This year marks Redken’s 50th Anniversary Cut-A-Thon that benefits City of Hope. On September 30th from 8am-4pm Redken will host this event at their training facility, The Redken Exchange. For $30 you will get a haircut, shampoo, blowout and a gift bag, now that’s a deal! This event is on a walk-in basis and is first come, first serve so arrive early and be prepared to wait.

All the proceeds benefit the City of Hope, a biomedical research and treatment center dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure of cancer and other life-threatening diseases. So be prepared to get your haircut by a talented Redken stylist on September 30th at:

The Redken Exchange
565 Fifth Avenue (btwn 46th & 47th St)
New York, NY

Salons across the US can sign up to participate in this event. If you are a salon owner and would like to sign up to be a part of the Cut-A-Thon, please visit the Redken website.

On mornings like this (see above) I blow dry and/or curl my hair with heat appliances. Yes of course this is very bad and yes it can dry out your hair but sometimes it’s just one of those mornings. With that being said I have to make sure that I deep condition my hair weekly and moisturize my hair on a daily basis. Most recently I have been using Moroccan Oil but I’m always willing to try a new product because hey you never know if something better is out there.

I tried Dr. Miracles Follicle Healing Hydrating Oil, this is a part of the new Follicle Healer line. If you haven’t heard, this new line promises a more pleasant scent and more nourishing ingredients. Out of the 4 new products in this line, I would say that this one is my favorite. The ends of my hair can get dry from the heat appliances that I use so I need to use a daily moisturizer to keep them soft and most of all tamed!  When I first tried the hydrating oil I noticed that there was an improved scent, it’s definitely less medicinal than before. I liked that the product contains tea tree oil, shea butter, soy protein and jojoba, these ingredients are great for softening hair. The instructions read that the oil should be used daily and massaged into the scalp for 30-60 seconds. It’s believed that regular massage of the scalp helps improve circulation and stimulate hair growth so this is good practice. I used the oil for about a week, massaging my scalp (yes the tingling sensation is still there!) and applying the oil to my ends. My ends are looking much better, they’re not as frizzy and they do not look or feel dry. The best part about the product is that it costs $4.99 for a 2oz bottle with a dropper applicator. This is a very good fit if you’re a budgetnista looking for a moisturizing oil for your hair.

While browsing in my local Duane Reade I decided to check out the makeup section and see if I could pick up a few items on my beauty checklist. I came across Maybelline New York Eyestudio creme eyeshadows and I was immediately drawn to them. The colors are jewel toned and just down right pretty. So like a cat to a shiny object I picked up a set and dropped in in my basket and headed to the cash register. I came back to my desk at work and took a look at all the shiny objects makeup that I purchased and could not wait to get home to play around with all of it.

The trio of gold, purple and lilac are a beautiful combination. The shades are a bit sheet and will fade (like some creme shadows do) so be prepared to touch up through the day. I had the shadows on for about 2 hours (without primer) and I noticed that they began to fade. I know, I know it’s not at all what you want to hear but hey it happens. To make the color last longer be sure to use a primer and layer the shadow with a powder eyeshadow, if you don’t want to use a powder shadow then use a light dusting of translucent powder on top and voila!

Maybelline New York EyeStudio trio retails for $6.49

Opi Chic Prints are fabulous do it yourself nail appliqués available at Sephora (in collaboration with Minx Nails). Each kit comes with 16 nail patches of various sizes to fit your nails or toes (if you wish). The kits come in various styles such as stars, checkers, fishnet, chrome lace, geometric, skulls etc. The application is for a one-time use only and can easily be applied and removed with heat. Minx Nails are are still very hot among celebs such at Fergie, Katy Perry and Rihanna and now you too can get your sexy nail fix at your local Sephora.

Sephora will be holding an exclusive event open to Beauty Insiders. Purchase SEPHORA by OPI Chic Prints and at your local Sephora store on June 18 – 19, 2010 and from 12 – 6 pm a nail technician will give you a free manicure with them.

Sephora 150 Broadway, New York, NY / (212) 566-8600
Sephora 711 Lexington, New York, NY / (646) 521-2200
Sephora 42nd & Madison, New York, NY / (212) 503-0800
Sephora 34th Street, New York, NY / (212) 629-9135
Sephora Soho, New York, NY / (212) 625-1309
Sephora 76th &Broadway, New York, NY / (917) 441-4760
Sephora Santa Monica, Santa Monica, CA / (310) 395-3460
Sephora Century City, Los Angeles, CA / (310) 843-0123
Sephora Glendale Galleria, Glendale, CA / (818) 550-1749
Sephora Fashion Square, Sherman Oaks, CA / (818) 817-0900

SEPHORA by OPI Chic Prints for Nails, brewed by Minx retails for $15 for a pack of 16.

