January 2008 Archives

The latest from Benefit is a face brightener that will perk up your dull and dry winter skin. I have tried many brands of face primers and Benefit's "That Gal" is one of the best for brightening not to mention the most fun! Twin sisters Jane and Jean Ford, founders of Benefit cosmetics, understand that make up should not only make you look beautiful, it should be fun! All of their products have cheeky names and all offer quick fix solutions to your beauty woes. I just got this and love using it alone on my face without any foundation, it makes me look healthy and radiant with just a few swipes. But it is also great as a primer under my foundation, at night I put a bit right above my cheekbones over my make up to give me that youthful glow. I have no idea what happened to the good ol' days when all I required was a bit of tinted moisturizer. Motherhood and age has really caught up with me and getting ready these days is almost like a science project but at least I can still fake it :) Benefit Cosmetics "That Gal" Brightening Face Primer $27 at Sephora.

I have this adorable blue coat that I bought when I was studying abroad in Paris. Every winter, I pray for the cold weather to get here faster and stay forever so I can wear it without looking ridiculous. Unfortunately, no matter how super cute I look, I usually get sick of the cold weather after about a month (which would be right now) and start complaining about it being too cold. (I didn't move to Texas for nothing!) So in the spirit of the Spring Break that I know is just around the corner, here is a product that I can't wait to use after a lazy day on the beach. PHYTO PLAGE Moisturizing Hair and Body Wash with Bamboo Marrow gives you plenty of moisture and is best used after prolonged exposure to the sun. I know this will come in handy around March when I'm burned to a crisp praying for cooler weather. Phyto Plage Moisturizing Hair and Body Wash with Bamboo Marrow, $20.00, Beauty.com.

Mascara is one of the quintessential items of a woman's beautifing regimine, yet I always feel like it is impossible to find the perfect mascara. Once you do find it, it seems that either the product gets discontinued or something happens to it so you would never want to use it again. (For me this would include falling into the toilet. I have no idea how, but everything of vital importance in my life always ends up in the toilet.) This mascara seems to me the perfect mascara and fortunately for me, it should not be a problem to find more if and when it eventually makes it into my toilet. It comes in a set so that you can decide which mascara best fits your life style for that day. The Yes to Volume is perfect for day time and contains collagen which allows you to bulid on product for the appropriate desired amount. The Volume Glamour Ultra Black is perfect for your night out on the town when you want to captivate with a single glance. Bourjois A Mascara For Every Occasion Set, $ 27.50, sephora.com.

Always multi-task when you can! This totally ingenious concealer from Chantecaille is a staple in my life. I used to have this system of using concealer and blending it with an eye gel to get a more natural look. Why go through all that trouble when you don't have to? Well, I don't and no one else should either. This concealer has the Stress Repair eye cream infused in the center. It not only give you all the benefits of the amazing anti-wrinkle cream that I live by, it helps to blend in the concealer for a softer appearance. You cannot go wrong here because not only are you saving time and effort, this concealer is only $65 and the eye cream is $170. If you are not in serious need of wrinkle repair and are only looking for prevention, this is all you need. Give your eyes a brightening boost and cover your bases on eye care all in one fell swoop. At Neiman Marcus for $65

My mother is always trying to find new ways to make her lashes thicker. I think she hopes to wake up one day with lashes like Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind. She’s tried tattooing, dying, and various serums in order to make her lashes thicker but to no avail. Unfortunately, all of the self-inflicted torture have also made her lashes thinner. This ModelCo Lash and Brow Growth Stimulator could be the answer to her eyelash dreams. It conditions and restores existing hair while encouraging hair growth. Best of all, she will see results within 14 days! There’s hope for Mama's eyelash dreams yet! ModelCo Lash and Brow Growth Stimulator, $42.00, sephora.com.

Beauty Snob in WWD's Top Ten Beauty Blogs in the world! Thank you to Michelle Edgar of WWD and to our friend, Julia Coney of All About the Pretty for the outreach.

