Calling all nail artists! I received an email from good old Rite Aid today, reminding me about their nail art contest that is going on right now! I am a very crappy nail artist, but I am sure some of you out there would love to enter! Please go here: http://riteaidnails.com/?open=gallery

Good luck.. and go ahead and post some of your nail look URLs in the comment box so I can see!

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These coordinating MAC Fashion Sets are amazing gifts for yourself (hehe) or your fashionista mom for Mother’s Day.. or your best friend who has been wearing that nasty brown lipstick since 1994.

Check out the set here: http://www.maccosmetics.com/picks/backstage.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT8788

Yes, you can get the lipstick “Snob” the lipglass “Snob” and nail color to match!? This is insanity for my wallet. The St. Germain kit is also mine.. I must have the pinks!

What set would you / are you getting??

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Krista Dior's Comic-book inspired look

Now, I’m not really a comic book reader, nor am I a book reader (the A.D.D. totally gets in the way), but I love to watch Comic Book Men on AMC! Because of the show, I’ve been sort of excited about comic book culture, and each comic character’s specific look and personality. I love how comic book women are so powerful and FIERCE.

With the movie The Avengers coming out, I thought I’d throw a little inspiration into the comic book fire. This isn’t a specific character look, it is something I made up on my own.. I’ll go by the name Neon Dior. I’ll shoot white lightning bolts out of my eyes or something like that. Super power suggestions are needed!

Here’s how I did it:

I purchased a white cosplay wig on Ebay for $15 bucks. I think the wig is what really sends this look into Comic Book Character territory. The wig is cut at an angled bob, with quite long bangs. I used a metal headband to accessorize the hair since the bangs were out of control! (Of course, it is best to put the wig cap and wig on LAST)

FACE:

I do not prep with a makeup primer since my face is oily. I didn’t even use moisturizer since I sometimes sweat during long applications of makeup. (gross, I know!) I used a soft kabuki brush from Chanel to apply the liquid foundation (Beauty Society / Dazzling)  in a stippling motion. I added another coat of foundation after the first one dried. I applied MAC Studio Fix Pro powder in Shivering White. I used a MAC egg-shaped flat sponge and patted the powder on as if I was “hitting” myself. I applied quite a bit and then brushed off the excess with a dry/clean kabuki brush. My face was not completely white,  but very light, as you can see in the photos.

CHEEKS:

With an angled blush brush, I applied the Sephora Bronzer in Brun 12. It is a very dark purple/brown shade, so I only applied this to the contour of my cheeks. I added this color on the jawline and on the sides of my nose to create more contouring as the pale makeup erased all of my face’s shaping. There are many YouTube videos on how to contour the face using bronzer and highlighter if you wish to learn more.

I used a pop of color on the cheeks with Ben Nye’s Dusty Pink powder blush. This blush looks more like a coral color in the palette, but goes on pink. I love this blush for everyday use.

EYES:

• Here’s the tricky part. I used an all-over base of Kryolan’s AquaColor in White dry to wet face paint. This stuff is amazing and I use it all the time as a white eyeliner, eyeshadow base or just to have fun with. It was very inexpensive! I use a synthetic fiber flat and thin brush (Bare Escentuals)  to apply wet products to my eyes, and it works great with this particular product. When it dries, it is ready for the eyeshadow colors.
• First, I applied my crease color, which was the Stila Cobalt Blue Smudge Pot cream liner. I applied it with the same brush I used to apply the Kryolan White product, but I made sure to wash all the white product off the brush first and dry it. This doesn’t have to be perfect, but just enough so the powder eyeshadow sticks to it. I applied the EMANI brand loose eyeshadow in Ocean View to the crease with the MAC 219 Pencil brush. I then blended the eyeshadow out in an upwards motion using the new MAC Duo Fibre 286 Blending Brush (with the white tip). I find this to be the best blending brush I’ve ever used.
•  Using the synthetic brush again, I applied Calypso brand mineral eyeshadow in Lime Lite. I love the way this color really pops and brings out the blue shade of the crease color. I blended this using the MAC Duo brush again, just as I did for the blue shade.
• I went over my bottom lid with the Kryloan white again since some of it had faded or had some blue shadow transferred onto it. I winged out the edges for an added dramatic touch.
• Using the Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero, (black), I applied that to my lower inner rim and smudged that out using the MAC pencil brush and the EMANI Ocean View eyeshadow.

