Kiss Kiss Beauty

Thumbs Up: Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain

2008-06-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

This product is my first foray into lip stain and I LOVE it. Cherry Tart is pure red but in a stain is totally suitable for work, but also nice with blush and clear Lipglass for a fresh evening look. Goes on liquidy but dries quickly. Keep your lip balm nearby to re-hydrate throughout the day.

Thumbs Way Up: Rachel Perry Lip Lover

2008-06-04T23:48:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how much I LOVE these lip balms. I've been using them since high school and haven't found anything more moisturizing. They smell and taste wonderful, have a bit of shine, come in a handy little tub, and that gorgeous art deco packaging makes my eyes happy. Perfection in a lip balm. I get them at my local health food store but you can find them online here.

Wednesday Web Deals

2008-06-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

Nordstrom: With your $100 beauty or fragrance purchase, receive a vibrant reversible tote plus the following deluxe samples. Online or in store. While supplies last.
Anastasia Brow Gel
Anthony Logistics for Men® Self-Tanner with Anti-Aging Complex
Clarins Sunscreen Soothing Cream SPF 20 (0.28 oz.)
Cover FX 'Skin Prep FX' Treatment & Priming Serum sample
Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel (0.1 oz.)
Freeze 24.7® IceCrystals™ Anti-Aging Prep & Polish sample
Hanae Mori 'Butteryfly' Eau de Parfum (0.04 oz.)
John Varvatos Eau de Parfum (0.05 oz.)
KORRES Natural Products Guava Body Butter (0.85 oz.)
Lancôme Hypnôse Custom Volume Mascara (0.07 oz.)
Laura Mercier Eye Colour in Sandstone (0.03 oz.)
Origins 'A Perfect World™' White Tea Skin Guardian (0.17 oz.)
PHYTO Phytodéfrisant Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm (0.5 oz.)
TanTowel Self-Tan Towelette (1 application)

Philosophy: LAST DAY to save 25% on Empowermint collection on philosophy.com. No code needed.

Stila: Free shipping on orders of $50 or more at stila.com. Coupon code: STILALOVER

Lush: Save up to 20% on skincare bundles on lush.com. Thru 6/9.

Benefit: Free shipping on orders of $50 or more at benefit.com. Thru 6/10. Coupon code: GRADUATE

Beauty Habit: Free travel size Ojon Animated Styling Cream with order of $65 or more at beautyhabit.com. Thru 6/15. Coupon code: BHOJON

Sephora: Free "King Size" sampler for Dad with purchase of $25 at sephora.com. While supplies last. Coupon code: FORHIM

Mac Cosmetics: Free shipping with any purchase at maccosmetics.com. Thru 6/15. Coupon code: TENDER8

Pink Lips II

2008-06-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

More grainy low-budget-porn-type photos of my mouth. I have to get a new camera. Here is my new favorite pink, Mac Up the Amp. Love it.

Pink Lips I

2008-06-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at Miss June's pink lips is shown above. I've realized my camera has very poor resolution. Anyway, I was happy with this outcome. I used NYC Lip Liner Pencil in 954 (a nude color), which is cheap but effective. Goes on smooth and won't budge. The lipcolor is Aveda Sari Pink, now discontinued, but try Schizandra for something similar. Method: exfoliate with wet washcloth, moisturize with lip balm, apply lip liner around edges, apply even coat of lip color, blot by kissing hand, apply a bit of clear gloss or balm for shine. Voila!

Weekly Obsession - Pink Lips

2008-06-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

I love Sephora's Miss June and her fruity pink lips. This week's goal: perfect those. (I'll save the blue eyeliner for another week. Gotta go to work, hard to wear both!) I'll keep you updated.

Sunday News: SATC Tops Weekend Box Office

2008-06-01T19:51:00.001-07:00

So I just saw Sex and The City. The fashion was sometimes breathtaking, as detailed in this NY Times piece. The movie itself...for the first half I was bored and hungry; the second half redeemed with some real moments and a message about human imperfection and forgiveness in relationships. Overall, a little long, a little much, but fun.

