A few of my favorite things... Travel Edition

I receive countless emails asking about my travel regimen so I thought I'd share some of my absolute favorite travel products with you today, on the heels of my venture west to warmer weather. Sadly, the sun has yet to make an appearance but here's to wishful thinking (and warmer temps, thank God).

So, considering that it is travel season, these items should come in handy like, today.

Here are a few of my favorite travel items:

Aquaphor - I use it for my lips, cuticles, eyes AND sinus'. It works wonders to keep the entire lot hydrated. It's also most effective for all climates. Coming from a blizzard (NYC) to a dessert (LA), climate was bound to give my skin something to get all chapped up about.

Smashbox O-Gloss - Flying leaves me ghostly pale and drained of all color -- skin, eyelids and lips. O-Gloss comes in handy when I want a hint of pink -- like a stain -- with a surge of moisture. I also use it on my cheeks to give them a natural flush.

David Babaii for Wildaid Bohemian Beach Spray - Yes, I still care about the state of my hair 30,000 feet above ground. The beach spray is the perfect formula to take travel hair and make it beach-chic. Messy tresses that look -- and smell -- salon styled.

Klorane Dry Shampoo - The travel size is perfect to spray pre-landing for a quick touch-up-and-go. Gets rid of dirt and grease buildup from the flight and gives hair an added bounce of volume.

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream - It's imperative to hydrate hands and nails while in flight. My current cream of choice comes thanks to french skincare line, Caudelie. Full of anti-oxidants and grape seed, the cream smells amazing and moisturizes equally as impressively. I apply at least every 30 minutes.

Weleda Skin Foods - You can use this balm anywhere, I like to pat it on my face, especially during a flight. With all of that reprocessed air, my skin is begging for some TLC. Skin Foods offers my face moisture, soothing properties of lavender and calendula and an all-around healthy glow. Can also be used on hands, feet, around the eye area, neck and elbows. Apply sparingly.

Smashbox Summer: 2009

UNTAMED for Summer 2009 From Smashbox Cosmetics. Yes, the fall line has just dropped but there's still time to rock the summer and this collection is ferosh! The nude gloss is a year-round go-to hue and the berry-stained cream cheek color is fabulous with a tan or an Anne Hathaway porcelain mug. For fall, try this irrisistable berry on your pout and finish with a touch of clear gloss... see - you can wear these colors well into the cold!


THINK: Ferociously bold beauty.

WHAT IT IS: Looking for adventure? Unleash your wild side with this lush, tropical safari-inspired collection from Smashbox Cosmetics. Untamed is designed to make your summer smolder! Brave these dangerous hues to get sizzling hot for your next adventure, but beware—it’s a jungle out there.

LIP GLOSS ($18)
Pounce on these ferocious lip glosses before they escape. Available in two fierce shades for double the trouble.
Available Shades: FLESH *BB Fave* (pale nude), RAW (deep berry)
Application Tips: Glide over lips for instant color and shine. Layer over lip pencil or lipstick to enhance color.

DOUBLE-ENDED EYE BRIGHTENER ($22) *BB Fave* Like our coveted Anastasia highlighting pencil but with more of a champagne color.
This double-ended brightener highlights and brightens in one quick step for eyes that roar for attention.
Available Shades: Warm Gold/Champagne
Application Tips: Apply either shade to inner corners of eyes, brow bone, and above brows, then blend.

CREAMY CHEEK COLOR in UNTAMED ($24) *BB Fave*
Take a walk on the wild side with this luxurious creamy blush in a gorgeous sun-kissed shade and a mirrored compact.
Available Shades: UNTAMED (warm brown)
Application Tips: Apply to apples of cheeks and sweep back toward ears using FOUNDATION BRUSH #13 or fingertips. CREAMY CHEEK COLOR also doubles as a gorgeous nude lip color—just smooth over your pout with fingertips for sheer, neutral color.

WATERPROOF SHADOW LINER TRIO ($29)
Create beautifully bold eyes with these daring trios in mirrored compacts. Completely waterproof and crease-proof for fearless, all-day wear.
Available Shades: EXOTIC (deep purple, lilac, champagne), SAVAGE (vibrant green, deep brown, soft gold)
Application Tips: Use each shade to enhance eyes. The darkest shade can also be used as a liner to define. Use DEFINER BRUSH #15 for shadow, or ARCED LINER BRUSH #21 as a liner.