•  Using NYX Liquid Black Liner, I applied a heavy line to the top lid, winging that out carefully upwards.
• I applied a thin coat of MAC Zoom Fast Black mascara to top and bottom lashes, waited for that to dry, the applied the Ardell lashes in #138.. which I did not like. They were very hard to work with and very synthetic-feeling. I won’t purchase those again! I’ll stick with my MAC lashes next time. I applied a light coat of mascara after the lash glue dried to give them more volume and length.

EYEBROWS:

I did something a little different here. I applied a dark brown matte MAC eyeshadow to the front portion of the brows then followed the arch and end of brow with the Avon Midnight Blue eyeliner pencil.

LIPS:  The FUN part at last!

The lips were easy. I took the Avon Midnight Blue eyeliner and lined my lips, smudging to lighten the harsh edge with my fingertip. I applied more liner to fill in the rest of my lips. I mixed on the back of my hand, the EMANI Ocean Blue loose eyeshadow and the MAC Mirror gloss and applied with a lip brush. After I blended well, I dabbed a tiny bit of the MAC gloss in the middle of my bottom lip to create more shine.

If you liked this look, Pin this on your Pinterest page, share on Facebook with your pals! Thank you for your support.. please, if you have requests for makeup looks or have questions, post them below!

XOXO -Krista Dior

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People that see me on a daily basis aks me, “How do you keep the red in your hair? It never fades!”. Well, honey, there are a couple unknown facts you need to know first.

Biologically, my hair is naturally red, but it is not bright, nor is it anything close to what I’ve got on my head these days. My natural hair color does help when roots start to grow in, and it does blend better with the red dye.

How do I get my hair so vibrant?

I start off with a base color. I recently was introduced to a fabulous new product from Revlon called Revlon Luminista Light Red #160. This color is gorgeous on its own and I did wear the shade without adding any other color to it for a few weeks. It is a red shade made for dark hair, so it does work rather well as far as lifting your current hair color and depositing this copper shade. It looked exactly as it did on the woman on the box. (When does THAT ever happen?) And, the dye is less than $5 per box. Buy it online at Drugstore.com, because it is near impossible to find it in the store.

As this color started to fade gradually, I bleached a strip of hair underneath my bangs, as you can see in the photo that there are highlights. I didn’t have to get the bleached section totally white, but just a few shades lighter than it already was.

After I washed the bleach out of the bangs, I washed my hair with the Coloure Clarifying Shampoo (only available in Planet Beauty stores) to strip any oils, bleach residue or product residue out of my hair.

Of course, the highlights are optional, but they really bring depth to the hair color, especially when you are going “brighter”.

The secret!

The secret to the color is the demi and semi-permanent dyes that I use to “stain” the hair. They contain no chemicals and do not lift the hair. They are deposit-only colors. Think of it as dying Easter eggs.  I also use these dyes mixed with my regular conditioner every time I wash my hair to refresh the color. Yes.. this is my secret. How do you do this?

Products: Raw Sunset Orange from Hot Topic.  This is a demi-permanent hair dye that claims to last 3 to 6 weeks. Currently, this product is sold out, and I am not sure if that means that it is also discontinued. There are similar colors from other brands that I could try if this is the case.

Punky Colour Bright Yellow Semi-Permanent Hair Dye. This dye adds the “sunny” highlights to the hair. It really boosts the glow factor!

I mixed half of the bottle of the Sunset Orange and  probably 1/3 of the Bright Yellow in a plastic bowl. With a tinting brush, I started painting on the dye, starting at the roots, on towel-dried hair. You need to wear rubber gloves so the dye does not stain your skin.

