Hey all! Brown Bombshell Beauty is currently going through a major makeover! The site will be down for the next few days, but check back later in the week for a new and improved Brown Bombshell Beauty! Thanks for your patience!
Phyto Friends and Family Sale
It's that time of year! Time for the annual Phyto Friends and Family Sale! The sale starts today at 9am EST and runs through Wednesday at 5pm EST.
You can can crazy good deals on TONS of luxurious Phyto products. Last year I went Phyto crazy and stocked up on PhytoSpecific Hair Relaxer, which is nearly 50% off again this year!
My other top Phyto picks include Phytonectar Oil Treatment, $18, Phytolaque Soie Hairspray, $10.80 and PhytoSpecific Intense Nutrition Mask, $16.80.
Be sure to head over to the sale and pick up your goodies because supplies won't last!
Product Love: L'Oreal Elnett Hair Spray
For me, L'Oreal Elnett Hairspray, $15 was one of those cult products I'd heard about for years but never had the chance to use. And not because I didn't try! This coveted spray didn't become available in the US until this year, and now I see what all the hype was about. This stuff is amazing!
My short hair needs hairspray to keep my curls from falling, and Elnett does the job without being stiff or crunchy. I can comb through my hair with no problem, and my curls still stay put!
This is definitely one of the better hairsprays out there, and I'll be keeping it in beauty stash from now on. Right now, Elnett is only available at Target stores and at Target.com, but I hear that it will be available soon in other stores. So keep an eye out!
Bargain Beauty: GVP Silk Remedy vs. CHI Silk Infusion
I recently have come to the realization that my beauty spending is way out of control. Like, way out of control. So, I've been pinching pennies where I can, and have made some great beauty discoveries along the way. So, I'll be sharing these with you in a new series called Bargain Beauty!
My first Bargain Beauty discovery was found at Sally Beauty Supply (I have a feeling that I'm going to find a lot of great things there!). My friend and hairstylist Monica swears by CHI Silk Infusion, and with good reason. It protects the hair from heat, and gives great shine.
So imagine my surprise and delight to find a less expensive equally effective alternative! GVP Silk Remedy has the same exact ingredients, and gives me the same glossy hair when flat ironing. And a little goes a long way so I'll have this bottle for a long time! GVP Silk Remedy has become a staple in my hairstyling routine. Try a little dab of this before you flat iron, and you'll love the results!
Want me to help you find a Bargain Beauty steal? Email me at brownbombshellbeauty@gmail.com, and I'll find you a cheaper alternative. You could be featured on the site!
The Bombshell Files: Brow Guru Rashida B.
Hey beauties! Welcome to another installment of The Bombshell Files! I had the extreme pleasure of meeting brow guru Rashida B. at The Artist Summit in Chicago last month, and I knew I just had to feature her on Brown Bombshell Beauty!
Not only has Rashida B. has been featured in Vogue, In Style, Lucky, Allure and tons more publications, but she opened Chicago's first (and still only) eyebrow studio. A licensed esthetician and certified makeup artist, Rashida was also the first to bring lush lash extensions to the Windy City.
Despite all her many accomplishments, Rashida was one of the nicest, humblest people I'd ever met (pic coming soon!), and was nice enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for Brown Bombshell Beauty readers! Check it out!
When and how did you decide to begin a career in the beauty industry?
I've always wanted to be in the beauty industry, for as long as I can remember but my parents wanted me to attend college first so it took me a little while to get here.
How did you develop a specialty in eyebrows?
I went to aesthetics school because I really loved makeup and skincare, but halfway through the program I realized that they didn't really the in-depth makeup education that I had expected so I enrolled in Columbia College's makeup artistry program where I discovered if the brows were "off" it took away from the makeup. My instructor Lori Neapolitan was also a brow "fiend" and she fed into my need to to sculpt the perfect arches. It was she that suggested I pursue it. I study faces all the time, I practiced like crazy doing tons and tons of girl's night out events too.
Tell us about your brow salon.
I only have a brow studio The B Spot Chicago, it's a private by appointment only studio. I like to take my time with my client and give them that one on one attention a lot of times they'll have beauty questions beyond just their brows. In Miami I rent a space when I go down, and I do house calls but it's also by appointment only. The person that just walks into any old place off the street to have their brows down is not my client. My clients would never, they value their brows much more than that. They realize how important the perfect brow shape is to their over all appearance.
Just the types of brows they request. Chicagoans prefer a more "natural" brow, while my in-the-media clients and those in Miami of for a "sculpted" or glamour brow. They also have their brows done much more often.
You've also been noted for your expertise in lash extensions. Tell us what we should know about this increasingly popular service!
Don't shop for the cheapest price, you truly get what you pay for. I can't tell you how many clients who have come in after going to a bargain salon with adhesive on their eyelids or lashes glued and clumped together. Find out if your technician is certified ask them what brand they use then check that brands website to see if they are listed. Request some before and after photos. I had my photos on my digital camera so the clients knew they were my photos and not some that I downloaded from the web.
Many thanks to Rashida B. for her time! For more on Rashida B. and her services visit her at RashidaB.com!
Hot Beauty Brand: Inglot Cosmetics
Hey beauty lovers! If you haven't already heard, a super-hot European cosmetics company has just hit the U.S. and it's primed to yank MAC out of it's spot. What is this brand, you ask? Why, it's Inglot Cosmetics!
Inglot may be new to most Americans, but it is THE hottest brand in Europe.The Polish-based brand has over 250 stores in Australia, Europe, Canada, Dubai and Asia.
A flagship Inglot store was recently opened in Times Square in NYC. To give you an idea of how serious Inglot's plans are to takeover Times Sqaure and the beauty game, they signed on for a 10 year lease. Whoa.