CHEEK HIGHLIGHTER ($24; Sephora Exclusive)
Create beautiful cheeks that glow with this gorgeous highlighter to compliment any skin tone.
Available Shades: AGLOW
Application Tips: Apply to the tops of cheekbones using fingertips.

PRIME TIME

I think face primers are absolutely genius. Most days I wear little more than a tinted moisturizer with SPF but adding a primer means the color goes on smoothly, reduces appearance of pores and lasts all day. I’ve found several brands that make a great product but most contained less than eco-friendly ingredients. So, when KORRES created a face primer, I was intrigued. I love, love, love the KORRES brand but could a silicone-free primer still do the job?

Absolutely. It was lighter than anything I’d ever used, closer to the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer than Smashbox Photo Finish. With a light, citrusy scent (probably the grapefruit peel oil), I applied the same amount I would with a heavier primer. I added Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, some mascara and check tint and faced the heat of LA summer. My skin looked great all day. I am hooked.

What amazes me is how much it does while leaving out so much. No parabens, silicone, synthetic fragrance, sulfates, phalates, GMOs, mineral oils, synthetic dyes or phalates. All things our bodies and the environment do not need. While it isn’t oil free, my combination skin has had no problems. Personally, I’ve often found that what causes skin breakouts and irritations are the synthetics and petrolatum based ingredients in products.

Ninety-nine percent natural with 11.19 % organically farmed ingredients, and dermatologically tested, KORRES Face Primer carries the coveted seal of ECOCERT. While it prides itself on “skin soothing botanicals and Vitamin E that refine skin texture, minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and reduce pore size,” you can be assured it also passed the highest international standards for ecology around. That’s beauty inside and out.

Smashbox Spring 2009

The Smashbox Spring 2009 collection is a pastel rainbow for eyes, cheeks and lips. The eye palette is particularly amazing - with 10 incredible colors to choose from ranging from brown to pale blue to moss green. And the lippies are fabulous! The casing is like a squeeze tube but it actually opens and reveals a sponge applicator (although we heart bristled applicators more). And the consistancy is both glossy and creamy, leaving the pout adorned with a hint of color.

But I think what I love most about the Spring Collection is the packaging - a little Jackson Pollack, a little paint n swirl. It's nice to see Smashbox following in the footsteps of MAC and changing up their look from collection to collection.


Here are the deets:

Bionic Mascara in Black Violet ($19)
Lip Paints in Artiste (creamy berry), Virtuoso (creamy pink) and Luminary (creamy nude)($21)
Blush Rush in Masterpiece ($24.00) **Beauty Banter Fave**
Hybrid 2-in-1 Luminizing Primer in Bare Canvas (luminous champagne) ($34)
Cream Eye Liner Artist Pencils Set of 4 in Lapis (deep ocean blue), Imperial (deep violet), Slate (dark charcoal), Antique Gold (deep gold) ($36)
Artist Eye Palette in Muse ($48)

Available NOW at smashbox.com

Smashbox Holiday 2008

Tis the Season to be glam without spending major cash! Smashbox's Holiday Collection, Rapture, is a statement to all things feminine (even the casings and brushes are a pale, pearlish pink hue). The collection is soft, shimmery, romantic and, dare I say, sexy!

(click image to enlarge)

Like most Holiday lines, Rapture comes pre-packed in ultimate beauty lover kits - whatever your vice, Smashbox has a fix (kit) for it! Some products are new, some are limited edition, some are even miniature, but all are sure to make for awesome additions to your beauty bag.

