A New York City Health and Beauty Blog

Ultimate Luxury: Dolce & Gabbana Glow Bronzing Powder

Dolce Gabbana makeup Animalier bronzer review, picture, swatches

I haven’t always embraced animal prints, okay I’ll admit that in the past I’ve been a bit turned off by them. But lately I’ve grown to like just a touch of animal print here and there, it’s classy and sexy-when done right. Well this summer season Dolce & Gabbana delivers a luxurious sun-kissed faux glow in their limited-edition Animalier Bronzer. The bronzer is embellished with the sprayed on Dolce & Gabbana Animalier leopard pattern. The outside of the case is a mirrored gold with “Dolce & Gabbana” etched on the outside, complete with a mirror, a tiny brush and a velvet pouch.

“The Animalier collection captures the narrative of the house from its birth to beyond.” ~Pat McGrath, Dolce & Gabbana key collaborator.

Dolce Gabbana Animalier bronzer

This glamorous gold compact is so eye-catching that you’ll sure to want to carry around in your bag at all times.

The bronzer itself is gives a surprisingly deep warm glow. After the initial leopard print coloring is whisked away a warm deep bronze is revealed, its unfortunate that the print fades away because it’s simply gorgeous.

Dolce & Gabbana limited edition glow bronzing powder swatch

The warm toned bronzer contains gold-flecks that make it perfect for highlighting eyelids, cheekbones or all over face. In the summer I love using bronzer all over my face instead of foundation because my skin is so oily. The tone of this bronzer is beautiful and I can see myself wearing it throughout the summer.

Dolce & Gabbana Animalier Bronzer, $50

Disclosure: The product featured in this review was provided for editorial consideration. Receipt of this  product did not guarantee review and all opinions are my own.

Pretty Things: Stila Garden Bliss All Over Shimmer Powder

I love gazing at flowers, their undeniable beauty, their intoxicating fragrance, who doesn’t love them? But I like to appreciate them in their natural environment so that they can grown and thrive. I guess that’s why floral prints are so appealing to me because I get to enjoy their beauty while allowing them the freedom to live.

So when I attended IMATS and came across the Stila Garden Bliss Palette, I had to have it. This small palette is literally a miniature work of floral art. And one of my favorite beauty purchases is a palette or a multi-use product because it’s easier to carry one product that does it all instead of several and two, so this is a great deal!

“Each palette is unique, as the technology used to create the design individually fills each palette and etches the flowers on the powder”

Stila Garden Bliss all over shimmer powder

The palette is so beautiful that I didn’t even want to use it, I held on to it for a while but now it’s time to break this beauty in. The blended pigments create a soft warm glow which can be applied as blush, highlighter, eyeshadow or all over the body. See – it’s multi-duty beauty! The powder has fine shimmery sparkles to give just the right amount of luminosity. Take a peek:

Stila Garden Bliss Palette Swatch

The swatch does not do the color justice but trust me it’s quite lovely.

I find that multi-use beauty products are a necessity since they make getting ready in the morning a breeze. When I don’t have time to put on my makeup I like to use a little bit of bronzer, mascara and lip gloss and I’m out the door. I can use this powder on my cheeks to give my complexion an instant pick me up that looks natural and healthy.

I love the subtle glow, what do you think?

 Stila Cosmetics Garden Bliss All Over Shimmer Palette,$28.

Road Tested Self-Tanners, Perfect For Sundress Weather

By my calculations, it’s about two weeks and four days until the annual “oh, my God, I’m really pale” panic sets in. No matter what tone your skin is naturally, chances are around the start of June you just start feeling a bit pasty and wan. It seems the anticipation of summer blends with rapidly decreasing hem lengths to create a perfect storm of tan-frenzy.

As a NW15, I know the prospect of self tanner can be a bit like gambling- except when you lose a bet, you don’t have to have splotchy skin for a few days. The days of SPF 5 may be over, but no matter your natural skin tone, you can get a golden glow with a few simple tricks and tools.

1.) Exfoliate super thoroughly: This is something that most people learn from experience the first time- few things alert you to how much more thoroughly you can slough off dead skin than a newly-applied tanning gel or creme. Scrubs are good, but for ultimate precision, scrub gloves create an even, exfoliated service. (Or if you’re in the mood for a service, the scrubs at awesomest-place-ever Spa Castle are legendary.)

2.) Not every tanner works for every skin type: …however, fairer-skinned girls can get away with cutting pretty much any self-tanner with moisturizer for a more natural glow. It’s tempting to reach for the darkest formula first, but intense formulas on light skin can cause a jarring, orangey brown look that is especially noticable in photos. St. Tropez’s Bronzing Lotion is strong but a true brown, free of carroty hues. They even have a Tan Remover for slip-ups.

3.) Try to mimic the sun: Eyelids, the backs of hands and toes are all a bit tricky when it comes to a good home self-tan, and it’s always hard to reach your back. Invest in some good, tight latex gloves for accuracy, and blend out toward your back with a little lotion to avoid streaks. When applying product to your face, take care to avoid eyelids and diligently attack cheekbones and the bridge of your nose, where color naturally concentrates.

4.) Think outside the bottle: When self-tanner first came back, it was mainly lotions and mousses. Now several awesome options exist to tan like the pros at home. Sheer Tan has a nice wand-inclusive design that makes hard to reach areas less fussy, and ModelCo Airbrush Tan in a Can creates an even, realistic bronze tone on skin. (Be careful of splatters and errant sprays with home spray-tanning products.)

