Maybelline, Seduction on a Budget!

                                                 

                                           

Can I just say WOW?! I am amazed by this product! Maybelline is getting lots of attention because of their clever affiliation with the new show "Lipstick Jungle," that is based on the book by Candace Bushnell. The first thing I liked about this product was the great delivery system. Its precise, doesn't leave you with excess product and the container has nice sleek look to it. But my real WOW moment, was when I applied it. It truly feels like a luxury product, delivers better then average color payoff and high shine. It also has a light but enjoyable scent, and doesn't feel sticky at all!

There are some amazing shades in the range and for the fantastic price of $7.99 (at CVS.com) Maybelline Shine Seduction Glossy lipcolor can be yours several times over! Enjoy!!

Beauty Bargains and Bonuses for the Week

                                                            

                                              

Recieve your choice of one of four deluxe travel size, four-piece Skin Care Collections when you purchase two full size products from Clarins at Nordstrom. Offer available online or in store until March 1, or while supplies last at Nordstrom.com.

Options of Skin Care Collections are the Restorative Choice, Firming Choice, Radiance Choice or Shaping Choice.

In terms of what two products to buy, I recommend the Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector ($28.50). This product can be worn alone or act as primer which balances out uneven tones in the complexion and has line-filling technology that gives the skin a naturally flawless finish. It also leave a beautiful glow on the skin. The other Clarins Must Have is the Radiance Plus Self-Tanning Body Lotion ($40). Both products also available at Nordstrom.

                                                            

                                                   

Receive a sample collection with your $50 online Lancome purchase.  Includes the Bienfait Multi-Vital SPF 30 Sunscreen Cream, Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover, Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base, Hypnose Custom Volume Mascara in Black, and a compact of color with blush, bronzer and eyeshadow. Online only, one gift per person and while supplies last. This a great deal and a great opportunity to try some of Lancome's key products. Cils Booser XL is a personal favorite.

Some amazing Lancome products to get you to the $50 gift recieving level are the Juicy Tubes World Tour in such shades as Peach Mochi and Red Hot New York ($18)....so great to have a stunning red lip gloss in your makeup arsenal! The Lancome Artliner Precision Point EyeLiner's are great for getting a really thin line and come in some fabulously fun colors such as Ice Carob, Cranberry and Blueberry ($28). Both available at Nordstrom.com.

                                                      

Receive this Heartbreaker Eye Kit as a free gift from Beauty.com and Paula Dorf when you spend $75 in Paula Dorf product. The kit contains five beautiful colors that highlight, define and create sultry eyes. Offer valid while supplies last and limit one per order. 

There are some fabulous Paula Dorf favorites that can easily get you to that $75 qualifier. First Paula Dorf Transformer ($19) is a must have. Its a solution that transforms eyeshadow to a liquid eyeliner. Next are the Paula Dorf Eyebrow Gels ($19), perfect for a natural brow that stays in place all day! Paula Dorf Eye Primer ($24) and Eye Primer Brush ($26) to perfect eyeshadow color and keep it in place longer. All items available at Beauty.com.

                        

                                              

Stila Cosmetics have launched on Beauty.com and to celebrate they are giving this amazing value set Gift of Glaze that includes six best-selling mini-lip glaze shades. A $45 value for $25! Two of the shades are limited edition made just for this exclusive set, so get it while its hot! ($25 at Beauty.com) 

   

Scents of Summer....Year 'Round!

                                           

Anyone who knows me knows that I ADORE the smell of tanning oil. That coconut oil smell takes me right to the white sandy beaches and crashing waves of the ocean. I've always wanted there to be a fragrance that embodies that sensual feeling and smell of lying on the beach. A lot of companies have tried but none have succeeded....until now!

LaVanila Labratories have brought us Vanilla Coconut Eau de Parfum spray 1.7oz ($56 at Sephora.com).  It is a blend of pure essential oils with 100% active botanicals.  The spray is anti-oxidant rich with 30 essential vitamins and minerals and 19 amino acids. Emotionally and physically, this essence is the embodiment of youth and relaxation.... now I don't know about you, but I could certainly use a spritz of that every day!  This is truly a must have!

Border Patrol for Lips!

                                          

                                                   

DuWop's Reverse Lipliner is the answer for bleeding lip color everywhere! For maturing skin and smokers (PS-if you're a smoker, please quit TODAY), the fine lines around the lip area can make it almost impossible to wear more colorful lipstick shades because an hour after its applied, the lipstick moves into those, sometimes microscopic, lines around the lip. Well, it's for all of you, that I recommend DuWop's Reverse Lipliner ($19 at Duwop.com).

