Promotions for July 2009

These promotions will be continually updated through the month of July.

* NEW Lancôme's lipstick naming contest for Chris Benz's Spring 2010 collection closed this afternoon, but Lancôme has another great event: meet author Jennifer Weiner (In Her Shoes) at The Lancôme Boutique in New York this Tuesday, July 14th. She'll be doing her first book signing for her new book “Best Friends Forever.”


Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

* ULTA OFFERS MONTHLY “COLLEGE DAY” DISCOUNT FOR STUDENTS NATIONWIDE. On the first Tuesday of every month, bring your college student ID to any ULTA location and receive 20% off your entire retail purchase and Salon service.

* JGlamour is offering 25% off all brushes, brush sets, and brush rolls. JGlamour is planning to debut a Mineral Makeup Brush line. Promo code ABBR523FD. Good through August 31.

* Help yourself to an extra 5% off Beauty Strokes brushes for a 35% discount off retail prices at yourbeautystrokes.com. Use coupon code STYLEPAGES. Good through the end of 2009.

* While readers have claimed the Pür Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup Foundation in Rose Medium and Giorgio Armani Beauty Face Fabric foundation, Patricia Wexler MD's tinted moisturizer with SPF in Dark is still available for the asking.

If you're interested in receiving it, send me an email at thestylepage [at] yahoo.com and put "Patricia Wexler MD" in the subject line. Reviews for posting on this blog are appreciated!

* Shop favorites from the More Than a Pretty Face blog through our e-store!

* Enter to win Dolce & Gabbana The Makeup (retail value $500) through W Magazine! Dolce & Gabbana The Makeup is exclusively sold through Saks Fifth Avenue; the only Saks store that sells it is its flagship store in NYC (on Fifth Avenue, of course).

* Better than many F&F events: 35% off all Global Goddess Beauty through Lucky Breaks (see August 2009 issue of Lucky). Shop Shalini Vadhera's signature Coconut Amla Revitalizing Hair Treatment and more. Enter code luckybreaks4 at checkout.

* MakeupMania.com is fun to browse for its selection of truly inexpensive cosmetics (La Femme) and theatrical makeup, and Eva is a doll! It's now offering 50% off all Cinema Secrets products while supplies last. No codes needed: the sale prices already made online.

* Another 50% off sale, this time from the divine Laura Mercier (my favorites luxury line). While supplies last. No codes needed: the sale prices are already online!

* Get up to 50% off beauty favorites at Beauty.com. While supplies last. Shop DuWop, Too Faced, Matis, and more.

* Get $10 off $60 at Beauty.com! Good through the end of 2009. Free shipping for orders over

* The insanely affordable e.l.f. (eyes lips face) cosmetics line has an overstock of makeup bags in burgundy metallic. Get a free bag with purchase!
Codes:
ECREDAY - Buy $10, get a free wristlet
ECREDBY - Buy $15, get a free signature case
ECREDCY - Buy $25, get a free train case

* The latest generation of Amazon's Kindle is now $299.00. Forget about lugging around heavy books, and store up to 1500 books on this 8" x 5.3" x 0.36" reading device. Visit the Kindle page to learn about more features!

* Want to discover more promotions? Follow me on Twitter!

Illamasqua to come to the U.S.

Illamasqua brand image

Last September, I reported on the pending launch of Illamasqua in the UK, initially at Selfridges. Since that time, Illamasqua has expanded through the UK.

I wrote to Illamasqua, and asked when it would come to the U.S. A representative promptly wrote back to me that Illamasqua had no immediate plans to expand in the U.S.

Now, according to an authoritative source, namely The Official Blog of Illamasqua, Illamasqua will arrive in the U.S.:

Yes you’ve heard right, the rumours are true. We’re thrilled to announce that Illamasqua will be launching in the brand new Sephora store, 5 Times Square on 31st July.

Although we weren’t planning to retail in the US quite this soon, the demand from our American fans has been phenomenal so we just didn’t think it was fair to keep people waiting any longer. ...

... We knew what we were doing was groundbreaking, but we honestly didn’t anticipate such an incredible global reaction.