Here are the deets:

FLAWLESS FINISH PRIMER SET $39 (value $52)
Obviously, a Smashbox staple and a must-have for every beauty whore!
PHOTO FINISH FOUNDATION PRIMER – full size
PHOTO FINISH FOUNDATION PRIMER – travel size


LIP GLOSS COLLECTION $29 (value $90)
Set includes 3 best-selling shades and 3 holiday exclusives.
RAVISHING (shimmery rosy nude)
LOVELY (shimmery soft pink)
STUNNING (shimmery bright pink)
ILLUME (pale nude with iridescence)
RADIANT (shimmery pink plum)
CANDID (pink with golden shimmer)


BEST OF SMASHBOX KIT $19 (value $43)
Travel-size Smashbox bestsellers.
BIONIC MASCARA
MINI FUSION SOFT LIGHTS in DUSK (shimmering nude, deep bronze, terracotta, soft pink and golden tan)
MINI LIP ENHANCING GLOSS in AURA (shimmery nude pink)


TRAVEL BRUSH COLLECTION $49 (value $134)**Beauty Banter Fave**
5 professional travel size brushes - they are AMAZING!!!
Includes:
TRAVEL FACE BRUSH
TRAVEL SHADOW BRUSH
TRAVEL ANGLED BLENDING BRUSH
TRAVEL SMUDGER BRUSH
TRAVEL CONTOUR BRUSH & LINER BRUSH


EYE SHADOW & BRUSH COLLECTION $59 (value $246) *Beauty Banter Fave*
8 duos, sixteen shades, 2 brushes - an eyeshadow lover's crack!
8 EYE SHADOW DUOS
DEFINER BRUSH #15
SHADOW BRUSH #32


GIFT OF GLOW COLLECTION $49 (value $127) Sephora Exclusive
Collection for eyes, lips and cheeks. Includes 2 brushes and a quilted travel pouch.
WATERPROOF SHADOW LINER BRUSH #30
WATERPROOF SHADOW LINER in HOLLYWOOD (bronze with golden shimmer)
LIP GLOSS in GILDED (shimmery pale gold)
FLASH POWDER
BABY BUKI BRUSH


ULTIMATE BEAUTY PALETTE $59 Exclusively at Ulta
Almost 100 shades of Smashbox favorite eye and cheek colors. This palette contains every color (and then some) that you'll ever need. Reminds us of the Make Up For Ever Limited Edition palette - but 1/4 of the price!

How amazing are these prices! It's good to know that Smashbox had the crashing economy in mind when they prepared their Holiday kits -- these are some serious steals!

Happy Shopping!

Smashbox Fall 2008: Wicked Lovely

Smashbox's Fall 2008 collection is seriously fierce! From its pink, grey and black outer packaging, to its lacey-looking inscription, to its warm color spectrum, it all reminds me of a Boudoir in Paris.

You can go either way with Wicked Lovely: Play the part of WICKED with vampy, smoky eyes and nude lips or play LOVELY with light, angelic eyes and bold lips. Whichever you choose, the products will adjust.

The Look:
"Embrace the sensual duality within every woman with Wicked Lovely. Each of the products in the collection speak to this duality through wickedly lovely shade choices, sinfully rich textures, and an all over beauty look that is either charmingly sweet, devilishly sexy or a little bit of both. "

(click to enlarge)

The Products:

CREAM LINER AND LOOSE SHIMMER
3 cream liners (metallic taupe, metallic bronze, metallic charcoal) and a sparkling loose shimmer (sparkling pewter) in one mirrored pot.
$32.00

BLUSH RUSH in CHARM **Beauty Banter Fave**
Get a gorgeous rush of color with this ultra-luxurious, long-wearing blush. Packaged in an innovative swivel mirror compact.
$24.00

EYE SHADOW DUOS
SEXY/DEMURE (muted brown, shimmering peach) **Beauty Banter Fave**
SINFUL/PURE (dirty teal, shimmering ivory)
The velvety cashmere texture glides on and blends smoothly for gorgeous looks that last. These shimmering duos can be worn day or night to play up eyes.
$24.00

DOUBLETAKE LIP COLOR in GOSSAMER **Beauty Banter Fave**
A double-ended lip pencil and creamy lip color in one, this vitamin-packed formula has caffeine and nourishing wheat glycerides to moisturize and protect your pout while defining lips and imparting beautiful luminous color.
The perfect peachy pink for a nude Parisian pout!
$22.00

BIONIC MASCARA in INDIGO INK
Best-selling BIONIC MASCARA is now available in a blue hue. BIONIC is the first ionic mascara that delivers longer, stronger and more voluminous super-power lashes.
$19.00