I received an email last summer from a reader who wanted us to review her friend's new skin care line called "Pur-Lisse" (translated from the French words for pure, "pur" and smooth, "lisse,"). I get dozens of these emails per day and probably only answer one each week because we just do not have the time (or the skin) to try every new product out there! However, the reader was quite persistent and continued to keep in touch with Michelle, one of our former beauty editors. To be quite honest, I never gave it another thought until I opened up the January issue of ELLE last month and saw the face of a long lost friend staring back at me. The article was about a line of beauty products started by this long lost friend of mine (we lost touch 8 years ago), she is a beautiful actress and working model who developed her own line of skin care when her search for the ideal skin care regime came up short. I was excited to read about her and so proud of her achievement but I didn't put two and two together until I was cleaning out my email box a week later and came across an email from last August about "Pur-lisse". I had a total "DUH!" moment and ran for the Elle magazine to see if it was the same skin care line and sure enough it was one and the same! "Pur-lisse" by my long lost friend Jennifer!

Pantene’s Beautiful Wishes contest is helping many women's life wishes come true. For every Life Wish made they will donate $1 to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign, which gives free real-hair wigs to women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments. Visit Pantene's Website for more information and to submit your wishes by February 15, 2008 for your chance to win!

Have your hands taken a beating with the hard winter dryness? For simple, no nonsense moisturizing that will work and keep working through hand washings, there is nothing better than the drugstore favorite, Eucerin. I get the big jar for ease of applying, I can never get enough from the tubes at one time, I like to scoop and slather. But get the tube for your bag so you can always have it on hand. This is a thick cream but does not go on sticky or greasy, just hearty and deep penetrating goodness. I keep a jar next to the kitchen sink, one on my coffee table and another next to my computer. And like I said, it goes on clean so my keyboard never gets gunked up even when with multiple applications throughout the day. I can even skip between washes because it really gets in the skin and when I wake up in the morning, my hands are still soft and velvety. If you are wondering why I don't have one in my bathroom it's because all of my fancy lotions are there and after shower or bath is my one time during the day for a luxurious treatment. That's when I get refreshed with something in a delicious scent. And that leads me to another reason why I love Eucerin, it is completely odor free so it will not conflict with anything else I have on. Especially since I use this so much during the day, with a scented lotion I will end up smelling like a Bath and Body Works store. People have stopped buying me stuff from there during the holidays because they know I will re-gift those. I'm sorry but I just can't handle the super potent smells, just walking by the store makes me woozy. At Drugstore.com for only $12.27 for the big jar, so get 3 or 4 for each room of the house.

There are certain beauty products I am fastidiously loyal to and then there is mascara. I will try every one out there and probably have (although I've stopped using drugstore mascara even though I've loved L'Oreal Lashout for years because the main ingredient for them is tar, as in asphalt). While at the Sue Devitt counter, the gullible infomercial believer in me was drawn to the mascara with spider webs on it. I immediately told the SA to pack it with my other purchases. Unfortunately she gave me the Amplifying Mascara instead. Well, like I said, I will try any mascara so instead of returning it when I got home and realized I got the wrong one, I decided to give it a whirl. It was just another mascara that did something but not anything extraordinary. I kept forgetting to bring this back and when I did it was past the return policy time, but this is my beloved Barneys and they exchanged it for me, used, no receipt and all (and I got $6 back). So, did my gullible infomercial instincts pay off? Yup, sure did. It pays to be susceptible to marketing gimmicks sometimes, I get so jaded that I end up not wanting to try anything new but when my mind is weak, I give in =) So back to the graphics of spider webs. I kept visualizing this mascara weaving this web of fibers on my lashes, extending it to no end. Everything but the "no end" part is true, this stuff works like it should! I am so in love with it right now, I just sit there in front of my mirror to see how much I can physically apply and how long my lashes will go. There are actual fibers that feather out like spider webs. I get too anxious and will apply the end with the glop on it. Instead of making a blobby mess, it actually will brush out into long fibers. The brush is angled so the thicker end gives better coverage, which is fine if you are ambidextrous, but for me the right eye will look perfect and the left ends up with longer lashes on the inside, which is not preferred, so I have to work with it a little and tweek my arms around to get it to go the other way (I do not trust my left hand, whatever the opposite of ambidextrous is, that's what I am). Other than the brush challenge, this is the best mascara I have (until the next best thing of course). And the bonus? No tar, only organic and natural ingredients that fortify and actually treat your lashes. At Barneys for $22.