Our US rollout will begin on 31st July with a coveted spot in New York’s newest beauty mecca, Sephora 5 Times Square. We will then be bringing our artistry to a further 26 Sephora stores across America by the end of October.

I can barely wait for Illamasqua to arrive in the DC metro area!

Weekly Web Tour

Read about The Informed Makeup Maven's Patent Pink Heel workout. Sculpt those sexy pins and improve your stamina in heels.

My Makeup Blog is holding its third giveaway with fabulous products that are perfect for traveling.

The Beauty Couch reviews Les Garçonnes, the just-released, roaring 20s-inspired fragrance collection by Crazylibellule and the Poppies.

Alison of the Advice Sisters has an easy suggestions for fun nails this Summer: Kiss EverLasting French Manicure Limited Edition in Neon Brights. Easy, inexpensive, and cute!

Beauty Anonymous brings you Jill Stuart fall 2009 makeup collection.

More Than a Pretty Face concludes her interview with makeup artist extraordinaire Sam Fine. Tips from the master included! Also, keep visiting our blog for the latest in promotions!

Roni at Neon Bible hates Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Foundation! Shock!

Monique at Beauty Girl Musings reviews the new MAC Naked Honey Skin Salve and features the limited-edition Naked Honey collection.

MissWhoever You Are is celebrating her TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY and wants you in on the fun! Check out the AMAZING giveaway happening right now worth over $100!!!

Visit Lipgloss Break and Enter to Win Two Great Giveaways for this Week: Huge Lips Skinny Lips Gloss and SripTeas!

Head on over to The Makeup Divas and enter to win a 2fl oz bottle of Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator, valued at $120!

Beauty Banter uncovers the must-have coral products for summer!

Combination skin? Glossypink has found an awesome, all-natural, botanical cleanser to brighten things up!

The girls over at Beauty in Real Life have another fab giveaway this week! Click here to enter to win a month's supply of NutriSystem!

Hot Beauty Health discusses Beyonce Sasha Fierce line as well as more summer beauty tips.

Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™

When my husband told me that I was losing hair, I didn’t want to believe it. When I saw that I could see straight through to my scalp under overhead lights, I could no longer deny that I was losing hair. I began looking for solutions to make my hair look lush.

Enter Joan Rivers. Skin pulled tightly across her face, due to multiple cosmetic surgeries (how much further can it be stretched?). Relentless hawker on QVC. Former comedienne.


Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™

Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™ is a matte powder that you brush on your hair to mask thinning hair. The directions tell you to use the pointed end of the brush to create parts in your hair for application. A fine-toothed comb, like a rattail comb, works better. The instructions also recommend that the user stop about ¼” before the scalp: Joan says that’s to prevent your hair looking like a wig, or, I might add, like a bad dye job.

When liberally applied, according to instructions, Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™ does what it says it does: it gives you the appearance of a fuller head of hair. It really doesn't work for touchups, particularly for those pesky hairs along the hair line.

You may find Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™ on QVC.com and in the mail order catalogs Time for Me and Soft Surroundings.

From The Pink Room

Sarah Barton-King began as a designer of shoes, bags, and scarves, which were sold through luxury stores around the world. She also opened her own shop The Pink Room in London’s Notting Hill. Now she’s entered the world of fragrance, through two fragrances inspired by French literature.

Parfum No 1 was inspired by the writings of Marcel Proust. Here is charge that Sarah gave to perfumer Guy Robert:

Imagine Marcel Proust having tea with his aunt in the garden at about four, As the sun becomes more gentle, the old roses start to give off their bouquet, Lime cuts across, taking away the cloying sweetness, some bergamot to give a mellow richness also some jasmine, a little violet and vanilla for the petite Madeleine. Not too heavy, not too rich.

The fragrance that Guy Robert created is an utterly feminine, romantic fragrance with the following notes:

Top notes: citrus with fruity nuances;
Middle notes: rich floral tones of jasmine, lily of the valley, and violet.
Base notes: woody, spicy and fruity, with hints of vanilla, moss and musk.

I found the floral notes to be most dominant.