Sunday News: Tyra in the Times

2008-06-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

The NY Times magazine has done a brilliant bio of the inimitable model/mogul Tyra Banks. Be sure to watch the video on the linked page. Tyra explains 7 of her 275 smiles and why she wants to be like Martha Stewart. You go, girl.

Sunday News: Yves Saint Laurent Dies at 71

2008-06-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Yves Saint Laurent, whose storied career brought us trapeze dresses, Opium perfume, and everyday pants for women, has died. The New York Times has done a lovely obituary and summary of his long career. I hope wherever he is now is absolutely fabulous.

Your Weekend Look: Sexy Eyes

2008-05-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a smoky eye how-to from Ford Models and MAC. What I love is the shimmer down the center of the eyelid. Have fun!

Thumbs Up: California Baby SPF 30+ Sunblock Stick

2008-05-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been wondering if the backs of my hands are someday going to look drawn and age-spotty. I don't want them to. I've been trying to keep sunscreen on them but it's difficult because I tend to wash it off and haven't really found a good hand cream with sun protection. This California Baby Sunblock Stick is awesome because I can just swipe it on the backs of my hands before I drive or get on my bike. It's non-greasy. It is subtly white. It won't spill or leak so I throw it in my bag and am always prepared for that pesky, wonderful sun.

Thumbs Up: Vanicream Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin SPF 30

2008-05-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

Vanicream is the best facial physical sunscreen I've found. I like physical sunscreens - titanium dioxide and zinc oxide - rather than chemical ones because (a) I like to limit the chemicals I slap on my face, and (b) I just read in Lucky that most chemical sunscreens break down within a few hours and provide little protection later in the day.

Unlike other physical sunscreens I've tried, this is basically invisible when rubbed in. It goes on looking a little oily but after application of Tease Zone and makeup I looked fine all day. Good stuff.

Thumbs Down: Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral Sunscreen

2008-05-28T21:55:00.001-07:00

I was excited about this mineral powder sunscreen that can theoretically be applied over makeup when you need a sunscreen boost. Unfortunately, this product sucks. The powder comes out a ton at a time. It clumps up on my skin. It leaves a chalky beige coating the color of nude pantyhose. I'm returning it. Too bad, because I like Peter Thomas Roth's Ultra Lite Oil-Free Sunblock.

Wednesday Web Deals

2008-05-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a new Kiss Kiss feature, Wednesday Web Deals! I'll share with you all the deals I know about for online beauty shopping. Do you have some great deals too? Post and share.

Kielhl's: Free shipping on orders of $45 or more at kiehls.com. Thru 6/3/08. Coupon code: REFUEL

L'Occitane: Verbena travel gift set free with purchase of $55 or more at loccitane.com. Includes adorable mini soap, shower gel, and body cream. Thru 6/15/08. Coupon code: CITRUS

Mac Cosmetics: Free shipping on any order at maccosmetics.com. Thru 5/31/08. No coupon code needed.

Benefit: Free Some Kind-A-Gorgeous mini cream-to-powder foundation with $50 purchase at benefitcosmetics.com. Thru 6/4/08. Coupon code: PACKLITE

Clinique at Nordstrom: Free gift with Clinique purchase of $25 or more at nordstrom.com or in stores. Includes skincare samples, lipstick, cheek color, mascara, and more plus a makeup bag. In pink or bronze palettes. While supplies last. Coupon code PINK or BRONZE

Happy beauty shopping! Enjoy!

Cooling Organic Shower Gels

2008-05-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

Showers are awesome for washing away the heat and grime after a thick summer day. I love cooling herb- or mint-spiked body washes for an extra punch of cool. Here are some of my favorites, all organic, because we're all green now, right? To be even greener and save water this summer: turn off the tap while you're lathering up, turn it back on to rinse.

Luxe and Pretty: Pangea Organics Egyptian Basil and Mint Shower Gel.

Amazing Scent: Avalon Organics Rosemary Bath and Shower Gel. This has the truest, freshest rosemary scent I've encountered outside an actual rosemary bush.

Great Deal: Jason Tea Tree Satin Shower Body Wash.
Great lather, crisp scent.