LIP GLOSS
COY (sheer nude) **Beauty Banter Fave**
SWEET (sheer pink)
SULTRY (black cherry - only at Sephora)
A sheer, sexy gloss for a sweet pout that delivers the perfect shine and hint of tint. I'm obsessed with the sultry casing, complete with a hanging tassel. And the wand is bristled (YAY) - easier to apply in creases of lips and mouth. The nudes are incredibly wearable and shiny. This is by far my favorite product in the collection!
$18.00

LIP PENCIL in TEMPT (only at Sephora)
A dark, creamy lip pencil guaranteed to entice. Blend for a bolder color or wear with Sultry for a perfect match!
$16.00

For a closer look at the entire collection, click HERE. Available NOW!

What products are you dying for???

We're BLUSHING Over Smashbox's Latest BLUSHES

Blush is a necessity for EVERY woman.... seriously! It revives a dull and tired face and brightens a complexion.
We had the opportunity to try out Smashbox Cosmetics newest line of ALL BLUSHES, Blush Rush, and we heart them!!!!

(click image to enlarge)

The concept behind the Blush Rush line is this: The colors are meant to work with every skin tone. Each shade is streak-proof and lasts all day. They are paraben and fragrance-free, infused with Vitamins A and E (good for skin) AND the compact comes with a swivel mirror hidden along the bottom (for easy on-the-go application)! How genius!!!!

While some of the colors are too light for our personal liking (and don't really make a dent on our olive complexion) and others are a bit too bronzey (our skin is already naturally bronzed), Blush Rush definitely delivers close to purrrfection with every blush.

Here are the 8 shades in the line:
BARE cool dusty rose
ECSTASY warm shimmery nude
CHIFFON shimmery warm golden pink
PARADISE warm golden apricot
FLUSH shimmery cool pink
HEARTBREAK warm shimmery plum
GINGERSNAP warm rosy bronze
CRUSH cool raspberry

Our faves are Crush (dramatic for day), Paradise (apricot - color of the moment), Heartbreak (my new nighttime staple - it really makes a "blushing" statement), and Chiffon (great everyday burst of pink).

*** Professional Tip *** "Apply BLUSH RUSH to apples of cheeks and sweep back toward ears using BLUSH BRUSH #16 or FAN BRUSH #22."

PRICE TAG: $24.00 (for each blush). AVAILABLE AUGUST 1 at smashbox.com.

The WHITE EYE done RIGHT...

We, at Beauty Banter, are here to help. We love receiving your beauty questions and those sometimes frightening beauty emergencies. After all, that's why I started blogging in the first place!

So, when one of our lovely readers, JOG, wrote in with the following question - "I see a lot of pics of celebs with what appears to be white eyeshadow. how do they pull this off without looking creepy/cakey/gross? Is there a method or a specific e/s you can recommend?" - we knew we not only wanted to answer it for her, but for all of our other readers as well.

This is a great Summer beauty question... how do you do a white eye right?

(Shimmery White Eye with Liner and Lashes:
J. Lo. from the Costume Institute Gala; May, 2008)

We enlisted the help of two amazing professional makeup artists for the answer.

Celebrity Makeup Artist and Photographer, Troy Jensen (he's painted the faces of Cameron Diaz, Eva Mendes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Beckinsale, Halle Berry, and Paris Hilton - just to name a very, very few... you must check out his website - his client list is RIDICULOUS!), gave us these brilliant products and tips to help us on our quest:

"Jouer Cosmetics has a brilliant cream white highlighter that works great in the eyes, Just dab it on your eye-lids with your finger tips, curl your lashes and add black Diorshow Mascara. I love to pair this eye with a deep pink stain lip and sheer gloss. I love Three Custom Color's "Light Bright Lip Collection" in Palladium, Danceteria, and Limelight. They give a sheer wash of vibrant color. Perfect with a shimmery white eye, That's fresh for Summer."