I work the dye through my hair by “squishing” it through the strands. Make sure your hair is totally saturated and put on a plastic shower cap. You can choose to use heat if you want to sit under a dryer or use a hair dryer on a low heat setting. I use a portable heat-bonnet (found on ebay) for about 10-15 minutes, but if I am unable to do that, I’ll wait about and hour to 2 hours without heat.

Rinse the product out of your hair with cool water until the water is almost clear. Your hair will feel very soft and conditioned, so you can choose whether or not to add more conditioner. The cool water helps seal in the color and add shine.

After Care: To keep your hair shiny and vibrant long-term, there are a few things you have to do in order to maintain the color.  Most importantly, a sulfate-free shampoo will help so that the dye does not fade so quickly. I use Pureology Nanoworks Shampoo and Conditioner, which is a bit pricy, but you can find good deals at Planet Beauty in-store. They sometimes have a deal where you can get the conditioner half-off with the purchase of the shampoo, but don’t quote me on that! It is best to call ahead to see when their next Pureology special will be. You may try other sulfate-free shampoos at your own risk!

Every two weeks or so, I do a clarifying shampoo with the Coloure brand Clarifying shampoo, which WILL strip your color, but it does reduce the product build-up. I will sometimes mix this shampoo with my regular Pureology shampoo and cut down the stripping.

Refresh the color in the shower: I bought a bunch of bottles with tips (look like hair dye bottles) from a store called Harbor Freight Tools. These great bottles are used to mix my semi/demi-permanent hair dyes for use in the shower when refreshing color. I mix about two tablespoons of the Sunset Orange and one tablespoon of the Bright Yellow (just eyeball it, doesn’t have to be perfect) and about three pumps of the Pureology Conditioner. I mix this up in the bottle, add a little water if it is too thick, and I apply this on my hair after shampooing. I put my hair up in a shower cap and wait about 5 minutes.. while I shave my legs, etc.

This is the secret to maintaining the bright hair color.. it will still fade a little, but not as much as it would if you weren’t doing the refresher color in the shower. Making your own color-enhancing conditioner will help you save time and money. I do not recommend washing your hair daily since your hair color will strip faster. I only wash my hair every three days and sometimes I will skip doing a color-refresher if I don’t have any time.

TIPS: Stock up!! I bought 4 boxes of the Revlon Luminista since the color is popular and hard to find. I bought two bottles each of the semi/demi permanent hair color also. It will help save on shipping costs and you won’t have to worry about purchasing products so often. Use a shine serum on damp hair, like the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Hair Serum. It really glosses up that ravishing red shade and protects it from heat, sun and styling damage.

Good luck, and please post in the comments area below for any questions or concerns you may have!

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So much of people’s self esteem is based on their outward appearance, and with today’s amazing advances in plastic surgery, many are people are able to modify the way they look and correct whatever perceived flaws they are insecure about. Many people feel like they need to look a certain way, or have the urge to conform to certain stereotypes perpetuated by Hollywood and pop culture, and this has lead to major increase in plastic surgery trends in recent years. People want to look a certain way, and changing how they look with plastic surgery is very possible nowadays. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported that in 2011 alone, 9.2 million surgical procedures were performed. Out of these, a total of $10 billion was spent on cosmetic surgery and according to their forecast this number will continue to rise. Here’s another startling fact – nearly 5% of ALL women in the United States have breast implants!

Plastic surgery is often associated with celebrities for two reasons: because they are usually the ones who have the means to pay for it, and also they have the need to maintain a certain physical appearance – not just for their own self-esteem but for work.

In recent times, many high profile figures have been plagued by rumors of going under the knife. Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj are just a few celebrities who are constantly hounded by the media and general public.