Skin Miracle

2008-05-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

I've always heard that you can buy great skin, but this is the closest I've come to actually doing it. I am a huge fan of DermaDoctor products because they WORK as promised and are free of fragrances and extraneous ingredients. They are quietly amazing, without a big ad campaign, but truly better than most other product lines I've tried. My latest miracle product from this line is Calm, Cool, and Corrected (the first one is Tease Zone). Calm, Cool, and Corrected is billed as a rosacea treatment (which I don't have), but is recommended for oily skin and acne if you use the DermaWizard interactive skincare advisor on the site. All the customer reviews are excellent, and I've also read about this product on Ms. Distressed Derma's blog. I'm constantly looking for something that will get rid of the stubborn breakouts that remain even after regular retinoid and AHA treatment. This is the latest product in that struggle, and the best so far.

This cream is rich and contains shea butter but is not at all greasy, and absorbs instantly with no oily or sticky feel. There's no fragrance. I found it very soothing and moisturizing on my retinoid-treated skin. After two weeks of twice-a-day use my skin looks calmer, with fewer blotchy spots and fewer small pimples. I got one major zit, about one week after I started using the product, but I'm guessing that pimple was in development under my skin before I actually started using the cream. Another month will tell whether it prevents my monthly breakout. I wanted to share it with you sooner, though, because of positive results thus far.

The catch, and why I say I'm definitely buying great skin right now - the price is $85. The tub is a good size and will likely last several months, so it doesn't seem terribly overpriced. But it's definitely, definitely the most I've ever spent on face cream. Oh well, you know what they say, buy cheap, buy twice...hopefully this will work and I won't have to buy anything else!

Dry Hair Relief: Bumble & Bumble Super Rich

2008-05-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

Everyone has her favorite conditioner. Here's mine - Bumble and Bumble Super Rich conditioner. I got addicted to this stuff when I was growing my hair out for a year in hopes of a big afro. It's really kinky/curly and REALLY dry, especially as it gets longer. This was the only thing I found that could keep it moisturized.

Even since I abandoned my pursuit of the afro and cut my hair short again I still use this stuff. It gives my hair a soft feeling, helps define curls and reduce frizz, and smells really good. If you have naturally dry hair or dry hair because of processing and heat styling, this conditioner can probably do something for you. Highly recommended.

Crest Whitestrips Premium: Product Review

2008-05-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, after literally years of scoffing at the tooth whitening craze that has swept the nation, lately I've looked at my own teeth and thought, hmm, not so white anymore. Charla Krupp's How Not to Look Old recommends Crest Whitestrips Premium as a dentist-approved and effective solution to my off-white problem. The kit contains a 7-day course of treatment with strips to wear twice a day for 30 minutes at a time. Alas, I can't seem to find two occasions in the day to do this, so I've been doing it once a day. I think I'll get the same results, only slower.

So what's the process like? Well, the Whitestrips are these ingenious little plastic strips like textured Saran Wrap. There's one strip for top teeth and one for bottom. You peel them off of their backing and they already have the bleaching gel on them. You place strips on the top and bottom front rows of teeth (each covers ~6 front teeth) and hang out for 30 minutes.

What does it feel like? It's a little like having gel on your teeth covered with plastic wrap. Not the most pleasant, but the strips really do stay put so you're not having to fish plastic out of the back of your mouth, which I feared. There is minimal taste. The gel is made slightly sweet with saccharin, but I really don't taste much of anything at all. You can feel the bleach working, especially when you first put them on; it feels very mildly irritating on your teeth and gums. I didn't experience anything I'd call discomfort, though. Just maybe mild unpleasantness. Very manageable.

At the end of 30 minutes you take them off and throw them away. This is actually the hardest part for me because then your teeth are left coated with gel and the feeling is slightly icky. Give your mouth a good rinse and it goes away.

I've done two treatments now, and I do notice a difference already! Subtle, but I'm optimistic that results will continue to build. I've experienced only the faintest bit of tooth sensitivity, but only once or twice. Otherwise I don't notice any difference.

Hope this helps in your tooth whitening adventures! If you have any other insight please post and share.

Ford Models Beauty Tips

2008-05-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with the Ford Models channel on YouTube. Each 3- or 4-minute video features a model, sometimes a hairstylist or makeup artist, and a fabulous quick beauty tip like how to do a smoky eye or style curly hair. All the models are so breezy and perky that it's easy to like them and you could easily spend hours browsing through all the videos. Here's my favorite today, from the beautiful and funny Tomiko.

