Last week I promised another installment of Dream Eye Creams, and I do believe I have delivered. Behold, Olay Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex, $47. Now, you’re probably thinking, “No, she did NOT just put some $47 Oil of Olay on here.” Oh, yes, she did. When I first found out that Olay was coming out with a higher end line of their products, I was beyond skeptical. I’ve always thought that their Regenerist and Definity lines were a little pricey for drugstore products, so I thought the new Pro-X line, at $47-68, would fail miserably and I’d be seeing it on clearance soon at my neighborhood drugstore.
But when Olay offered the Pro-X Starter Kit on pre-sale online last month and it sold out in 17 minutes, I took notice. I never doubted the efficacy of the products. I mean, Olay definitely does their thing when it comes to skin care. It was the whole $65 skincare being sold in Wal-Mart thing that bothered me. If I’m going to spend more than $30 on a beauty product, I want to spend in a store where I’m surrounded by face creams, beauty potions and perfume. Not tube socks, toilet paper and tampons. How could Olay justify Pro-X being on the same shelf as the $5 Clean & Clear? But I digress.
The ingredients of the eye cream were what got me: caffeine for its and anti-oxidant properties and power to fight puffiness , niacinamide to lighten dark circles and smooth wrinkles, peptides for superior moisturizing and lots of other skin care goodies. Plus, it was in a bottle instead of a jar, so the active ingredients would stay stable, and no germs could get into the product. It was looking like a win-win.
So, I got over myself and ordered a bottle from Drugstore.com (they were the only ones who had in stock at the time. Plus, it was on sale!), and I have been enjoying it ever since. My eye area had been super-parched at the time and this cream was just what I needed. It’s uber-moisturizing without being at all greasy, and while my ever-puffy eyelids haven’t been completely de-puffed, they are noticeably better. And I no longer notice the tiny crow’s feet slowly developing from my squinting all the time (maybe what I really need is some new eye glasses…). I apply this at night, and sometimes I layer it with the Zia SPF eye cream I wrote about last week. My eyes have never looked better!
Dream Eye Creams: Part Two
Dream Eye Creams: Part One
We all know how important sunscreen is to your skin (at least I hope we do), and we all know how important eye cream is to preventing crow’s feet and other unsightly eye situations later on. What I also happen to know is that it is darn near impossible to find an eye cream with sunscreen in it. There are, literally, only a handful of them in existence and, if I may be frank, they suck. They are either super greasy, super drying (the antithesis of an eye cream, no?), or tinted in some bizarre shade of beige. So image my surprise when I came across Zia Dual Protection Eye Cream for Men SPF 15 in Whole Foods.
Why on earth any skin care company would think that men deserve this fabulous an eye cream is beyond me. Most men I know don’t even moisturize their face, much less their eye area! But no matter, this eye cream is perfect for us ladies. It has a light, lotion-like texture that soaks in completely. Better yet, it's super moisturizing but doesn't leave a greasy film or mess up your eye makeup. All this while protection your delicate eye area from the sun. And it’s only $15!! I love it!
Stay tuned for Part Two of Dream Eye Creams
Barbie vs. Hello Kitty
There was a fun piece in the NY Times today about a Fashion Week battle between Barbie and Hello Kitty, two of my childhood favorites. Both toy icons will have designers creating frocks inspired by them showing at the tents next week. Fabulous, yes, but what does this have to do with beauty? Well the two divas are taking their beef to a cosmetic counter near you!
In honor of Barbie’s 50th birthday, Mattel is teaming up with Stila to release the Barbie Loves Stila Collection, exclusively at Sephora. The collection features a talking eye shadow quad and four make-up tins. Each of the tins has the image of a popular vintage Barbie and the Stila products needed to recreate her look. The Black Barbie included in the collection is the 1980 Foxy doll. I would like to say that I’m feeling this collection, but I’m not sure how I feel about it. Foxy looks gorge, but I feel like she got jipped in the makeup department. I like the shadows and blush, but they have nothing to do with that tangerine lip gloss. Some brown and olive skinned beauties gave the kit great reviews on Sephora, so maybe it’s just me.