Some celebs get plastic surgery that may look obvious to plastic surgeons, but it’s not obvious to the general public. If the celeb in questions wants to deny the accusation, it is actually seems plausible that they might in fact be telling the truth. However, with Nicki Minaj, it’s pretty obvious even to the untrained eye. Hip-hop divas are notorious for having a lot of “booty”, however, genetics has its limits. Plus, not only are pictures worth a 1,000 words, they are also like George Washington in that they cannot tell a lie!  Just have a look and judge for yourself – doesn’t take much more evidence than this photo:

Nicki Minaj Plastic Surgery Before and After Photos

Photo Credit

However, there is one technicality about Nicki’s booty worth noting; she is often accused of having buttock implants, but she almost certainly has had a Brazilian Butt Lift. This procedure in like butt implants in that in augments the booty, however it is a bit different. Instead of using silicone or saline implants, it involves liposuctioning fat out the problem areas on the body such as the tummy, love handles, etc. and re-injecting that same fat into the buttocks. This procedure is a popular alternative to butt implants because it does not involve inserting a foreign object into one’s body, uses one’s own body fat so it feels realistic, and the fact that it trims down the waist and other problem areas is of course an added bonus.

Looks like Nicki has some work on her face as well, particularly her nose:

Nicki Minaj Nose Surgery Before and After Photo

Photo Credit

Speaking of cosmetically enhanced booties – what about the infamous rear end of the world famous Ms. Kim K. ? While genetics had blessed her with a naturally curvy derriere, it is almost certainly not natural. It was fine to begin with, but Kim decided she wanted more – and that’s exactly what her doctors gave her!

Kim Kardashian Plastic Surgery Photos Before and After

Photo Credit

This is a pretty drastic difference, hard to deny, but Kim does anyway. She denies the accusations vehemently. Apparently, Kim has proven several times that she did not get butt implants – however, as Dr. Anthony Yun has pointed out, just because she didn’t get butt implants doesn’t she didn’t have an autologous fat transfer to her buttocks (Brazilian butt lift) instead.

So if it’s so obvious, why do these celebrities deny, deny, deny? Why the negative stigma attached with plastic surgery? Let’s be real: EVERYBODY is judged by their physical beauty, especially women. Plastic surgery is seen by some as “superficial” and a “skuzzy” thing to do. However, this does not have to be the case. It’s hard for someone to feel good about their flaws with so much constant negative reinforcement from society and the media. If plastic surgery helps someone feel better about themselves and improves their quality of life, who are we to judge? Don’t get the wrong idea – there are some definite negative aspects with plastic surgery. It is expensive, can be risky, etc. However, as long as it does not become an addiction or obsession, what’s the harm? It’s their body and they have a the right to do with it as they choose. If you could magically fix whatever it is you don’t like about yourself wouldn’t you do it?

This article was a guest post courtesy of YourGuidetoPlasticSurgery.com. We hope you enjoyed it!

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Every spring, I go on a great adventure to find a new handbag. I don’t care about the designer, the fabric (or sometimes the cost).. as long as I scream a little bit inside when I first lay my eyes on it. I found a variety of nice bags today, varying in price.. but it all came down to one.

This awesome Furla Candy Mini Bag With Shoulder Strap was really killing me. I love it, but the keyword here is “mini”. I am not a “mini” handbag carrier. I carry my whole life in my bag, so this wasn’t going to cut it.

Super fierce design with the gold pyramid studs and rubber material. A little too expensive for me to buy as a mini bag ($100 on ebags.com on sale) so I bit my lip and skipped it.

Yet another Furla bag caught my eye. The Furla Royal Bauletto bag really was calling out to me.
The gold snap detail, the nice-sized handles and cool-looking tan corners looked like something I’d be proud to carry around. Very classy design. Leather with a 1 year warranty. Ahh.. it was in my online cart until something else jumped out at me!

I do however, almost feel like I still want this bag. I don’t have a ton of cash to splurge on this one at $290 (on sale at ebags.com), but it does look expensive and unique, so I feel the price is just about right. Original price is listed at $480.

I’ve wanted the bigger sister version of this bag for quite some time. The chevron stripes, metallic detail and the antiqued hardware and leather rocked my socks off. The Fossil Vintage Re-Issue Flap is unfortunately too small for me. The bigger version had handles like the Furla bag above. Too bad it is out of stock everywhere and too expensive if you do manage to find it.