Warm Weather Comfort

2008-05-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

It was really, truly warm here this weekend! I am extremely grateful not to be chilly and am looking forward to more of the sun. Warm weather requires its own set of tools for comfort and beauty.

Two of my favorite summer purse essentials are Boscia Fresh Blotting Linens and Caudalie Eau de Raisin spray. Whip out the blotting papers to minimize mid-afternoon shine, and follow with a mist of grape-extract-infused water to cool down your lovely face. Position yourself in front of a fan for a minute and zing! instant refreshment.

Really, you need...

2008-04-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

...an eyeliner brush! How I lived without this tool for so long I have no idea. I've long been a fan of wetting an eyeshadow applicator (yes, the cheap foam ones, don't laugh) and using wet, dark eyeshadow to line my eyes. This gives a thick smudgy line that I am quite fond of.

However. I got an actual eyeliner brush this weekend just to see what all the fuss was about. I'll tell you, to my amazement, this brush gives the most crisp, beautiful, liquid-liner-like line I've ever seen. Wet the brush and use it with any eyeshadow and you have a virtually unlimited array of liner options.

Since I'm on a tight grad student budget, I bought a cheap drugstore brush, Studio Basics brand, for $2.99. But my local Aveda makeup artist highly recommends Aveda's version, $19.00.

And P.S. - I was just on Aveda's website and they have free shipping on all orders today, 4.28.08.

Elle's Green Issue

2008-04-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

Elle magazine is so fabulous, and this month's Green Issue is off-the-charts wonderful, jam-packed with green beauty, living, fashion - everything the eco-conscious girl could want to read about. A big highlight is the Elle "Green Stars," beauty pros' picks of a huge assortment of natural and organic skin and hair products and makeup.

I am dying to try: Uhma Nagri Rose Body Cream, which apparently smells intoxicatingly like roses and is ultra moisturizing.

The entire Stella McCartney CARE skincare line, which sounds fabulous. The cost has kept me away thus far, but I may have to splurge on one of the serums eventually.

And finally, as I hate the smell of nail polish remover, I'm so curious about this Priti Soy Polish Remover. Is it really an alternative to acetone? I must find out.

Has anyone used any of these products? If so, let me know what you think!

Sí o no?

2008-04-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

Dear friends, I have been out of town and busy, and am behind on posting on this blog! My apologies. A recent trip to Vancouver, B.C. opened my eyes to some beauty trends that I love, and some that I don't love. Funny how a change of scenery heightens your senses and perception.

The context of this trip was the 2008 "Cuba Baila" Rueda de Casino congress, a sort of convention for Cuban salsa. There were workshops, performances, bands, dancing, partying of all sorts...altogether, an awesome weekend. Cuban salsa is also a very hot dance, where both guys and girls move with power and sensuality. Watching people dance, and watching fabulous Vancouverites on the street, made me think more about what I consider hot and what seems stiff. Without further ado, here's my list:

Sí:
Hair in its natural state. Curly, kinky, wavy, straight - well cared-for and shiny. Anything but the predictability of a stick-straight flat-ironed blowout, please!!

Bodies with some substance. Cuban salsa is all about the body movement. Having a little bit of booty and working it is oh-so-sexy, and plus you need muscle and stamina to do this dance. The substance of the body creates the power of the dance.

Men dressing awesomely. Vancouver guys were so fashionable. Where I live, alas, men tend to exhibit an all-time low in the maintenance department. I've never seen so many scraggly beards and baggy hoodies in my life. Vancouver was a breath of fresh air, with guys in great jeans, smart eyeglasses, creative layers, dashing haircuts, and, thankfully, a system of facial hair management. (I know, this is mean, I shouldn't be so hard on the guys, but C'MON with the scraggle. :)

No:
Blowouts and straightened hair, all the time. Will this trend go away? Naturally straight hair is pretty, the occasionally glossy blowout is pretty, but insisting on straight hair day in and day out is so dull! I want to see texture and movement. NaturallyCurly.com is great for ideas and products for styling curls and waves.

