Latina February 2013

I like reading magazines with different themes and point of views. While I don’t consider myself a Latina, I get confused for one all the time. Then again, I get confused for a lot of other nationalities too. Either way, its a nice magazine for finding makeup tips for people of color.

Red Carpet pros give tips on how to look red carpet ready without actually being on red carpet..wait I think I can come with a better ending...nope, I got nothing.

Oribe, the hair stylist recommends brown hair with subtle blonde highlights. “The look is soft, sexy and not too exaggerated”.

Covergirl’s manicurist Marisol Inzerillo gives brilliant tips on get salon looking nails at home. “Keep cuticles moist at all times. Massage cuticle oil into your nail bed daily. This boosts blood circulation and helps you avoid biting your cuticles.” Also be sure “to keep hands protected, apply a moisturizer with sunscreen daily”. Her recommended color for spring is the minimalist color of “skin tone colors and nude nail colors”.

Photo Credit - Drugstore.com, Toasted Almond

 

Photo Credit - Drugstore.com, Smokey Taupe

Makeup artist Jackie Gomez says, “Don’t skip cleansing and moisturizing your skin before bed - clean, supple skin provides the best base for flawless - looking makeup every day”.  I couldn’t agree more even though it has been said over and over -- you can’t believe how many times I say I am going to wash my face and I get lazy and just fall asleep. Washing your face is not only healthy but it makes your skin look and feel a lot better. Ms. Gomez recommends “soft green tones on the eyes. It’s a nice touch and makes them pop. Go with soft pink lips to complement the look”.

Photo Credit - MAC cosmetics, Aquadisiac

They had a section on shopping but the theme was coffee. It wasn’t as boring as it sounds. Here are some of my favorite picks -

Photo Credit - MaryGreen.com

Photo Credit - Seltzer Goods

Did you know “heart disease is the number one killer of Latinas, responsible for 30 percent of all deaths”. This often preventable disease, “doctors recommend maintaining a healthy weight, walking 30 minutes a day, trimming salt and unhealthy fats from your diets and not smoking”. The reason why I bring this up because not only is it important for Latinas but people in general. I know I might be sound preachy but it isn’t my goal to be that way but more as a friendly reminder :) to you and to my lazy self!

Gina Rangel of Bliss Spa in Dallas gave tips for a great relaxing feet massage [In all honesty it looks like too much work] :

“1. Soak in a warm foot bath filled with lavender essence, lemon slices and rose petals.

2. Dry your feet and apply lotion to the foot and calf using long, soft strokes.

3. Make a fist and massage the ball of your foot, arch and heel using a circular motion.

4. Finish up by enclosing your hand around each foot, as if a holding a football, and moving up and down. “ Is anyone else sleepy after reading that?

Pick up an issue to read the interview with Jordana Brewster, Jennifer Lopez, Amelia Moran Ceja and non profit founder of studentmentor.org. Along with style tips for your shape, makeup tips, chocolate recipes and lifestyle tips.

Thymes - 50% off Garden Alchemy

"Garden Alchemy is where perfumery meets botany in a lush, intoxicating sensory expression. Petals are crushed. Sprigs minced. Nectars juiced. And oils are extracted and distilled to their most authentic, inspired essence.   What results are beguiling aromatics, handcrafted fragrances of exquisite originality: Rosemary Sage, Wild Angelica, and Lemon Geranium." To take advantage of this deal use code "GardenSale13" for 50% off Garden Alchemy.

20% off Vichy

Vichy is having a "Private Sale" -- get 20% off orders of $65 using code "Private20".

Sale on Crabtree and Evelyn, Pacifica, L'Occitane, and Sabon

Take 20% off selected Crabtree and Evelyn and Floral Body Cream, Lotion and Gels by using "Body20".

Pacifica has 20% off all candles and diffusers. I love the Hawaiian Ruby Guava and Tuscan Blood Orange.

Image Beauty  has two coupons one for $5 off $30 or $10 off $75. A great time to stock up!

 Get 3 of the cult favorite L'Occitane Lavender Hand Cream for $18, originally $30 when you spend $45 and use code "Relax"

 Welcome Spring at Sabon with 30% off and get free shipping when you spend $50.