Smashbox's resident makeup artist, Lori Taylor, also had some tips and products in mind. Here's her professional advice:

"The best way to achieve this look is by not choosing a white that is chalky. Using a cream based shadow or a shimmering white is best (try the white from the Smashbox trio, Twilight). You can be a little playful by adding an eyeliner that has a bit of pop to it. Like metallic gray, bronze or pewter (Try Smashbox's Lava-Pewter, Putty-Taupe, Thunder-Gray or Water-Proof Jet-Set Bronze). Even purple, green or blue (a deep and subtle shade, not electric) shades can enhance the subtle color you tend to have by being in the sun. Experiment with false lashes. Summer is the time to push the make up envelope and shed those old winter habits and drab winter colors.

It's always important to keep in mind that during the summer months (and really all year round) one should not mask the skin with foundation, try using a tinted moisturizer like Smashbox's Sheer Focus. Skin is the basis for any good make up!

Thanks to Troy and Lori for their **exclusive** expertise!

And remember, if you're in a beauty bind, email us! We're here to help (and so are our fabulous, famous makeup artist friends)!

WEEKLY MUST-HAVE

For all those in search of their Spring bronzer, look no further... Smashbox's Fusion Body Lights Bronzing Powder in The Strip is the must-have, convenient bronzer and highlighter for a faux tanned complexion. It's meant as an all over body bronzer but I use it on my face as well.

At this year's L.A. Fashion Week, the kind people over at Smashbox decided to give the guests a bronzer and applicator in the gift bag! How amazing?!

I love the color that this product gives... it's the perfect tan.... not a fake and bake hue, but not pale either. It's a trio of colors that comes in a massive circular compact. One brush of your applicator over the three colors and you're good to go.

The one thing that I don't like, but many others do, is the scent. I get it... it's supposed to be "tropical." But it's SO perfumed I find it overwhelming. And since I have very sensitive skin, I do try to stay away from products that contain fragrance. But so far, the bronzer hasn't irritated my skin. And the color is SO hot... I'm willing to sacrifice the fragrant scent for a little healthy color!

So, stock up on your new must-have bronzer... Sun free, streak free tan! Amen!

$54.00 (comes with nub brush!)

BACKSTAGE PASS: NICHOLAI FALL 2008

One of my very dear friends, Nicky Hilton, debuted her fall line the other evening at L.A. Fashion Week... and it was off the hook! Nicky's high-end line, Nicholai, is sophisticated, edgy and seriously sexy!!! I can't wait to buy the entire collection! But onto the beauty...

We were granted an **exclusive** backstage pass to check out the hair and makeup for the show!

Lori Taylor, Smashbox Cosmetics Lead Artist, spoke to us about her beauty inspiration.   She said, "the collection has an equestrian influence.. like a society lady... naughty, not stuffy."  She described the look as The Avengers or Amanda Peel.  

For the eyes - a sophisticated, smokey cat eye.  More high fashion.  Taylor used the Smashbox Twilight Trio of black, silver and white.  She then added false eyelashes to the outer corner to intensify the effect.

The skin had to be perfect.  "The people who buy these clothes are people who are conscious about the way they look," explains Taylor.  "They're high fashion and healthy."  Taylor used Smashbox's High Definition Foundation and Camera Ready Concealer.  She didn't want the skin to look powdery or dewey, but natural and flawless.

The cheeks were all about shimmer.  Taylor wanted to highlight the natural cheekbone so she added lots of shimmer to the area.

For lips, Taylor used two red glosses.  She wanted the look to be sheer, moist lips.  Taylor combined Starlit and Spark and blotted onto the lips to give them that "stain" effect.  

Taylor's must-have Smashbox product:  Bionic Mascara - Taylor said that the new mascara (just launched in February) is actually infused with ions (like a bio-ionic flat iron) so it gives mega shine to the lashes!  She used it on all the girls during fashion week!

Here are some pictures from the Nicholai Fall 2008 Fashion Show:

**Thanks to Nicky and Smashbox for giving us a behind-the-scenes peak into L.A. Fashion Week!!!

Smashbox Spring 08... Sustainable Beauty

So as any of my loyal readers know, I am an ardent believer in sustainable beauty. Helping the environment stay beautiful while helping ourselves look beautiful is a win-win for everyone.

The new Smashbox Green Room Products deliver just this.

So, how do the greenroom products actually help the environment???