High heels for day. I have come around to thinking that teetering around in heels on city sidewalks, campuses, or any other place that you have to hoof it very far just says 'trying too hard.' The occasional woman can pull it off (I actually know someone who can), but most often it looks uncomfortable and stiff. Flats and even rubber-soled flats are breezy and youthful, and sooo much more comfy for getting around.

Expensive clothes and makeup all the time. Some women showed up to dance workshops in designer jeans and tops, perfect makeup, perfect hair. They looked beautiful but also like they couldn't relax. There's a time for uber-maintenance and a time for, well, casual fun. We have to remember how to be casual or we end up feeling (or looking) like dolls on a shelf, too afraid to get messed up.

What do you think? What are your personal style sí's and no's?

P.S. For the origin of 'sí o no,' watch this hilarious video clip.

Aveda Eyeshadow: Product Review

2008-04-13T19:21:00.001-07:00

Remember Aveda? They were one of only a handful of socially conscious, natural cosmetics brands when they started way back in 1978. Now that the market is saturated with more natural and organic beauty brands than you can shake a stick at, it's easy to forget about the originals. But I love Aveda, for their amazing-smelling and effective haircare, skincare, and makeup, and because they use wind power in manufacturing, minimize product packaging, and consistently source fairly traded ingredients.

I was reminded of all this when I pulled out an old Aveda eyeshadow compact with about half of a dark, glinty blue shadow and an almost new, smoky sparkly dark grey. The compact holds four shades, and since I'm on an eyeshadow kick I had to go and get some highlighting colors to round it out. I ended up with 'Illumination,' a sheer, shimmery yellow-beige, and 'Willow,' a sheer metallic grey. The darker shades I had already are 'Grey Cosmos' and 'Blue Smoke,' which I don't see on the website currently. It's possible that Aveda produces colors seasonally, with the darker shades coming out in fall. I'm not sure, but I will check back.

So I set about creating a smoky eye with this quad of beautiful colors. I swept Illumination from eyelid to browbone, then layered Willow only on the lid. I smudged the Grey Cosmos close to the upper lashline from inner to outer corners, with more color on the outer two-thirds of the eye. Finally, I wet a foam eyeshadow applicator and stirred it around in the Grey Cosmos and used the wet shadow to line my eyes. I finished by applying Illumination to the inner corners and along the bottom lashes.

The effect was lovely! These eyeshadows are such great quality. The powder is very fine, soft, blendable, and smudgeable, and the pigments are intense so you don't have to use a lot. The wet eyeshadow makes a great eyeliner. The colors are beautiful (though somewhat limited right now) and come in both matte and shimmer. Overall, I LOVE this eyeshadow and it may be my favorite. Go get some.

Overall Scores:
Texture: A
Pigment Strength: A
Color Selection: B
Price: $11 for single eye color, $15 for duo of complementary colors, refillable compact sold separately

Photo Retouching: Creating "Beauty"

2008-04-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

You might recognize this gorgeous photo from the latest Sephora catalog. This being a beauty blog, it is helpful every once and a while to step back and examine what we think of as beautiful. What constitutes a pretty face or a beautiful body? Research on aesthetics and psychology can give us a general laundry list of "attractive" qualities - facial symmetry, a certain waist-hip ratio, skin clarity and tone, blah blah blah. You can guess how I feel about all of this.

True beauty is so much more varied than our narrow conceptualization allows for, and driven as much by our internal lives as our external features. Of course I'm not the first person to say this; just see the immensely popular Dove ads for an example of this idea driving a whole media campaign.

Even so, I don't think most of us realize how idealized most advertising images are. Take a look at these photo retouching websites and be amazed. The first one, Greg Apodaca's Digital Portfolio, has some of the most dramatic examples of retouching I found on the internet. The second, Glenn Feron - The Art of Retouching, has tons of additional examples.

I'm not saying that no one has perfect skin or an amazing body - of course there are lucky people out there who do, without retouching. But just remember that the flawless skin in the makeup ads, or the proportions of the gal on the cover of your magazine, are very likely digitally enhanced to look even more perfect than any real person could. Hopefully this helps us all go a little easier on ourselves in our quest for beauty.

Have fun with the photo retouching sites! Were you surprised?