The Pink Room Eau de Parfum POUR TOI

POUR TOI was inspired by Gigi, the ingénue and courtesan-in-training created by Colette (née Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette) and portrayed by Leslie Caron in the movie musical. For this fragrance. For The Pink Room PARFUM FOR TOI, Sarah went to Grasse, the fragrance capital of the world, to collaborate with a master perfumer and blender:

Top notes: Lemon, Blackcurrant, Grapefruit,
Middle Note: Rose, Fleur de Melati, Lily of the Valley
Base: Sandalwood, Vanilla, and White musk.

This fragrance is very citrusy when it is applied, but dries to a floral that's lighter than Parfum No 1.

Pink Room Parfum No 1 and PARFUM POUR TOI are available through LuckyScent.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

We recognized Canada Day; we would be remiss to not recognize our very own Fourth of July:



We associate the 4th of July with parades, barbeques, and fireworks, but let's take a few moments today to reflect on The Declaration of Independence.

Read:
Declaration of Independence
American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence

Listen:
Audio mp3 Reading by Bill Barker, who portrays Thomas Jefferson at Colonial Williamsburg
Audio mp3 Reading by John F. Kennedy

The Declaration of Independence closes with these words:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Indeed, several signers suffered for the cause of independence.

It surprised me to hear a man from Eritrea and a man from Pakistan say that they had memorized the Declaration of Independence in their home countries.

The Declaration of Independence is housed at the National Archives in Washington, DC. I was privileged to see the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights arise from out of their vaults prior to visitor hours.

More Than a Pretty Face interviews Sam Fine, Part 1

Sam Fine, makeup artist extraordinaire

Some of my questions are based on your 1998 book Fine Beauty, in which you provide your life story. You had planned to become a fashion illustrator. You took a job at a cosmetics counter to supplement your income, and served as an assistant to makeup artists. Naomi Campbell provided you your first major break. You emphasized that your success is due to the many people who supported on your way to becoming the pre-eminent makeup artist that you are.


Fine Beauty by Sam Fine

I will also base my questions on the feature Sam’s Club in the May 2009 issue of Vogue.

1. There is no doubt that mainstream cosmetics lines have greatly expanded their options for women of African origin (I use this term, as “African-American” doesn’t seem to apply to women who were born and live outside the U.S.). Is there still a need for niche cosmetic lines? Is there anything that niche cosmetics line offer that mainstream cosmetics lines still don’t cover?

Niche brands tend to have better shade range and also products with higher pigment, which are what a woman of color truly needs.

2. Would you care to volunteer your thoughts about niche cosmetics lines? The least expensive that I can name are Zuri, Black Radiance, Astarte, and Posner. There’s also Queen Latifah’s Queen Collection for Cover Girl, Iman, Flori Roberts, Nacara (Canada), Fashion Fair, Sleek MakeUp (UK), and blackUp Paris.

I still use these brands on my clients - and probably always will. As I mentioned above, they not only provide great shade range but they also provide great coverage, such as Black Opal’s Flawless Concealer, Iman Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Tiger Eye, to name a few.

3. What do you think about mineral products such as sunscreen and mineral foundations for women of African origin? Many of these products are formulated with titanium oxide and zinc oxide, which can look ashen on darker skin tones. What alternatives do you recommend?

Women of color need more coverage than mineral makeup can really provide. Nevertheless, mineral makeup is great for women who are looking for lighter coverage.

4. What challenges do you face when doing makeup for Hi-Definition TV or other Hi-Def video?

You need to spend more time on skin – but I’m a perfectionist, and tend to spend a lot of time perfecting the skin to create a flawless canvas no matter the situation.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

More Than a Pretty Face interviews Sam Fine, Part 2

Sam's Club in the May 2009 issue of Vogue

5. In Fine Beauty, you advocated neutral makeup, and in your appearance on CBS Morning News, you still advocate neutral makeup. Yet Liya Kebede and Chanel Iman are wearing vivid blush in the Vogue article. Is the distinction between everyday life and editorial or runway?

Yes, there is definitely a distinction between everyday life and editorial/runway. Editorial and runway give you the freedom to experiment with different, bold looks- looks that might not work for the everyday. For example, translating extreme rosy cheeks on the runway might mean using a little colorful eyeliner to brighten your look.