One of the most innovative things about Inglot is their Freedom System. The Freedom System allows you to create a customized palette of eyeshadows, blushes and more, in a variety of palette sizes from small to large. While at the Artist Summit in Chicago last month, I was able to pick up a customized Freedom System from the Inglot booth.
I decided to focus on eyeshadows, and went for a range of colors, from neutrals to brights. The case is seriously sturdy and the lid is magnetically attached, so it can withstand being tossed in a purse or beauty bag. Plus, the palettes are stackable, so you can carry more than one at a time! The colors are pigment-rich and have great color payoff. I'm not sure what the regular retail of a Freedom System is, but I believe I purchased mine at a special rate of about $40 or so, which is a lot less than what I would pay for a palette of 10 MAC eyeshadows!
Inglot's American website isn't up and running yet, but there are plans to open several stores in the US, so be on the lookout for an Inglot near you! In the mean time, check out these pics of the Times Square Inglot Flagship store!
Store Photos: Yelp
Product Love: Mizani AM/PM Duo
Ok, so Mizani is totally my new favorite hair care brand for daily maintenance products, and I've found two more products to love!
While in Beauty Brands I came across this Mizani moisturizing duo at the awesome price of of $22. I've been curious about the Rose H2O Conditioning Hairdress and H2O Nigh-Time Treatment for the longest, and I figured this package deal was the best way to try them out. 40% off? Sign me up!
Both of these creams are super light and have an slightly whipped texture, which is great because it never leaves my hair feeling weighed down. H2O Intense can be used a couple of times a week, and I always wake up with hair that is softer than the night before. When I need a little shine with my moisture, I use the Rose H2O in the morning before styling.
If you'd like to give these a try, look for the pre-packaged duo at your local Beauty Brands!
Beauty Find: Yankee Candle Lip Balm
Over the weekend I came across my latest beauty discovery in the most unlikely place: Yankee Candle. I was at the register paying for my candles, when I spotted what looked like teeny, tiny candles. Upon closer inspection I realized that they were the most delicious, adorable looking lip balms I'd ever seen!
Yankee Candle Lip Balm, $4 comes in the same popular scents as their candle counterparts, and they actually taste like them too! I picked up Black Cherry, but they're also available in Sweet Strawberry, Vanilla Cupcake, Buttercream and Vanilla Lime. I smelled all of the flavors, and I want them all!
These luscious balms are chock full of ultra nourishing palm oil, olive oil, hemp oil, Vitamin E and rosemary extract. And it has a sunscreen of SPF 15! Could these things be any better for the cold winter months? I think not!
Not only should you pick up a couple for yourself, but these teeny little gems would make great, affordable stocking stuffers for the upcoming holiday season. So get thyself over to Yankee Candle to pick up the deliciousness that is these lip balms! Your lips will thank you!
Face Saver: Acne Free Sensitive Terminator
I woke up the other day with a huge pimple on my chin. And not one of those run-of-the-mill pimples either. I had a hard, cystic pimple that I knew was going to take forever to get rid of.
Luckily, while perusing the beauty isle of Bed Bath & Beyond, I came across Acne Free Sensitive Terminator, $5. This gentle but effective blemish cream gel targets both pimples and blackheads. Which is a major plus in my book!
After the first night of using this my pimple had gone down significantly and my blackheads had disappeared too. It's been about 3 days and my pimple is the size of a tiny whitehead. And even better, there's no dark spot! Yay!!!
I'll definitely be keeping this in my beauty stash for those time-of-the-month blemishes that always seem to pop up. If you're dealing with blemishes and need something that will work fast without tearing your face up, give this a try!
Cover Girl Blast Pre-Sale Today!
Hey Bombshells! I've got great beauty news! Cover Girl will begin an exclusive online preview of the new Blast Collection featuring Smoky ShadowBlast, ShineBlast Lip Gloss and LashBlast Length Mascara.
The line was created under the direction of uber-makeup artist and Brown Bombshell, Pat McGrath. Which comes as no surprise, as I LOVE Lash Blast volumizing mascara, and only a beauty genius could give me such lush lashes!
Now for the fab part! My fabulous Brown Bombshell Beauty readers can be some of the first to try the new products! Just log-on to covergirl.com/blastpresale to order these exclusive new products before they're released in January!
Check out the new Blast collection!
ShineBlast Lipgloss
- The patented ShineSculpt™ is a uniquely shaped applicator that delivers more shine in a single swipe than the leading gloss
- Flexible scoop applicator with built in product wells designed to hug the contours of lips to help deliver a fuller, more sculpted look
- Lip hugging applicator for 4X more noticeable shine vs bare lips
- Tapered tip enables precise shaping and control
- Polymer- and oil-rich formula delivers high shine with a lightweight feel
- Luminescent droplets of pearlized pigment form a perfect amount of shimmer behind the shine
- Embedded pools of shine add brilliant depth
- Non-tacky formula removes “high-shine vs. sticky” trade-off, typical of traditional lip glosses.
Smokey ShadowBlast
It’s a smoky eye tool plus makeup artist all in one shadow stick! Available in six expertly coordinated shade duos with uniquely desgined ends, Smoky ShadowBlast lets you create a traditional or colorful smoky eye in two easy steps.
The new, double-ended stick features expertly coordinated shades and two precision applicator tips – one for base, one for liner/crease – so you can easily apply, smudge and blend shadow to a smoky perfection.
We all love the dramatic, smoky eye look that makeup artists create for celebrities, but getting it right without expert help requires a lot of technique and practice.
I love the the fact that these eyeshadows come in so many different and unique colors. Who needs a boring black smokey eye with these!
Sounds pretty fab, right? These items aren't available until January, so head over to covergirl.com/blastpresale to create a custom look and order these exclusive products now!