The bag is nice, and the price isn’t too bad at $140, down from $208 on ebags.com. Gotta skip it.. won’t fit all my junk! (OK, makeup.. not junk!)

This was HARD to delete from my cart. This sexy as hell, bomshell red leopard print handbag was ONLY $34. WHAT? Yeah, so I looked at it for a minute or two and decided it wasn’t really what I needed.

The Koret Handbags Leopardy Satchel is a total steal in my opinion. The 100% Polyurethane bag would be a great weekend fun bag, but I had to pass it up and continue the great hunt.  Oh man.. even the inside is lined in leopard print!
Still looking at the Koret handbag collection, I came across this unique piece. I almost bought this.. SO CLOSE. I love the two-tone shades of rich red and dark gray. The colors look so modern and couture together. I really wanted this and still do!

The Koret Handbags Top Handle Satchel has amazing leopard print on the inside to top it all off. The bag looked slightly smaller than what I wanted, so I did decide to skip it. 100% Polyurethane.. surprising right? It looks so much like leather. On sale for only $41.24! Ebags.com

Ok.. drumroll for the final pick!

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Are you a fan of Anastasia products? Well, you’re in luck today! There’s a new product in town called the “Wish you were here” kit.

The limited edition Wish You Were Here kit includes the Pacific Coast Illumin8 Shadow Palette inspired by Anasatsia’s first years in Los Angeles. The soft watery and warm sandy hues in the Pacific Coast Palette can be described as nothing less than beachy!

http://anastasia.net/product.php?productid=16210

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Ok, ladies.. I need to know if these things work. Tan tights by a brand called Skin Kiss. From Yahoo! Shopping, they state how these tights give you a tan:

How they work: Microfibers in the tights contain a mix of DHA, Aloa and Erythrulose, leaving legs tanned after wearing them for two hours.

Really? I’m a little intimidated and intrigued. What’s the scoop on these, anyone?

Apparently you can buy them here at http://www.tightsplease.co.uk/ and I just saw some adorable tights with a cherry pattern. Sexy!

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xoxo!

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It’s that time again! I chose my top favorite beauty products for the year, as I do every year, and this time around I have safe skincare and makeup in mind.  I will now be labeling products that I review with key ingredients, safe or unsafe, because I care about the well-being of my readers and friends! Let’s get on with the list! Be sure to scroll down to leave a comment about your favorites!

Face: Foundation & Powder

This was a hard choice this year. After going to France in May, my view on makeup and skincare was a bit skewed since I found the Yves Rocher store at the train station. I wanted everything and believed there was nothing better. I came back down to Earth and realized that there is still some other stuff to try and I found more favorites!

Beauty Society Liquid Foundation in “Dazzling” - Beauty Society is not a very well-known line, but it definitely should be. All of my skincare comes from this line! If you knew what it took for me to actually obtain this foundation, you would not be very happy! I ordered the product in July and did not receive it until October because it was on back order. It is probably the best foundation I’ve ever used in the 22 years I’ve been using liquid foundation. Well worth the wait for its arrival!  No parabens! Here is the description on the Beauty Society website.. you should be impressed: Formulated with an unheard of 10 anti-aging ingredients including the hottest ingredient in anti-aging, Apple Stem Cell Technology. This oil-free, color correcting, flawless,long wearing liquid makeup is beautiful and extremely beneficial for your skin, Contains Apple Stem Cells, Vitamins A, C, & E, Ceraminds, Co-Q-10, white tea, biotin, bisabolol and phytosphingosine this product will forever be your favorite liquid foundation.

Keep in mind that I have extremely acne-prone skin and I have to be careful what I apply on it. This foundation is thick and concentrated, so it works well when mixed with a tinted moisturizer or lighter foundation. I like to use my fingertips to blend the makeup and warm it up into my skin. I love this stuff to death! Even when the product was on back order, Beauty Society was kind enough to keep in touch with me to let me know they were sorry for the delay. When the shipment arrived, I had a bonus vial of the Success Oil perfume, which I really love! (Comes in a nice glass pump bottle)

To order Beauty Society (online only!) , please use this link to view my friend’s Beauty Society store!