"With the purchase of every GREEN ROOM product, a Moringa tree will be planted in a developing country by Trees for the Future. The Moringa or “Miracle Tree” is a powerhouse of nutritional value and provides a self-renewing food source for people in need. More trees also mean less soil erosion and cleaner air and water for a greener future...

All GREEN ROOM packaging is biodegradable or recyclable and all products are made with environmentally-friendly formulas."

I actually had the chance to check out these products at L.A. Fall Fashion Week. I love the idea of them (environmentally friendly, biodegradable and recyclable)... just not sure if I love the actual delivery of the products... but you decide!

The Products:

HYBRID 2 IN 1 LUMINIZING PRIMER - Artificial light ion the inner tube and cult favorite, photo finish (primer) in the outer tube. Love this for barely there coverage and a fresh, dewy complexion. AND, the tube is recyclable!



GREEN ROOM BRONZER (with Moringa Seed Extract) - Bronzer on golden glow (light) or deep bronzer. Personally, I found the bronzer to be a little streaky, as it just seemed to shy away from a real "sun-kissed" effect. Although the compact is biodegradable and I'm digging that.



HYBRID 2 IN 1 COLOR & SHINE LIP GLOSS (with Moringa Seed Extract)- Color on this inside, gloss on the outside. Perfect for the no-fuss woman who likes to carry around just one lippy. When I tried this product, it totally confused me. I wasn't able to navigate between the color and the gloss as it all sort of sprouted out at the same time. But, the pink lily color is divine - a kissable baby pink hue for the pout - if only the tube was more accessible (although it is recyclable!).



GREEN ROOM EYE SHADOW QUAD (with Moringa Seed Extract) - 4 blendable shadows in a leaf pattern for contouring, highlighting and defining eyes. Blossom are pale pinks and mauves, bamboo are bronzes and greens. I was particularly impressed with the shape of the shadows... they aren't separated like most quad compacts, but rather intertwined. And in a way, this makes blending and shading that much easier. I've always loved Smashbox shadows... my last favorite, the Head Shot trio, shattered into a million little pieces while en route to Colombia. That made me terribly sad. :(



Are YOU feeling the Green Room products?

Petro Zillia + Smashbox = Makeup Bliss

Beauty Banter Exclusive!

It's sort of a trend lately to have designers and make-up companies join forces and create products (Remember Lancome and fashion designer Peter Som's incredible berry red lippy, P.S. Kiss?)

Well, on the heels of LA Fashion Week, fashion house Petro Zillia and Smashbox cosmetics have announced that they will team up to create 3 products that are sure to suit the beauty and fashion enthusiast in each of us!

I was at the Petro Zillia show, and let me tell you, the look was fierce. Bold, colorful lip, fresh, clean face and dramatic eyes. I spoke to head designer and owner, Nony Tochterman, and she gave me the inside scoop on the look she was trying to achieve.

"Everyone is doing smokey eyes. It's all over the runways. But I wanted to concentrate on lashes and liner. We did massive lashes, and black liner on the top of the model's eyes. We left the rest of the eye relatively clean. We also accentuated the brows by coloring them in with a darker shade."

The makeup suited the clothes perfectly - a rainbow array of color, linear and gorgeous! (And don't you just love the colorful product outer wrapper?!)

Here are the items created by Petro Zillia exclusively for Smashbox:

• Photo Finish Lipstick With Sila-Silk Technology in Stunning
• Focal Point Lash Building Mascara in Black
• Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner in Midnight Black

The products will be available at the Petro Zillia store in West Hollywood, starting October 31st, or by logging onto the Petro Zillia website, www.shoppetrozillia.com

Looks from the show:

Christmas Is Coming Early...

We adore a good Holiday collection over here at Beauty Banter. Holiday Collections mean that Christmas is just around the corner, and Christmas means that the weather is getting cooler, the air is getting muskier and the days are getting shorter! Don't get us wrong, we LOVE the sun too - but there's just something so... cozy about Christmas time!

Here are a couple of our favorite products from a couple of our favorite companies (to view the entire collection, click the company heading):

Smashbox Beyond Beauty Holiday 2007
Smashbox is ALL about fresh and clean. We're loving the Beyond Beauty Fusion Eye & Cheek Palettes: 8 neutral eye and cheek colors that can be worn alone or blended together!