It comes in a pencil forrm, with a sharpener enclosed and you'll want to apply it around the OUTSIDE of your lipline before applying lipliner and lipstick on the lip. What this amazing product does is fill in all those microscopic fine lines around your lip so that the lipcolor has no wear to go and stays put! So you can say Hello to that sexy red lipstick again!  Enjoy!

Nicciknows Beauty Oscars

The 80th Academy Awards didn't disappoint last night even though no one was sure that this awards celebration was going to happen this year until about 10 days ago! The stunning red-carpet parade of our favorite celebs was chock full of glamour and glitz this year! We decided to do our own version of the Nicciknows Beauty Oscars! Below you'll find the category, the winner and the products we suggest to get the look!

Best Lips-

                                                       

The very pregnant Cate Blanchett gets a Nicciknows Oscar nod in the category of Best Lips. Her lips were the perfect shade and texture for her dress color, style and fabric and went well with her soft hairstyle this year! Being as fair as she is, the lip color also served to brighten up her complexion and complete her radiant glow!

To get this lip look, try Clinique Quickliner for Lips in Plummy ($13.50 at Macys), Bobbi Brown's Plum Berry ($22 at Bloomingdales). Finish the look with a glorious gloss like Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips in Dolly ($18 at Sephora).

Best Eyes-

                                        

The normally au natural Jennifer Garner looked gorgeous and sophisticated at this years event. Her elegant dress and amazing jewelry were perfectly offset by her soft makeup and stunning eye makeup. We loved how her brows were not too thin, yet perfectly shaped and the ever so flattering winged-out eyeliner. The winged eyeliner on Jen, made her eyes look wider and larger and really finished off her look. Her eyes aren't very big so the eyeliner, if applied to thickly, could have made her eyes look smaller but the way it was applied was perfect for her eye shape!

To get this look, you'll want to use a liquid eyeliner with a very thin applicator. A great product for this is ck Calvin Klein beauty's Electric Edge Marker Pen in Black ($16 at Sephora.com). Hold the marker pen on its side and gently press into your lashline to get this thin and elegant line. 

Best Skin-

                                        

Anne Hathaway gets the award for Best Skin this year. Arguably, some of this might be genetic. The woman has stunnning skin. But that said, even people with naturally gorgeous skin can go wrong with too much product or the wrong product. With her dark features and very fair skin, the dress color, swept back ponytail and lip color all made her skin look that much more luminous and radiant!

To get this look, use a natural finish foundation that is not too shimmery and not too flat. We recommend Diorskin Forever Extreme Wear Flawless Makeup SPF 25 ($42 at Sephora).

Best Cheeks-

                                          

Nicole Kidman was absolutely radiant last night. Pregnancy agrees with her as does AMAZING jewelry! She win Best Cheeks in the Nicciknows Oscars because she looks so balanced and naturally glowing that the cheeks really pop as the focal point on her face, balancing out eyes and lips perfectly!

To get this look, try Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Stonewash Pink ($22 at Saks Fifth Avenue). To add additional sheen over the top, try Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion in Prism ($30 at Sephora)

Best Makeup and Hair Combination-

                                          

Jessica Alba, yet another pregnant celeb looks so perfect and her hair and makeup compliment each other so effortlessly that she makes it look, well, just easy! The Goddess-looking, upswept and braided hair with the soft, neutral, glossy lips and the champagne colored eyeshadow placed delicately on the insides of her eyes, near her nose are the perfect combination.

To get this look, take two french braids (one on either side of your head) and twist them around to the back and pin the remaining hair up using hair-colored bobby pins. For the eyes, place Make-up Forever Star Powder Eyeshadow in Pearl Gold 902 ($18 at Sephora) on the insides of your eyes, blending gently to create subtle radiance. Skin is luminous with a cream foundation like Clinique Supermoisture Makeup ($22.50 at Macys) and lips are neutral and glossy with a color like MAC Honey Love ($14 at Nordstrom).

Best Makeup and Dress Combination-

                                                       

The Grey's Anatomy star, Katherine Heigl looked old-school Hollywood glam at the Academy Awards this year. Admittedly, that there were some bad lighting shots where the bronzer looked a bit too heavy, but nonetheless the makeup and the dress were a perfect combination. The lipstick color matched the dress perfectly, and that's always a risk when pairing a red dress with a red lipcolor.

To get this look, try a matte lipcolor like MAC Mattene in You Say Tomato ($14.50 at Nordstrom). You'll also need a great pair of false lashes like MAC #36 lashes ($11 at Nordstrom).

Best Overall Beauty-

               

Marion Cotillard, the French actress that won the Best Actress Award for La Vie en Rose was absolutely the picture of Oscar beauty in every way! From the Mermaid-esque dress to the soft and glamorous hair and finally the flawless makeup, I think we can all agree that this woman definitely owned the night!