Brazilian Bikini Wax & Eyebrow Threading package (56% off regular retail price) from NYC celeb favorite, Hibba Day Spa.

Brazilian waxes are the siren song of summer, and perfect eyebrows are the starting point to a fabulous face.  The star of Hibba Day Spa is Hibba herself, the hair removal expert that you’ll come back to time and time again.  She’s a favorite of the local SoHo celebrity clientele, and known as an expert amongst beauty pros. For $25 Hibba will leave your bikini line smooth and beach-ready, and your eyebrows model-perfect.  This package is $25 through TheLuxurySpot.com Deals (56% off the normal $57 price)

Click here to view the embedded video.

• Boston- September 15, 2010: 281 Summer Street Loft 281 Summer St. Boston, MA 02210
• Chicago- October 6, 2010: Flirty Girl Fitness 1325 W Randolph, Chicago, IL 60607
• San Francisco- October 20, 2010: 111 Minna Gallery, 111 Minna St., San Francisco, CA 94105
• Atlanta- November 4, 2010: Tongue & Groove 2420 Piedmont Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30324
• New York City- November 17, 2010: TBD
• Dallas- December 8, 2010: TBD

In previous years there have been more than 5000 women in attendance at these events. They have been so popular that the NYC and Chicago events sold our 3 weeks in advance of the date. For $10 admission you receive one drink ticket, a goodie bag and the chance to try out new products and buy beauty items at discount prices. Definitely worth the price of admission, wouldn’t you say?

I really liked the eye shadow colors, so I picked up two of the creme shadows: Berry Mix (L), Mocha Swirl (R)

Berry Mix (L), Mocha Swirl (R)

Natural Lash Kit in Black – Who can resist lush lashes that only cost $1?

These Hypershine glosses have a very similar design to Stila glosses…and for the price of $1. The shades are: Flirt (L), Honey (R)

Makeup brushes: Total Face Brush, Bronzing Brush, Eye Shadow Brush, Lip Defining Brush, Eye Liner Brush (L to R)

Complexion Perfection powder (to even skin tone and control shine) from the Studio Collection – this piece was $3

Overall I find the products to be a bit “hit or miss”. I liked the eyeshadows, they were easy to apply and had lots of staying power. The eyelashes were quite good, similar to the ones that you would purchase at the drugstore, more than worth the $1 cost. The glosses were quite sheer – almost too sheer for me to want to buy them again. The glosses just do not give off as much color as I like in my gloss but they do smell and taste great. The complexion perfection powder was too pale for my complexion but I’m not surprised since the main ingredient is Talc. The eyeshadow applicators were just too rough for me to use so I won’t be buying them again. The eyeshadow brushes were quite soft and I will be stocking up on more of these during my next trip to Target.  I would also say the same for the Total Face Brush which was one of my favorite pieces that I purchased so I will also pick up an extra one of these brushes.

What I will say is that for the price of these items you are certainly getting more than your moneys worth, you’ll just need to try out some of the products and see which ones work best for you.

Friends & Fam of Saks employees can receive 25% off some amazing swag (20% off of jewelry and 15% off cosmetics).  To use this discount in the store, print and use the barcode in the image below.  When shopping online, enter the discount code SFAFAM4.  Hurry offer ends on April 19th!

Enjoy…

Come to Ulta for a complimentary Fekkai blowout ~ for 2 days only!

(Call your local Ulta to book your appointment)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14^TH 5-8PM
THURSDAY, APRIL 15^TH 10-3PM

Purchase any two Fekkai products and receive a FREE Brilliant Glossing Cream!

~Enjoy~

Cameo

The rules are pretty simple, just add my Facebook Fan page and leave a comment on the FB Fan Page stating why you would like to try this product and you will automatically be entered to win this glamorous new lipstick. This con­test is open to all US res­i­dents and ends on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 10 PM EST. One winner will be chosen at random and announced on my blog the next day. Good Luck!

***UPDATE*** ~ The winner of our giveaway is Mindee L. from Utah! Thank you all for participating!