I just went to see the movie Atonement a few days ago and I was absolutely blown away by how captivating Keira Knightley is in the film. She is flawlessly and timelessly beautiful in the way that only a woman completely and totally in love can appear. This limited edition Pink Raspberry Face Palette would give you the same type of look. Just remember, less is more! The film is heart wrenching and the love story is unforgettable, one I would definitely suggest seeing. Bobby Brown Pink Raspberry Face Palette, $55.00, bobbibrowncosmetics.com.

Joan Hornig: Give the Gift of Beauty at Jewel Snob!
Beauty Snob gets yummy with Carol's Daughter Products!
The First Adventures of the Incredible You at Tot Snob!
Purse Blog wants to know what you think of Kirsten Dunst for Miu Miu!
Ask the Snob: Louis Vuitton Mahina at Bag Snob!
Sandra Oh shows off her new hair at Sundance Film Festival - Bella Sugar

I attended Nanette Lepore's S/S 2008 show last September and loved the easy to wear feminine and romantic pieces she showed. The feminine and girly line is much like the designer herself (she took a turn down the runway with her adorable 5 year old daughter at show closing). At the age of nine Nanette created her first couture look by outfitting a neighbor in a gypsy bedspread cum dashiki and beaded choker. She painted sunflowers on her face and stood in the front yard with a cardboard sign that read "Lepore". It is now one of the best selling lines at Neiman Marcus (I watched Ken Downing of Neiman Marcus scribbling furiously throughout the show, picking pieces that will grace the racks of its stores nationwide) and with the launch of her first fragrance, Lepore hopes to capture the hearts of beauty snobs too!

Nanette envisioned her fragrance bottle and package design as an expression of her love for florals and play on pattern. She took a classic design and gave it a retro-twist, making it feminine, fun colorful and distinctive. The half mooned shaped bottle has a very soft and feminine silhouette. It provides the perfect canvas for the bohemian-inspired floral wreath that adorns it. The finishing touch is an enchanting little black and blush polka dot bow, tied at the collar and topped with a blush, round cap.

I received a sample of the scent and it is subtle and pretty, just like her clothes. Abandoning the traditional weaving of fragrances, the perfume is layered with delicate notes of moonstone rose, peach, jasmine and finally violet (inspired by her muse, her daughter Violet).

1oz - 3.4oz, $38-$78 Nanette Lepore Eau de Perfume at Sephora.

I just broke up with my college boyfriend over the Christmas break and I am happily embracing my single life. (I just needed some time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life after graduation. And, not to mention, the idea of marriage at my age kinda freaks me out.) I'm also trying to figure out what kind of man I want to date. I feel like I'm one of those girls who is always in a relationship and I just need to focus on what makes me happy. So I'm really excited about this new lipstick by Nars called Manhunt since I'm on a manhunt for the perfect man. I'm determined to not settle for anything less. Nars Lipstick in Manhunt, $23.00, narscosmetics.com.

Left: Jada Pinkett Smith, a devoted fan of Carol's Daughter products

We thought it fitting to celebrate Martin Luther King Day with a profile on a woman who not only had a dream, she made it a reality. In 1993, Founder Lisa Price had a dream, she wanted to create quality beauty products for women, men and children of all skin types and needs. She transformed her hobby and love for fragrance into a skin care business and from that love Carol’s Daughter was born. Inspired by nature, the unique line includes over 300 products for face, hair, body and home - allowing for product combinations and possibilities that are endless for every man, woman and child regardless of skin type, tone, or need!