Watch CBS Videos Online - Sam Fine on CBS Morning News

6. Which do you like best: print, runway, or “real life”? Why?

Definitely real life. I love working on real women- I grew up with a mom and three sisters and I definitely have an appreciation for how makeup translates on a “real woman’s” face. Just like the women in my DVD.


Iman hosts the launch party for Sam Fine's DVD
L to R: Iman, Sam Fine, Deborah Cox, and Vanessa Williams: "real women"?

7. Do you want to create your cosmetics line? The Vogue article says that you put together custom kits for women. It seems like a logical progression for you to start your own makeup line.

You’ll have to stay tuned!

8. Are you planning to write another book?

Probably not. I’d like to work on expanding into more DVD’s, hopefully touching on everything that I wasn’t able to in the first.

9. It’s been 11 years since Fine Beauty was published. If you were to revise Fine Beauty, what would you change or update? Since you meant to be an illustrator, I think it would be great to include your illustrations. :)

I wouldn’t change a thing – I’m just extremely glad that there’s now a different form of media to reach the consumer, which is why I decided to do the DVD!

11. Are there any parting makeup tips that you would like to share with our readers?

Sure- here are some of my favorites.

Using a single layer of tissue, blot the excess oil from foundation, leaving the skin looking more natural and less made-up.

If you can't find the perfect nude eyeshadow, use a pressed powder that matches your complexion instead.

A light dusting of loose powder over eyebrows makes them appear more natural and prevents them from fading throughout the day.

O Canada

Today, July 1, is Canada Day. Warm wishes to all our Canadian readers on this day!

Recommended listening:

Classic Canadian Songs - folk music from Canada

Hymns of the 49th Parallel - k.d. lang covers songs by fellow Canadians Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, and others

Famous Blue Raincoat - Jennifer Warnes is best known for her overwrought duets with Bill Medley (Dirty Dancing) and Joe Cocker (Top Gun), but this is her heartfelt tribute to the songs of Leonard Cohen. Leonard Cohen himself appears as the voice of Fire that consumes Joan of Arc. Moody and melancholy, one friend said that this album was music to slit your wrists by.

Northern Songs: Canada's Best and Brightest - this Starbucks Hear Music CD features signature songs Constant Craving by k.d. lang, Angel by Sarah McLachlan, Cowboy Junkies's cover of Lou Reed's Sweet Jane, and more.

HiP high intensity pigments™ Kohl Eyeliner

There’s some thing exotic about loose kohl powder. Matin said that everyone in his native Afghanistan used surma (kohl) powder to line their eyes and that it remains his favorite product to use. My husband, who grew up in Calcutta, remembers how the Afghan wallahs walked up and down the streets peddling surma and hing, a sulfurous natural resin used in cooking (because of its odor, hing is usually cut with rice flour or chickpea flour).


L'Oreal HiP high intensity pigments™ Kohl Eyeliner

Now L'Oreal has come out with its HiP high intensity pigments™ Kohl Eyeliner. At $12-13, it's nearly one-third the cost of Guerlain Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl Liner ($34.00), a similar product.

When I first tried L'Oreal HIP Kohl Eyeliner , I had a lot of problems with smearing on my lower lids - as though I had some sort of Alice Cooper thing going on. At first, I thought that it might be the Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer that I was using. The Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer has a lot of slip, due to the presence of silicones. I switched to L'Oreal True Match™ Super-Blendable Concealer , but had the same problem.

With some experimentation, I learned how to work HiP high intensity pigments™ Kohl Eyeliner. Here's how:

* Stroke the fine-tipped brush on the back of your hand to remove excess.
* Apply. The brush enables you to get right at the root of your lashes.
* To intensify or smudge the line, pick up the pigment on your hand with a chisel-head eyeliner brush, and smudge

You might also use a sealer, but bypass an overpriced product like Paula Dorf Transformer ($19-20) in favor of La Femme Cake Eyeliner Sealer ($3.50) through makeupmania.com.

Now that I've gotten the hang of using HiP high intensity pigments™ Kohl Eyeliner, I'm enjoying using it.

You may find HiP high intensity pigments™ Kohl Eyeliner at big box stores (Target, Walmart), supermarkets, drugstores (particularly The Big Three), and drugstore.com.