enhance the total appearance of the skin. By utilizing unique ingredients such as minerals from the earth including gold, silver and diamond dust, as well as minerals from the sea, root and seed extracts, vitamins, fruits, flowers and rich proteins in the form of peptides, Florence feels strongly that each vegan element be added for a reason - to create incredibly effective, gentle, fast-acting skincare, while using only the most purposeful ingredients that your skin craves.

Another product showing impressive results on air today?
Wrinkle Magic Instant Wrinkle Reducer w/ Light Concealer  ($20).  Never heard of this before, but the on air demonstration was quite compelling.  It works by instantly and temporarily tightening and filling in the lines and wrinkles and lightly conceals and brightens the skin and eye area.  The eye area appeared lifted and it really helped to open the eye bringing a more youthful appearance in the before and after pics.

There's soooo much more to see.  What I've given you is just the very tip of the iceberg.  You'll also find great value and products from Cosmedicine, BECCA, Pacifica, Wholearth, RAW Essentials and others.  There's even a Vapour Organic Discovery Kit of four of their products for under $30 available today. Plus, everything is available with their Value Pay plan today on Beauty Day, which breaks payments up for you without having to pay interest.  Sweet!

FOTM: Lipbalm

FAVORITES OF THE MOMENT (FOTM) in LIPBALM

'Tis the season to stock up on a good lip balm!
I'm picky about my balms. Since I apply lip balm every night before I get in bed, I want them to have fantastic ingredients in them. They can't be sticky. They must multi-task in not only hydrating my lips but must bring a little something extra as well for my dollar.  I have to be able to sleep in it (so comfort without goop). Above all, if it yields a greasy feel to my lips, forget it.

Top 3 in Lipbalm:


Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine

#1  Korres Lip Butter

Without a doubt, my absolute favorite in the category.  I've four pots of the fabulous balm on my dresser; that's how much I love it.  Korres Lip Butter offers their good-for-you balms with a tad bit of tint for wearing during the day alone or even in combination with another lipcolor of your choice (blended with a lip liner for instance). I enjoy their butters without a heavy tint even more as I'm able to wear them at night to drench my lips in healthy ingredients and hydration. They've a very subtle nutty flavor to them.  In order of fave, my picks are Jasmine, Guava, Quince and Plum.  This ultimate lip treatment has an intensely hydrating formula in shea butter. Shea Butter both nourishes and provides anti-inflammatory benefits. Rice Wax seals in moisture and smoothes.

Retails for $10 a jar and available at SkinBotanica, beauty.com, ASOS (yes, they are in the USA now, hallelujah!)  and other retailers.

LipFusion Balm Conditioning Stick in Bitten

#2 FusionBeauty LipFusion Balm Conditioning Stick

This balm stick FAST became a fave. Not only does it hydrate lips tremendsouly (claims say increase in water content of lips by 6000% in four weeks), but it actually plumps lips with that famous LipFusion technology as well.  This balm is not at all greasy so you won't feel slick-lipped in this pampering product and the ingredients assist in protecting lips along with the hydrating and plumping. A huge plus factor - it's made with nourishing oils and creamy butters that provide the perfect level of comfort along with SPF 15! The tinted varieties provide just a very slight subtle blush of color to lips and won't interfere with another lip product if you choose to wear one (like a line liner or pencil for instance).  On application, you feel a slight tingle and can instantly enjoy the moisturization the ingredients bring to lips.  There's also a light mint flavor to the stick.  The balm comes in a convenient "retractable bullet" format for on-the-go application. The casing actually "locks" with a slight turn of the cap to prevent it from coming off in your handbag, etc. Doses of AmpliFat and marine collagen filling spheres help to increase lip fullness, immediately and over time. I'm enjoying both the Butterscotch and Berry balms now having almost completely gone through the Bitten as my first trial of the product. 

LipFusion Balm Conditioning Sticks retail for $22 a stick (yes, a bit pricey for a balm but you're paying for the technology here) and they last a long, long time (months in my case on one stick). They are available at beauty.com, Nordstrom and Ulta.

Tokyo Milk Bon Bon Lip Balm in Cherry Bomb

#3  Tokyo Milk Lip Balms

This balm is a tad bit greasier in feel than the two above, however still merits a place on the fave list for its deliciousness, charm, the chic little embossed jar, and last but not least, its fantastic ingredients.  My sister gave me my little jar of Tokyo Milk balm on returning from a weekend foray of shopping.  Her selection? The Bon Bon Cherry Bomb!  My daughter (age 16) considers this one her personal fave of my collection of balms for its taste and feel on the lips and as such sneaks into my purse and/or room to savor a bit for herself here and there (read: daily! ha).  The cherry variety contains sunflower seed oil, beeswax (ok, so not thrilled about this, but ok), vitamin E, aloe vera, shea butter, crushed bing cherries and sweet spun sugar.  It's so yummy you'll want to apply layer upon layer, but don't as that increases the "slick" factor. (Unless, of course, you like or need that much - chapped lips beware.)  Honey Blossom and Opera Mint will be my next tried of this decadent balm.

Other varieties include: Let Them Eat Cake, Honey Blossom, Iced Green Tea, Rosewater, Petit Four, Opera Mint, Sweet Cream and Candied Violet. They retail for about $10 a jar and are available at  b-glowing (my love), ASOS, Beautyhabit and other fab and trendy retailers.