Honorable Mention: Jane Iredale Liquid Minerals. 

This gel type foundation with Algae, Willow Bark and other natural agents has been a long-time favorite of mine, but it is very lightweight, so a thicker foundation or powder foundation may be needed for those who need extra coverage. For those lucky enough to have nice skin, but just need an even tone, this is great worn alone. I prefer to use fingers or flat-top foundation brush when applying to break the product up.  I notice a difference in my skin after using both the B.S. foundation mentioned above along with this Jane Iredale mineral foundation.. there were fine lines on my face at some point a few months ago, which I suspect was only dehydrated skin, but those are gone and I don’t want to find them again for many, many years to come!

Best Powder Foundation: Jane Iredale Amazing Base

Yup.. Iredale once again! Actually, a lot of things on this list will be from Jane Iredale, so I might start sounding a little irritating. I’ve gone through three jars of this in about a year, and I do use the product several times during the day, so I’d say this is a pretty good deal.

This is an incredible loose mineral foundation with UVA/UVB broad-spectrum sun protection. It provides exceptional coverage of any distraction including redness and brown spots. (Yes, freckles, too!) Free of oil, talc, dyes and parabens! Ideal for those who suffer from skin conditions such as eczema and rosacea! UVA/UVB SPF 20 gives broad-spectrum sun protection, which is really important. You should also know that this foundation is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation. I really don’t know of any other foundation that has that type of stamp of approval on it.

Jane Iredale products are available to try at some Planet Beauty stores, and available online at Beauty.com and Nordstroms.

Honorable Mention: Maybelline Dream Matte Pressed Powder

Unfortunately, I love this stuff but the ingredients are horrible. Five different parabens, including the biggie, Methylparaben. Parabens are known to cause cancer… I have creams from health stores that contain parabens that also have a warning label on them about cancer, so these ingredients can appear on products that also contain natural ingredients. I try to stay far, far away from parabens, but it is very hard to avoid. When I am out of this product, I will not purchase again. Though the subject of parabens is controversial, it is said through several sources that studies indicate that methylparaben applied on the skin may react with UVB leading to increased skin aging and DNA damage. Why am I awarding this product with an honorable mention? It looks great, wears fantastic and the price is awesome.

Ingredients: Talc, Nylon-12, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Magnesium Stearate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Methylparaben, Triisocetyl Citrate, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben. May contain: Mica, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide.

Face: Primer

Best Face Primer: Jane Iredale Absence Oil Control Primer

If your foundation tends to change its color later in the day, it is because of the secretion of oil. To keep oily skin under control in a natural way, try the Jane Absence oil control primer! The scent of the product is beautiful to begin with and the application process is in itself very relaxing.

Ingredients: Ethyl Macadamiate, Mica (CI 77019), Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide (CI 77947), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Dimethicone, Ozokerite, Beeswax (Apis Mellifera), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla Cera) Wax (Candelilla), Hydrated Silica, Silicone Powder, Boron Nitrate, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Starch (Wheat), Tribehenin, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract (Kelp), Punica Granatum Extract (Pomegranate), Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract (Green Tea), Syringa Vulgaris Extract (Lilac), Stearic Acid, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Bisabolol (L-Alpha).

Eye Shadow Base

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion – Eden

An eye prep product that provides smoother, longer-lasting, and absolutely crease-proof eyeshadow—and is now offered in a very-wearable, tawny, matte hue.

Why I love it: If Journey could write a song about this product, it would go something like this: Oh, Eden, our love holds on HOLDS ON, HOLDS ON! I basically pushed my original Primer Potion aside and made room for this gem. This works beyond my expectations! This is a Krista Dior award winner two years in a row!