Stila Dazzle & Dream
Stila has made the make-up process as simple as a single compact! Guinevere's Deluxe Palette and Scarlett's Deluxe Palette both include 3 eyeshadows, a blush and a lip gloss. And it comes wrapped in a gorgeous Swarovski decorated case! We love the Guinevere's Deluxe Palette - a combination of warm golds, apricots and peaches! And they all shimmer like the ornaments on a Christmas tree!


Nars Holiday 2007
Golds and apricots for the eyes, crimson for the lips (this collection reminds me of a pumkin patch!) The Balthazar Duo Eyeshadow pairs a burned yellow with a pumpkin pie colored orange. But my favorite product in this collection is the Viridiana Lipstick. A dark, blood-red hue reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour and perfect for that special Holiday party!

Bobbi Brown Metallics
Silver and blue shimmers for the eyes with pale lips. The Midnight Metallics eye palette has 3 shimmering shades - white, silver and blue. We're feeling the white, all over the eye, with a dark black liquid liner. Very snow flake...

Decadence leads to Beauty...

Can you believe that summer is almost over? Get ready for short days, long nights, brisk breezes and NEW FALL COLLECTIONS!!!

Here is a peak at Smashbox's Fall 2007 Collection, Decadence.

Where to begin? We ADORE this collection - all of it - from the colors, to the products, to the chrome casing, to the brushes! Ah, those make-up brushes - 7 glamorous, all-purpose, professional brushes that are just like magic with your make-up. If you ask for one girft this year, ask for this brush set. I am telling you, it will change the way you apply your make-up. I'm in love, what can I say.

Anyway, lets get to the colors! Ah, the colors! Rich with a hint of shimmer, beautiful pinkish berry glosses, a golden blush, 2 sets of triple eye shadows and a wet cream black liner infused with specs of gold and silver.

The Products:
DECADENCE BLUSH - Ecstacy - Warm Gold
DECADENCE EYE SHADOW TRIOS - Indulgence - Shimmery champagne, Slate, Graphite
DECADENCE EYE SHADOW TRIOS - Opulence - Shimmery cream, Copper, Chocolate brown
DECADENCE JET SET WATERPROOF EYE LINER - Lust - Black with gold and silver flecks
DECADENCE LIP ENHANCING GLOSS - Vixen - Sheer deep berry
DECADENCE PHOTO FINISH LIP LUXE - Socialite - Sandwash pink lipstick & Shimmery nude gloss
VANITY BRUSH COLLECTION - 7 full-sized professional chrome brushes in a faux fur brush roll

And here's a make-up tip from Samshbox Makeup artist Lori Taylor on how to apply the jet-set liner: "Jet-set gel liner applied with the #21 in the inner rim can pump up any look and add dimension to the inner eye. Followed with a thick coat of black mascara."

To view the entire collection and place your order, CLICK HERE.

In the meantime, we're gonna play with our products and hopefully have some pics to post!

What's your FAVORITE Smashbox product? Tell us in the comment box below!

Photo Finish

I finally get the rave.

Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer IS all that. Applied prior to foundation, it not only helps to set the make-up, it also gives the skin a youthfull glow (sans shine). And it makes my face feel so soft it's like I just had a facial.
It's a fact. I too am a fan.

What primer do you adore? Tell us at beautybanter@gmail.com!!!

Cupid and Her Make-Up

Personally, I'm not a fan of the big V-day. I believe that Valentine's Day is a Hallmark Holiday created for the weak and co-dependant.
But for the hopeless romantics out there, here's a cute little Valentine's make-up kit put together by my friends over at Smashbox Cosmetics.
A word (or several...) from the company:
"This V.I.PINK VALENTINE’S DAY EXCLUSIVE beauty kit is the perfect way to add a little romance to your look at a really pretty price (only $40, with a $95 retail value!). Accentuate eyes with EYE SHADOW DUO in VELVET ROPE (shimmery pink, warm bronze) and pump up lashes with FOCAL POINT MASCARA in BLACK. Add the perfect pink flush to cheeks and lips with SKIN TINT in HEAT and give lips a luscious rosy bronze sheen with LIP GLOSS in MAGNIFY. All products come packed in a super-soft pink terrycloth makeup bag with room for more smashbox essentials, making this the sweetest gift to give or get this Valentine’s at a limited-edition price! Hurry, available only while supplies last."
I'm a huge fan of Smashbox anything, so I'm sure if I were also a fan of Valentine's Day, this kit would be my must-have.
Until then, I'll just pretend I'm doinf "research!"