All of the products are presented with an abundance of love and quality ingredients. The concentrations in the moisturizers are among the highest you’ll find tested on people, not animals and do not contain harmful additives or cheap fillers. I got a ton of stuff to test out for you beauty snobs and I now smell and feel yummy!

1. Jamaican Punch Body Butter: I have to confess when I saw the dried apple slice on top of the body butter, I had an urge to eat it (I know- so weird but I love dried apples!). But it's not just the apple, the body butter smelled intoxicatingly delicious! Full of natural oils, it was just the thing my skin needed this week in this crazy cold and dry weather. $18

Make up never goes on sale so you need to head over to Vivre.com to check out the fabulous eye shadows from Chantecaille that are now marked down to $19.50 from $39! That's a 50% savings! I have two of these shadows and the colors are great fun to mix and blend! Get Chantecaille papillon eyeshadows at Vivre.

MAC products from the look above:
Plush Lash- Holy mother of lashes, this is the fattest and biggest mascara wand I have ever used! It curls and thickens, my lashes are stick straight but it managed to curl them without a lash curler!
2N Lip Glass- Love this, it is pale but has a lot of shine and depth.
Sublime culture Lipliner- I am a product of the '90s and adore lipliner, this is flesh colored so you won't have the dark lines. It is a great canvas for the 2N lip gloss!

January is typically the kick off month for award season and even though the Golden Globes was canceled and the Oscars' fate is uncertain we are going forward with our First Annual Beauty Snob Awards! It has been exactly one glorious year since we started Beauty Snob and we can't think of a better way to celebrate than with a countdown of our favorite products. First up is the "Best Product of the Year". We looked at the hundreds of products we've used and reviewed throughout the year and after careful consideration (including Beauty Snob readers' emails), we chose "Natura Bisse's Glycol Extreme Peel" based on its overall performance for giving us glowing youthful skin. Even if you are on a budget, this is THE one product you must buy. After using this you won't need as many facials because your pores will be smaller and your skin will be flawless which will ultimately save you money. The gentle exfoliating properties will brighten your skin tone and tighten your skin, it is better than laser or any other gycolic peels at salons! I sent Kelly a bottle after she gave birth and she is now an addict too. I like using mine with Natura Bisse's Diamond Extreme Cream but again, if you can not afford the entire Diamond line, get the Glycol Extreme and you will have the most amazing skin of your life no matter what else you use! $225 at Saks, Barneys and Neiman Marcus.

I love this photo of Lydia Hearst, she looks mysterious and a bit dangerous while giving off an aura of vulnerability. You all know by now that my grandmother grew up in Shang Hai in the 1920's; some of my most fond memories are of the two of us having tea with her telling me stories of the glamorous life she had in Shang Hai when it was dubbed the Paris of Asia. To say my grandmother has high standards would be an understatement, from good manners to a proper dress, she taught me to appreciate the best (even though it took years of stabbing me in the leg with a toothpick to train me to sit up straight with my head up at the dinner table! A lady should never lean her mouth down to her bowl of rice or shovel food in her mouth, she should sit perched at the edge of her chair and bring each grain of rice to her lips delicately. And you wonder why Asian women are so thin?) She is also very critical of modern ready-to-wear, every time I'd come home with a new outfit she'd feel the fabric, purse her lips and say "I never wore anything this rough, you should only wear silk and cashmere and have it custom made by a good tailor". And if I protested with "But it's Gucci"! She'd launch into how I should buy clothes of quality, not for the name brand. She also had 100 servants but that is a tale for another entry. Anyway, this ad reminds me of a photo I have of my grandmother from that period of her life- the impossibly thin and arched brow, dark lipstick and pale creamy skin. I am going to buy the blush and lipstick for her. At 95 years old, she still wears her lipstick, everyday. Once when I was home she had a mini-stroke and she requested I am the only one to ride with her to the hospital in the ambulance. During the ride I noticed her fist was clenched, I opened her hand to find her favorite lipstick. She looked at me and said "Do not let me die without my lipstick on". True story- she'll kill me if she ever found out I put this on Beauty Snob but that is the extent of her vanity! NARS at Sephora.com