To get the look, start with a light-weight, camera-friendly foundation such as Trish McEvoy Even Skin Foundation ($55 at Nordstrom). Apply a natural cheek color like Smashbox's O-Glow Intuitive Cheek Color with Goji Berry-C Complex ($26 at Sephora) to the apples of the cheeks. Keep the eyeshadow fairly neutral using a silvery white shimmering eyeshadow as the pop-color, focusing on the inner-portion of the eyes. Two eyeshadows to use for this are Persuasion and Shimmer eyeshadows from Lorac (each $17 at Sephora). Lips are a rose colored lipliner like Shu Uemura Drawing Lip Liner in Pink 382 ($19 at Nordstrom) followed by a high pigment gloss like Chanel Glossimer in Waterlily and Magnifique (each $26 at Bloomingdales).

Brush Your Way to Smoother Skin!

                                                   

Will wonders never cease. Who knew that you could improve the overall quality of your skin with a face brush? This article was inspired by a conversation I had with some lovely girls at a baby shower yesterday! Erin had inquired about the Clarisonic Skin Care Brush that she had received as a gift and I explained the great benefits of this product, so I thought I'd share with you as well!

Developed by the inventor of the Sonicare toothbrush, this brush is shown to be twice as effective as manual cleansing. Using this brush with your cleanser of choice will increase product absorbtion, deeply cleanse and clarify; leaving your skin looking and feeling smoother. Similar to the concept of the Sonicare toothbrush, the oscillating bristles work with the natural elasticity of the skin to gently and deeply loosen dirt and oil from the skin.

You'll want to use a gently non-abrasive cleanser with the Clarisonic brush. In other words, something without exfoliating ingredients. A couple of cleansers that work really well with the Clarisonic brush are the MD Skincare All-In-One Cleanser and Toner ($36 at Nordstrom) and the Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser ($5.93 at Drugstore.com).

The Clarisonic Skin Care Brush is an investment but one you'll keep for years! Once you start using it, you'll wonder how you survived without it. It truly refines the landscape of your skin and having a smooth skin canvas is the secret weapon behind a flawlessly glamorous look! ($195 at Clarisonic.com) 

Fergie. I mean....

                                 

...could she be cuter! I'm thinking being engaged to hottie Josh Duhamel agrees with her. I love this yellow on her and the soft glowing makeup and long loose locks really complete the picture.

To get Fergie's Grammy-ready look, you'll want to start with a luminous skin primer like Clarins 'Instant Light' Complexion Perfector ($28.50 at Nordstrom). This product is great because it evens out discoloration in the skin while leaving it looking luminous and light-reflective-great for all skin types. Follow that with an emollient foundation like Chanel's Teint Innocence Naturally Luminous Fluid Makeup ($45 at Bloomingdales). Then you'll need a soft gold highlighting powder such as Nars Sparkling Pressed Powder in Machu Picchu ($31 at Nordstrom). Apply this lightly all over your face and decolletage but focus on the high cheekbones. For a long night of parties, you'll want to wear an eyeshadow primer to keep everything looking fresh all night so try Bare Escentuals Prime Time Eyelid Primer ($16 at Sephora). Put Makeup Forever's Metallic Taupe 127 Eyeshadow ($18 at Sephora) all over the lower part of the eyelid and highlight under the brow with an ivory shade like MAC's Vanilla ($14 at Nordstrom). Line the eye using Smashbox Cream Liner in Midnight Brown ($22) with Trish McEvoy #50 Angled Eyelining brush ($25, both at Nordstrom).

For this glamorous look, you'll definitely want a great pair of false eyelashes, so I recommend going to your local MAC counter, purchasing a pair of #7 lashes  ($11 at Nordstrom) and asking one of the makeup artists at the counter to put them on for you, if you've never done it before.

For Fergie's soft, glowy cheek color, select a shade like Nars Powder Blush in Gina ($25 at Sephora) and apply to apples of the cheeks, brushing upward to give a lift.

For this look, the lips are sensuously nude with LOTS of plumping lip gloss. Try lining the lip with MAC's Stripdown ($12.50 at Nordstrom), then following with Laura Mercier Lip Colour-Stickgloss in Baked Earth ($20 at Nordstrom) and then the finishing touch of LipFusion Color Shine Lipgloss in Flirt ($38 at Sephora).

Voila, the result will be your own sexy spin on a Fergalicious look!

This Weeks Fabulous Beauty Deals!

                            

                                        

Free Dior Backstage Beauty Artistry Kit (products shown are not included with the kit) with any $100 Dior Beauty purchase. Available online while supplies last.