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil

Life is many things, busy, fun, exciting, boring, confusing, but very rarely is it easy. Sometimes, you want to look your best without spending much time or money. Trust me, I am the same way. I spend hours working on my makeup but then get so tired to pick out an outfit. Anyways, I digress.  Garnier is the newest contender in the expanding market of oil. What makes Garnier stand out from the rest -- is that the oil can be used for your face, hair and body. The Miracle oil is healthy cocktail of olive, avocado and shea oils that nourish, hydrate and protect.

The dry oil can be applied to either wet or dry hair. I actually did it on both. It made my wet hair a bit too greasy but my dry hair but on my wet hair it worked well. My hair wasn’t as frizz when it dried [I air dry my hair] and it was soft and silky. I didn’t use the product on face as currently my greedy self is experiencing a bit of acne outbreak from eating way too much sweets and my beloved cookie dough ice cream. I did however use the oil on my desert like legs. I did spray the oil very generously and it did make skin a bit oily but it absorbs really quickly. I like how it kept my skin soft and well moisturize until the next day.

Overall, I think it is a good affordable product. I would just recommend spray the product judiciously. And not spray the product upside down, trust me it leaks and it’s not pretty. Just don’t ask what I was doing.

And just for you here is a coupon for $1.25  off. You will need to download the coupon printer app but you can get tons of coupons and who doesn’t like saving money?

On the left side I sprayed the oil and the right my natural dry skin :)

*Disclaimer - I received a sample of this product and a media kit [digital coupon and information about the product] to give my honest feedback. This had no impact on my review. Any squeals  of joy or pains of agony that I had gotten from using this product are my own. Receiving this sample had no impact on my review of this product and these views are my own.*

Color Club Fiesta Collection - Wild Cactus

Even as I got older I still can't color in between the lines...

As Pantone said this is the year of Emerald, the market place has been saturated with Emerald colored products. I am not one to complain, I love the dazzling color. It looks equally beautiful against my chocolate mocha skin color [is anyone else hungry?].

The Wild Cactus is apart of Color Club's Fiesta Collection. It is a deep emerald green in color. It goes on smoothly and doesn't streak. Although, I did use 2 to 3 coats to get the color intensity above. But since the formula was a bit thick, one coat might be suitable for some people. It didn't dry to a matte finished but a semi-gloss, which makes the "loud" color appropriate for both the day and night. 

Now, since I have a "green thumb" let's see if I can bring my orchids back to life!

Cake is having 40% off

Cake Beauty is having a 40% off sale, so run fast to grab your favorites!

$10 Off of LaLicious

Get $10 off your order from LaLicious using code "10FF". Some restrictions apply so click the image above to read all of the fine print.

BeautySak Gift with $40 Purchase

Get a Free RX Skin Therapy Skin Firming Serum with any $40 purchase using code "RxSkin" at BeautySak.

Deals from Bliss, L'OCCITANE, Violent Lips, Too Faced, Avon, Blush, Decleor, and Drugstore

Bliss usually have one of the best "sample bags". They usually jammed packed with deluxe and sometimes full size products.Spend $130 and use promo code "Top7Picks" to get the goodie bag.

L'OCCITANE has a special on Shampoo and Conditioner for $45 when using the code "Haircare". I love their soaps, too bad they are not on sale too!

Violent Lips has two new "promotions".  They lowered prices and you get 20% off your order when you spend $20 and use code "20X20". If you always wanted to try their products but thought it was too pricey now would be the time to try it :)

Two Faced is giving away the Love Sweet Love Palette when you spend $50 and use code "LoveSweet". It comes with 6 eye shadows, 2 blushes, 2 lip glosses, and a Glamour Guide [I am guess it's an instruction sheet].

Avon is offering free deliver with any $10 order if you use "PotOGold".

Blush is offering a free Jane Iredale Eye Gloss in Champagne when you purchase $75 worth of Jane Iredale products. 

 Spend $140 at Decleor and receive 15% off your purchase using code "HappySpring'' or enter "signature" to get the kit below free with any $130 purchase.

Drugstore is having a 20% sale. It's a good time to stock up on the basics.