Eye Care

Beauty Society Immortal Eyes

If you’re like me, you complain about small-sized eye creams that are way too expensive. After purchasing the Immortal Eyes cream, 1 oz., from Beauty Society, I have not tried anything else on my eyes! Combats wrinkles, sun damage and sagging with results in 28 days… so they claim…but I definitely noticed tighter eyes with smoother skin. The product contains time-released ceramides, peptides and high concentrations of Vitamins A, C, E and CoQ10. The high-quality ingredients in this eye cream make it a winner in my book! When you’re done with the bottle, you don’t throw it away, you order the refill! Awesome. $49.50 for the product, $42 for the product refill!

 Mascara

Yves Rocher Extra-Volume Mascara

On my trip to France, I bought this mascara at a train station in the lovely Yves Rocher store. I was in LOVE with this and used it throughout my trip and continued to love it back at home until it was all gone! I absolutely love this mascara and I need a new tube! Luckily, I can purchase it online from the New York headquarters and Y.R. gives you so many free gifts that it makes Clinique look stingy. I bought a lot of Christmas gifts through their mail-order catalog as well, which was full of discounts. My birthday month discount was insane. I love this brand!

Brow Product

I’ve flip-flopped my hair color around so much this year that it makes most people dizzy. I went from Platinum Blonde to Burgundy, to Copper to a True Red. I’ve had to adjust my eyebrow shades accordingly! I have very sparse eyebrows, so I need product on them or I can’t leave the house. There are a few products I’ve tried this year and loved:

NYX Auto Eyebrow Pencil : If you’re looking for an inexpensive product with excellent quality, this is your perfect match! The product swivels up out of the plastic pencil, so no sharpening is required. The product is also a flat shape so you can achieve thinner lines if desired. It wears very well and I’ve ordered two more in darker shades to use on clients and for myself as I need one shade darker for the new hair color.

MAC Penultimate Brow Marker: For the sophisticated Chola, this pen is a dream come true! Ha! This pen gives you a very natural look without the “clown brows” look that most people associate with eyebrow markers. This is one of my most favorite brow products of all-time and I really do hope this product becomes available in more shades.

Color Line

I’ve purchased a lot of makeup this year (and received many blogger perks and gifts!) and I’ll have to say that I’ve been very impressed with both  Stila and Beauty Society‘s color quality and selections (photo on left), and work well for easy everyday wear. I am also a huge fan of Make Up For Ever for when I need something dramatic for the weekends or photos. These are my go-to brands for daily use! My favorite product from these lines would have to be the Bamboo Palette from Beauty Society, complete with an eyeshadow quad smokey eye kit, bronzer and blush. I used this palette for my bridal clients as well as myself on a daily basis. The bamboo compact is refillable and very durable. I find it easy to throw in my bag when I go on trips..although I wish it had an area for a lip product!

Another makeup palette that I love is the Sephora Makeup Studio Blockbuster kit. The quality of Sephora’s products has improved, and it really made an impact on the value of this kit. The eyeshadows are superb as well as the lip products included. Everything in this kit is pretty great except the brushes are useless except for the lip brush. Great makeup artist kit or for someone who needs a fresh new start!

Hair Products

Flat Iron:  Hands down, the GHD Gold Professional 1 inch flat iron is the best of the best. I still love my Angelique flat iron, but since I’ve been doing curls on extensions these days, the GHD works best for that and anything else I need to do.

Hair Dryer:  The HANAair Professional Hair Dryer.. thanks to the folks at misikko.com for sending me this wonderful dryer and MANY free gifts for my readers! This HANA hair dryer has to be the best dryer I’ve ever owned. I didn’t know how powerful a dryer could be until I used this for the first time. I have hair extensions and I cannot leave my hair damp, so this dryer has made it possible for me to completely dry my hair in minutes with no damp areas left. Please check out the site for the sale price and read the rave reviews on this dryer as well.

Hair Serum:  I heard that Rusk products are only available at places like Cosmo Prof., where you need a license to enter the premises. I went into the store with a friend and found a really great product by Rusk called Rusk Thermal Serum.  It doesn’t leave my hair / extensions greasy and it does provide thermal protection.