5.) Adjust and maintain: One of the best ways to call attention to an awesome tan is by adjusting your makeup. A peachy blush like MAC Peaches enhances even the slightest glow, and gold-themed shadows like Bobbi Brown’s Metallic Eyeshadow in Gold compliment freshly bronzed skin.

Have you mastered the perfect at-home tan? What gives you a realistic, sun-kissed glow?

Spring has sprung with the Elizabeth Arden Bronze in Bloom collection

Swatches of Elizabeth Arden Bronze in Bloom

With the Summer “Bronzing” season upon us, it’s time to switch up our makeup palette. We all know that looking healthy is great but tanning, not so much. Well that’s why makeup was invented to subtly highlight and add to our own beauty. Well this season Elizabeth Arden brings sophistication to the Spring season with their new limited edition Bronze in Bloom collection. Looking at the collection unboxed, there is a fun and whimsical approach to the packaging.

Elizabeth Arden Bronze in Bloom

The Color Intrigue Eyeshadow Quad is available in two Spring appropriate quartets: Golden Lilac and Blue Breeze. The shades in the Golden Lilac palette range from pale lilac to deep gray. The Blue Breeze palette offers petal perfect hues of blue.

Elizabeth Arden Golden Lilac Color Intrigue Eyeshadow Quad

 

Elizabeth Arden Blue Breeze Color Intrigue Eyeshadow Quad

This Spring season is all about an orange or coral hued lip for the Spring. Elizabeth Arden’s High Shine Lip Gloss interprets this trend in a barely there shade, Tropicoral. The formula gives just a subtle hint of color with a brilliant shine.

Elizabeth Arden High Shine lip gloss #20 Tropicoral

The Blue Sky and Black Violet Smoky Eyes Powder Pencil colors are a welcome change from a basic black kohl eyeliner. This pencil has the eyeliner on one end and a smudge tip on the opposite end to create a smoky eye look. These pencils have excellent staying power without a lot of additional prep. I tend to stay away from kohl liners because they can smudge quite a bit but these liners look great after hours of wear.

Elizabeth Arden Smoky Eyes Powder Pencil Swatches

The star of the collection is the Pure Finish Mineral Bronzing Powder. The Bronzing Powder allows for the gradual release of the appropriate amount of product and less mess. It’s also all all over type of powder that can be used on your cheeks and well as your decolletage. The formula has sea water, aloe, Vitamin A, C and E but it does not contain any talc or added fragrance. The most notable feature is that there is not a lot of glitter added so the color is a bit more natural.

Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Bronzing Powder

Nothing says fresh like sun-kissed coral, the Pure Finish Mineral Cheekcolor adds just the right amount of warmth for a healthy looking glow. This powder is so incredibly light that even if you are heavy-handed in your makeup application you just can’t get this wrong. The mini compact comes with it own angled mini kabuki brush which gives a surprisingly good application. I usually forgo using the provided makeup applicators that come with new products and use my own however in this case the brush is perfect.

Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Cheekcolor Sunkissed Coral

As the weather gets warmer, I look forward to the subtle beauty of Spring and my makeup routine is no different. What new makeup have you added to your beauty repertoire?

Disclosure: The products featured in this review were provided for editorial consideration. Receipt of this product did not guarantee review and all opinions are my own.

Guerlain gives good packaging: Summer 2011 Collection

Guerlain is known for giving some of the best cosmetic packaging on the market and their Summer 2011 collection is no different. Each piece is a miniature work of art with artistically conceived makeup on the inside. Each collection has products that stand out to me. For the Summer 2011 collection it’s the ribbon detailing on the Khol Kajal liner and the Incan qompi pattern that appears woven into the Terre Indigo eyeshadow. Guerlains’ artistry truly amazes me every time. Let’s take a closer look at the new collection:

Ombre Fusion Cream Eyeshadow – This formula offers the richness of a crème shadow combined with the softness of a powder formula. What’s different about these eyeshadows you ask. Well they were created especially for the Summer season. Yes ladies these eyeshadows are heat-resistant and created to stay put for hours. They’re available in three shades: Rose, Bronze, Taupe

Rose

Guerlain Spring 2011 Eyeshadow bronze

Guerlain Spring 2011 Eyeshadow taupe

Terra Inca Star Powder is a highlighter and bronzer all in one. The combination of the highlighting golden beige and the copper-tinted pink bronzer has a pearl like finish to keep you looking luminescent on those hot summer nights. This powder gives your skin a healthy iridescent glow which is a nice alternative to baking in the suns’ harmful rays.

Guerlain Spring 2011 Terrainca Poudre

Terre Indigo 4-Shade Eyeshadow – Out of the entire collection this is my must have item. Guerlain translates the colorful tribal patterns seen on the runways and reinterprets the trend by creating an interlacing pattern into a single eyeshadow palette. The vibrant orange, intense blue, deep brown, chocolate-brown and gold can be used separately or together.

Spring 2011 Guerlain makeup fard terrainca

Terracotta Gloss – These neon sheer shades are free of sparkles and are packed with pigments. Many glosses rely on tiny sparkles to give the glosses extra shine but this forumla does not, which is a plus for me. The new shades are trend on featuring three shades in Orange, Rose and Rouge.

Guerlain gloss terra inca orange

Guerlain gloss terra inca rose

Guerlain gloss terra inca rouge

Khol Kajal – the cult favorite eyeliner returns with its ultra-pigmented formula. This is not your typical pencil eyeliner, dressed in an iridescent tube adorned with orange and brown satin makes it a beautiful addition to your vanity or makeup bag.

Guerlain Spring 2011 Kohl liner

The collection will be available May 1st  at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and at Bergdorf Goodman. Which product is your favorite?