As always, do let me know if you manage to snag anything good! :) 

Semi - Annual Sale at Laura Gellar

Laura Geller is have a huge sale tomorrow and are giving away a free primer with any purchase!

Lucky Break - Lalicious Body Scrubs

Photo Credit - Lalicious

Lucky has a coupon for 50% off all Lalicious's Body Scrub.  Use code "luckybreaks2". My favorite is the Sugar Kiss. I am probably going to try the other scents but knowing me I will probably stick to my favorite scent. Let me know if you get anything!

Photo Credit - Lalicious

On Sale - Yes to Grapefruit Glowing Skin Regimen

Photo Credit - Yes to Carrots

The newest addition to the Yes to family is on sale for $20, which is more than half of the original price. The trio includes Yes to Grapefruit Daily Facial Scrub, Yes to Grapefruit Dark Circle Correcting Eye Cream, and Yes to Grapefruit Dark Spot Correcting Serum. Use code "YESTOMAMAS" to save even more by receiving free shipping.

Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Body Scrub

Photo Credit - Burt's Bees

I love this sweet scented body scrub. It reminds me of Jolly Ranchers for some odd reason. The sugar crystal based scrub is packed with pomegranate oil, cranberry seed and Shea butter.  I love this scrub for my winter parched skin. It sloughs away the dead skin and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. The body scrub left sweet lingering scent. A word of warning after washing off the scrub, my skin felt a bit slick and oily. It bothered me the first time but I eventually got used to it. Overall, I would definitely buy this again.

InStyle March 2013

Boy, this was one heavy magazine! It is packed with 594 pages of articles, shopping [!!]...I forgot what I was saying...

Onto the rundown -

Can you guess the most “style - conscious states”? If you said, New Jersey, Iowa and Texas -- you would be right. I am surprised New York and California didn’t make it on that list.

The three new favorite trend are floral, leather and ruffles. I am so happy ruffles are finally considered “trendy” as I love wearing lace and ruffles. :) Shorts are also in this season but the “perfect” length is classic mid - thigh. Hmm...does this mean I should be extra hip [ I think me using the word “hip” shows how “uncool” I am] and wear leather shorts with a floral shirt with ruffles?

J. Crew and Liberty of London are collaborating together to make a new full bloom line.

Estee Lauder has a new inspired Mad Men collection.The products are “housed in perfect period packaging with a nod to Lauder’s 60s archives”. The pretty pale pink colors look nice but I hope they are flattering with my skin tone. I might take a gander when I am at Macy’s and probably end up spur of the moment buying the entire collection.

The new color Spring color is “ Mint”. It reminds me of pistachio  and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Try the new shade with “Moon shape” [nail art style]  and with other pastels.

Photo  Credit - Zoya, Neely

Photo  Credit - Butter London, Fiver

Photo Credit - Beauty, Introspective

Looking for a new way to “upgrade” your accessories with “upgrading” your credit card. Karl Lagerfeld has new collection with Fossil. The watches range between $150 to $595

Pick up the issue to more product launches,  a guide to BB creams, interviews with Andrew Garfield and Donatella Versace and fashion ideas and tips.

Lacquerous

Photo Credit - Lacquerous

Ever wanted to try all the latest nail polish colors but have so many that you barely get more than three uses out of them before you move on to the next bottle? Well, Lacquerous might be something you would be interested in.It's a renting service [think of Rent the Runway but with nail polish] where for $18/mo you can "borrow" 3 luxury nail polishes of your choice sent to your home. The price does contain a pre-paid return label to send back the bottles when you finish.

Currently, the program is by invite only but I got a curious about it and decided to read a bit more. I personally don't like sharing nail polish because I assume it would not be sanitary but according to their FAQ, it isn't. 

"Due to the cocktail of chemicals found in nail polish, no bacteria, fungus or any living microorganisms can survive in it. In fact, it dies within minutes. According to scientific research (and our friendly microbiologist), "The cocktail of ingredients in nail polish is really tough to be resisted by microorganisms including bacteria or fungi. Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, toluene, isopropyl alcohol, tosylamide/formaldehyde are organic solvents and in combination they are the toughest to be resisted or tolerated by microorganisms. Therefore nail polish is safe to share." Lacquerous inspects all nail polish for cleanliness and quality. Nail polishes are sealed for at least 2-3 days in transit and brushes are cleaned upon return."  