On the flip side, MAC is set to release its much-hyped Hello Kitty Colour Collection. The collection, to be released February 12th, is set to include Hello Kitty inspired versions of MAC's lipglass, beauty powder, nail polish, blush and other MAC favorites. There will also be a higher end Hello Kitty Kouture collection of limited edition Hello Kitty accessories, including a mirrored compact, brush kit and other goodies, some studded with Swarovski crystals. The collection will be available at MAC stores, Nordstrom and maccosmetics.com. Hello Kitty is a childhood obsession of mine that I never quite got over, but I don’t know that these super-bright colors are working for me. I might pick up an accessory or two from the Kouture line.
(Side note: For all you Smurfs fans, Too Faced Cosmetics has created a limited edition collection inspired by Smurfette, available at Sephora. I know. This mess is getting waay out of control.)
What about you ladies? Any plans to revive your inner baby diva and pick up any of these collections? And while you're at it, have any thoughts on why these kinds of collections are becoming so popular? Let’s hear it!
Beauty Find: Revlon ColorStay Brow Enhancer
You look more polished when your brows are on point, don't you agree? I like to keep my brows under control, but I kinda hate brow gels. They always dry your brows out and look unnatural and flaky. I prefer a brow wax, but most come in compact form, so you have to have a brush handy and paint the wax on just so so you don't end up looking like Groucho Marx. Suddenly taming your brows has turned into a major production.
So imagine my delight when I happened across Revlon's Brow Enhancer in Blackened Brown/Taupe, $9 while in the drugstore over the weekend. This ingenious little brow fixer has brow wax on one end and a brow highlighter on the other. The wax comes in a thin, retractable pencil form, so you can get a precise, yet natural, application. I look forward to using this every morning! I'm also a fan of the brow highlighter too. Most are too pink for brown skin, but this nude-y gold has just enough sheer shimmer to brighten up the eye area and make you look more awake.
Love it!
Beauty Q&A
After writing about my current obsession with red lip color, reader Arionne wrote in with a beauty Q&A!
Q: Okay...so I think I might try this out. My only concern about red lips, which I also love, is finding the right look. I love glossy lips on me. And I find it really hard to switch back to a more matte red lip color. When I have tried to do a glossy red lip, it tends to be a bit too much. Is it possible that red matte lips or red lips period just don't work for some folks? And if I choose to go for a glossy look, how can I make that work and not do too much? -Arionne
A: Thanks for writing in Arionne! I can definitely help you with your beauty quandary! When wearing red lip color there are two things you have to keep in mind: shade and texture.
First, the shade of red. The thing I loved about the Stila compact was the fact that it came with a few different shades of red, so you can mix and match to create your own perfect shade. Since you're new to the whole red lip thing, I would suggest trying a deeper shade like burgundy, berry or wine, and work your way up to a full blown red. Once you're ready for a true red, try on several shades with varying undertones to find the right red for your skin tone. Just because it looks cute in the tube, doesn't mean it will look cute on you!
Secondly, and maybe most importantly, is texture. You mentioned that you're not really fond of matte lips. No problem! This is totally a matter 0f preference. If you prefer glossy lips, then glossy lips you shall have! I like a semi-matte red because I feel that it's more toned down than a bright, super-glossy red lip. As you mentioned, ultra-glossy red lip gloss can be too much for some tamer brown beauties.
So here is what I recommend: a deeper shade of red in a sheer, see-through texture. Here are some of my faves, just for you!
1.If you like the shine of a gloss, but not the bold in your face color it can provide, try L'Oreal HIP Jelly Balm in Delectable. This little gem goes on with the creaminess of a lip balm, with a sheer burst of red color. It's perfect if you want a pop of color with just a hint of shine.
2. For a sheer and shiny hit of berry color, try Lipstick Queen's Lipstick in Saint Wine. As a bonus, this creamy color fades down to a soft red stain as it wears off.
3. Laura Mercier's Lip Stain in Mulberry will stain your lips with a gorgeous deep red. Your kisser will look like you've just eaten a Popsicle, but better!
With these options, you'll be sure to find your perfect red, just in time for spring. Try these out and let me know what you think!
P.S. This is the last post on red lip color, I promise!