To get the look:
Alahambra duo eyeshadow
Ayssina single eyeshadow
Multiple Orgasm Blush
Captiva lipstick

My brother Davis is a real man's man. He likes to go fishing and hunting and he loves to dip. He only drinks beer or wiskey. When I go home, we have to watch ESPN or I have to leave the room. (If I take the remote away from him he cries like a baby and I just hate to make my little brother cry! And, by the way, I do call him "little brother" in front of all his friends, and he secretly loves it.) He would never admit it to anyone but he loves to use my beauty products when I come home. Body wash, shampoo that costs more than $1.50, exfoliant, facial products, sweet smelling lotions; you name it he'll sneak it from me. This is why I am SO excited about Armani's first skin care line for guys as mentioned on wwd.com. I can get him his own damn beauty products so he'll quit stealing mine. They even come in sleek, manly casing so when he takes it back to his frat house at The University of Alabama, his brothers will never know he is actually cleaning himself. The product will hit select stores in April. See wwd.com for more information and we'll keep you posted.

What a fabulous way to to pay tribute to one of the best selling perfumes of all time, Opium from Yves St. Laurent. When I think of Opium perfume images of Lauren Hutton and other glamorous girls from the '70s and '80s come to mind. The compact has an array of complimentary shades with a Pheonix stamped in the center, it is actually so pretty I don't want to use it yet! It also comes in a luxurious red lacquered case decorated with gold phoenix and delicate flowers so you can check on your face discreetly and in style. $57 at SAKS Beauty Place and Neiman Marcus.

The Palette Pop was created to celebrate 30 years of YSL make-up. The design is directly inspired from the greetings card Mr. Saint Laurent drew and sent in 1992, it is a perfect tribute to love and flowers. It is a gorgeous palette of eye popping colors to freshen your face for Spring! $60 at SAKS Beauty Place and Neiman Marcus.

My mother used to tell me a love story when I was younger. It was about a neighbor of ours who lived in this huge plantation house built in the 1830's. The neighbor's mother died when both she and the mother were very young. The mother was deeply loved by her husband. He would fly in peonies from all over the world for his wife (back when flying was a luxury that almost no one could afford). Peonies were her favorite flower and also one of mine. They have one of the most endearing scents that is both timeless and infatuating. For a delectable peony scent, try Thierry Mugler Peony perfume, $87.00 at Saks.

The Moisturelush eye cream also give a soft and luminous lift to the eye area. I used my usual La Prarie Caviar Luxe eye cream and applied this over my foundation and I glowed like a teenager! $28.50 at Mac Cosmetics and department stores.

How many of you have some sort of dual lip stick/lip gloss system? I have different dual lip systems, some with lip stick then gloss and some that are a combination of 2 glosses. Its fun to mix and match and experiment and you get such depth and variance in shade by doing that but for those who want to take the guess work out of it, Nars has this already assembled duo. It has a stain on one end and gloss on the other. The stain is totally flat and quite opaque but it is light in texture, not like lipstick. The gloss is pretty neutral and just gives the color some sheen and brightness. So this would be closer to my lip stick / lip gloss system, but better because with lip stick then lip gloss, it gets too goopy and thick and it doesn't feel good. I love this idea and it makes things a bit easier for me when I'm running out (always running because I am always late) because I never can find the 2 that go together (like everyone else, I have more lip gloss than anything). The tester I got was the wrong color for me so I don't use it, but if I had the right one, it would just permanently reside in my cosmetic pouch in my bag. I can do my dual system at home and futz around with all the colors, but once I'm out, I can have my handy Nars duo. It's perfect because lip color is the only thing you can change a