The Dior Beauty products that I recommend picking up are Diorshow Blackout Mascara ($24), Dior Skinflash radiance boosting pen containing light booster complex which acts as a true lighting engineer ($33). I love the Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in the shades Lacy Apricot and Beige Velvet ($24.50 each).  Also, if you are in the market for a great eye cream, try Dior Capture Totale Eye ($80). This targeted eye cream addresses fine lines and wrinkles and dimishes hyperpigmentation. All the products available at Bloomingdales.

                                                      

                                             

See! I knew the Hanky Panky panties would catch your attention! This is a great limited time offer from Bloomingdales! While supplies last recieve a free Hanky Panky thong from Benefit and Hanky Panky with any $65 Benefit purchase from Bloomingdales! These are THE BEST UNDERWEAR ON THE PLANET! So cute and SO comfortable. I am loving this great offer!

The Benefit products that Nicciknows recommends are Benetint ($28) for that uber sexy, natural flush, Hollywood Glo Body Lustre for the decolletage and everywhere else that you want to shine! ($26) and the Justine Case Mini Beautifier Kit ($30), which contains adorable portable minis of all your fake-it must haves. All these products are available at Bloomingdales.

                                              

This is a great value set from Lorac and Sephora. It is a $56 value and it sells for just $25. It includes a lip plumping lipstick in Kissin and lip plumping gloss in Cutie as well as Lorac's famous Lotsa Lash fiber mascara in black. Full, plump shiny lips and long luscious lashes never sounded so good! ($25 at Sephora)

                                          

I know I've written about these pencils before but now they come in a pack of three! I am sold! These soft, pigmented pencils by Sue Devitt are amazing. At $42, the Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Kit has everything you need for flawlessly defined eyes. The kit contains a dark brown, black and champagne colored pencil with buffers on the other end of the pencils for super smooth, sultry finish! This is must have! ($42 at Sephora)

Happy Friday!

Creme de La Mer, Worth Every Penny

                                                      

One thing I can promise you is that I will NEVER suggest or recommend a product that is more expensive if it has a very similar, less expensive alternative. Having said that, La Mer is truly in a class all its own in terms of visible results, both overnight and over a longer period of time. This decadent creme is made with a "Miracle Broth" which includes such ingredients as sea kelp, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, lecithin, Vitamins C and E, B12 and oils of citrus, eucalyptus, wheat germ, alfalfa and sunflower. Not a bad start, but what the real point of difference is the way that the ingredients are distilled. The inventor of La Mer, Dr. Max Huber was a Nasa aerospace physicist who suffered from severed chemical burns on his face as a result of a lab experiment. When nothing the currently existed in science and medicine helped him, he decided to help himself and that's how he came to create La Mer.

Now for my personal testimony. I noticed a marked improvement in the texture and quality of my own skin when I started using Creme de La Mer. The trick is using the product as directed. There is a very specific way to apply it that both makes it more effective and also, makes you dollars go a whole lot further! You only need about a fingernail amount of cream per application and its imperative that you warm the creme up in your hands until the color turns from ivory to clear and then gently press and pat it into your skin. You will notice your skin is immediatly (like the next day!) more supple and smooth and over time, you'll notice more balanced moisture and firmness. Overall, your skin will be more radiant and youthful....really an amazing product and worthwhile investment. (1 oz, $125, Saks Fifth Avenue). Let me know how you like it!

Beauty Blogging Favorites for the Week

Happy Presidents Day to all! My guess is that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln would definitely be in favor of all of us being up on our beauty knowledge!

So with that in mind I wanted to share some great tidbits from some other wonderful beauty bloggers.

All About the Pretty is all about this stunning new collection from MAC. MAC Fafi is very edgy and avant guard. The three products that our friend at All About the Pretty is loving (and I concur) are Belightful Iridescent Powder ($21), Hipness powder blush ($17.50) and Sugartrance lipglass ($14, collection available at Nordstrom). Belightful is a great shimmer powder for most skin tones, on darker skin it acts a highlighter and on lighter skin, the perfect glow of the season!

The 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic says that Covergirl Outlast Lipcolor is her favorite lip stain ($9.99 at CVS.com)! I like her suggestion to use it as a stain under lipgloss. This way, you've got the color to last all day and then you can reapply the gloss for maximum moisture!

At Beauty Addict, we learn how to apply the perfect self tan. This is truly an art form unto itself! This is definitely one to check out! While I'm at it, I'll mention that my favorite self tanner under $15 is Neutrogena Sunless Tanning Foam ($8.83 at Drugstore.com) and my favorite self tanner over $15 is Clarins Intense Bronze Self-Tanning Tint ($29 at Nordstrom).