Shampoo:  The best shampoo I’ve used this year is the Coloure Clarifying Shampoo (in the green bottle). I can’t find this shampoo for purchase on the internet, but I get mine from Planet Beauty stores at my local mall. It really cleanses the scalp and leaves your hair feeling fresh for a few days. I only use this once per week as it does strip your hair of dye.. but since I get heavy build-up, I feel it is well worth it to use this shampoo to get rid of the waxy texture that builds up on my extensions.

Conditioner : I’ve ready many articles this year and last about how drugstore conditioners are still “okay” for your hair. I strongly disagree with this. Ingredients are very important to me, and most of the conditioners that I’ve been reading about that are well under the $10 dollar range have made my hair feel great for ONE day and then my hair starts to get a dull look to it from the waxy buildup that attracted dirt and crap from the environment. My scalp becomes nasty and waxy with a thick film on it when I use Aveeno’s new line of conditioners. The bathtub even has a ring around it with a waxy, foamy substance. SO, I am sticking to my expensive but worth-it favorite, Pureology Nanoworks Conditioner.  It doesn’t put fake waxy stuff on it, it just moisturizes it mildly for frequent use.

Treatment : I use a deep conditioner a few times per week… and I’m not sure how long I’ve been using this stuff, maybe over 10 years. Thing is, you can’t just buy this off of the shelf. My mom has been dying her hair for many years with L’Oreal Preference dye (honestly, I wouldn’t put that dye on my head, but she loves it) but she doesn’t like the tube of conditioner that comes with the dye, so I have inherited many tubes of the conditioner, which is thick, nourishing and sooooo good. The ingredients.. eh, I haven’t looked at them to be honest! I emailed L’Oreal to ask what the conditioner was and if I could purchase it separately and they haven’t answered me back at all on that!

Hair Dye: I went from white platinum blonde to bright vibrant red in 2011. I recently had my hair dyed by a stylist in San Jose with Joico Vero Hair Dye. Not sure what color she applied, but I plan on going to Cosmo Prof. soon and checking out more colors. The color was vibrant, rich and lasted for a pretty long time through many washes. Note that Joico dyes can be purchased at a professional store only and on ebay/Amazon.

 Nail Color

LeChat Perfect Match UV Gel Nail Color… nails down my favorite nail color! It was first used on me in a cheap nail salon, but when they charged me $20 just for the UV color, I was shocked. I went ahead and bought my own UV lamp on ebay (36 WATT UV Acrylic Shellac & Gel Polish Nail Dryer) at only $24. The entire line is great and I believe in order for the system to work well, you have to use all of the items in conjuncture with each other. Here is what I purchased on ebay as well:

• LeChat Nobility Gel Cleanser Nail Prep (about $12 on ebay)
• LeChat Nobility Competition Gel Prime Bond (about $10 on ebay)
• LeChat Perfect Match Clear Base Gel & Top Gel Sealer (about $30 for both on ebay)
• LeChat Nobility Soak Off Remover (about $10 on ebay)
• LeChat Perfect Match GEL Nail Polish (about $15 on ebay) The color comes with a matching nail laquer for your toes!

These products deserve their own post here because it is a little more advanced than just applying a regular nail laquer. There are steps involved that are important for application. When done right, your nail color should last 2+ weeks without chipping. You must have the UV light in order to cure the UV Gel colors. The products are a little expensive, but worth it in the end when you are able to quickly change your own colors at home without an appointment. Here is a great YouTube video from LeChat on how to use the products. See the links below on how to prep, apply and remove the colors:

Le Chat Perfect Match Tutorial Part 1 : Prepping the Nails

Le Chat Perfect Match Tutorial Part 2 : Application

Le Chat Perfect Match Tutorial Part 3: French Manicure

Le Chat Perfect Match Tutorial Part 4: Removing the Color

Well, that is it for 2011… on to 2012 later! Spring colors are popping up everywhere and I’m dying to get my hands on them! Comment below on your thoughts regarding my picks for last year’s faves!

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