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY BEAUTY WHORES!!!

A Beauty Whore's New Year's Resolutions

Resolutions for 2007:

1. I will ALWAYS wash my face prior to falling asleep (regardless of how lazy, tired and/or drunk I may be).
2. I will spend more time moisturizing and less time obsessing over minescule skin flaws.
3. I will take more baths and load the bath with my new favorite bubbly, Booty Parlor Naughty Bubbles Bubble Bath because, after all, I deserve to feel sexy even at bath time. (Plus, the tuberose scented, irridescent bubbles leave my skin smelling and feeling like a sex goddess!)
4. I will exfoliate lips at least once a week with Smashbox's Emulsion Lip Exfoliant because I vow to kiss more in 2007!!! (and smooth lips just feel better!)
5. I will deep condition my hair at least once a week for twenty minutes using the old secret recipe of grocery store olive oil (Cindy Crawford swears by this!)
6. I will try new color combinations on eyes and lips (like the new pink lippy that is Spring's must-have... (I'm liking Vincent Longo's Gel-X Lipsticks Enhanced with Lip Plumping Moisturizers in COAST because it's color, plump and shine all in one!)
7. I will finish my hair care line, LUCID, and finally launch the most fabulous organic hair products since Loreal made Kerastase!!!

Happy New Year to all of my fellow beauty whores... may this year be filled with beautiful skin, hair and make-up!!!

Santa Wishes From a Fellow Beauty Whore...

Dearest darling Santa,
The holidays always send me down memory lane. And looking through old photographs reality sank in: no matter how good I am, you're not bringing me back the skin I had when I was six. To cope with this harsh truth, please stuff your sleigh with a year's supply of MD Skincare’s Alpha Beta Face Peel in those clever travel packs (so my skin will glow no matter the time zone) and throw in a few bottles of Smashbox Photo Finish with Dermaxyl, which leaves my skin as silky as the original but now fights wrinkles and has an SPF 15 (see how good I am?). Living in the arctic you know dry skin, so out of sympathy fill my stocking with Rosebud Salve, Mustela Hydra Stick, and Nars Balancing Moisture Lotion. And I you can't forget Korres conditioner for dry hair. Tis the season for dry ends. Then indulge me a little with Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush and Delux Beauty gloss in Asher so that even in sunny Los Angeles, I can look like I just came in from the cold.

Fa la la de dah,
Alexandra

Alex

Here is where I have bought my stuff (and it seems everything is available at Sephora so I should start one-stop shopping):
MD Skincare’s Alpha Beta Face Peel - MD Skincare, nordstrom, sephora
Smashbox Photo Finish with Dermaxyl - bloomingdales
Rosebud Salve - Sephora, bath and body works
Mustela Hydra Stick - Fred Segal Beauty, Bath and Body Works
Nars Balancing Moisture Lotion - Neiman Marcus, Sephora
Korres conditioner for dry hair - Bath and Body Works, Sephora
Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush - Sephora, Nordstrom
Delux Beauty lip gloss in Asher - sephora NEVER has it so I buy it up when they do. In part because I love the color and because Asher is my middle name!

Thanks to Alex for sharing her blissful beauty wishes... and please, tell us what you'd like Santa to bring this Holiday season!

Fashion Week... LA

So I went to a couple of shows, my favorite being Ashley Paige. My fabulous friend, model extraordinaire, Caroline D'amore (left), was in the show so I was granted a back stage pass into the world of models, make-up and super slinky bikinis...
Also pictured with Caroline, Smashbox Cosmetic owner, Smashbox Studios owner and dear friend, Davis Factor. All make-up courtesy of Smashbox. I'm thinking an interview with Davis sometime very, very soon....