 

Photo Credit - Lacquerous

While it seems like a good idea, I got turned off by the fact that you can only keep the nail polish for 30 days otherwise you get charged the price of the nail polish and return shipping. And you can only use the nail polish three times.  I am the type of person that  fix chips and blemishes throughout the week. Sometimes if the nail is badly chipped I would redo the entire nail or if I am really bored the entire manicure. While I do understand that they don't want people to over do it on the nail polish and be wasteful with it, I think it's a bit limiting. Since many people will try to get as many uses out of it as possible to get their money's worth. But then again maybe I am just the only crazy person who applies 5 coats :)

"You can use it on yourself for up to approx. three applications throughout the month. Why three, you ask? While testing we found most women - when presented with three color options in a 30-day period - used the lacquer twice (at the most). Lacquerous also monitors the amount of nail lacquer in each bottle to ensure there is no abuse of club policies. We trust our members to abide by our guidelines but they are just that - guidelines. We want you to enjoy your lacquer."

Personally, for me right now $18 a month is a bit steep but I might try it if I get a promotion for a cheaper price.

If you are interested in joining, please visit Lacquerous.

What do you guys think? Is it a good idea or a bad idea?

Karuna Hydrating Treatment Mask

Photo Source - Dermstore

Karuna’s Hydrating Treatment mask claim to restore and retain hydration. The mask is packed with natto, Chinese licorice, chamomile, vitamin B, aloe vera, peptides, antioxidants and other plant extracts.  The mask is made with biodegradable wood pulp fiber which holds more moisture than other masks which are made of synthetic ingredients. The mask made my skin soft, hydrated and smooth. My skin did look dewy but my face felt a bit tight afterwards.  Each box comes with four masks for $28. They are a lot cheaper than a lot of other masks and they do a great job. Overall, I would probably purchase these again. I love using this every Sunday as a great way to unwind and get ready for work on Monday.

Allure March 2013

The “beauty authority” magazine offers great fashion, beauty and health tips. Overall, it is fun to read.

Here is the rundown -

Some new beauty trends to try this month -
a. Get all bronzy - use “bronze to enhance your natural features”
b. Paint on two colors - instead of using the regular ole french tips try using a neon color.
c. Try a bright lip stain - use sangria, orange and pink - grapefruit lips
d. Go for a true blue  - draw thin line of electric blue to make your eyes pop or do a color block eyeliner
e. Work major lash - don’t settle for “just average” go over the top with your lashes
f. Scrunch, toss, and flip - beach/grunge hair looks amazing no matter what the weather is.
g. Seashell Pink - “iridescent golden pink adds a glow that’s clean and chic”... “but....start with black liner” first.

The interview with Aubrey Plaza, she plays April Ludgate in Parks and Recreation was actually refreshingly funny. My favorite part was her comment about co-star Amy Poehler. “She is one of the scariest people I’ve ever worked with. If I go to the craft table for a snack, she slaps it out of my hands! She doesn’t let me eat food. She’s always telling me I need to lose five pounds” I just imagine her saying that as a April and it was funny. Maybe I am just weird...

The newest trend in Fashion -
a. Asian Fusion - “based on lines with sharp slants and crisp angles”
b. Line Drive - “cheerful stripes find new sophistication in sequins and silk”.
c. Up close - “ elaborate, chunky chokers fit snugly - and sleekly”

Photo Credit - Alexander McQueen

Here is something I can get behind now that summer is slowly coming around. “New treatments destroy sweat glands in the underarms - either with microwave energy [MiraDry] or ultrasound [UIthera]”. Don’t get me wrong I love Secret Expressions but I either get white streaks or the deodorant doesn’t last. Although,  I say I am interested in the procedure but I doubt I would actually go through with it. You know the saying “No Pain No Gain”, I am not a believer in that saying.

Pick up the issue to read more fashion [fashion victims], beauty [products used in the Oscars] and interesting facts along with interviews with Christian McCulloch, Narciso Rodriguez, and Heidi Klum.