Origins GinZing Eye Cream Free Event & Contest

Origins has partnered with illy caffé to provide an energizing pick-me-up and there is no purchase required. If you happen to live near one of the stores having this event, go sample and have fun.

"Origins would like to invite you to stop by the below Origins retail stores, where you will receive FREE illy espresso, a FREE sample of Origins GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream, a FREE “Eye-Opening” Mini-Facial, a FREE Makeup Application and a FREE Origins and illy gift bag! "

You can also join the Wake Up & Win Sweepstakes from November 2nd until November 30th at www.origins.com/wakeupandwinsweeps. Fabulous prizes will be awarded to one Grand Prize winner and nine additional winners!

Origins and illy caffé are inviting the people of New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boca Raton and Dallas to stop by select Origins retail stores for an energizing pick-me-up on November 2nd, 3rd and 4th! Origins invites you to enjoy the following (with no purchase necessary!):

· FREE shot of illy espresso
· FREE sample of Origins new GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream (with Caffeine)
· FREE “Eye-Opening” Mini-Facial
· FREE makeup application
· Chance to win the Wake Up & Win Sweepstakes

To keep you bright-eyed and energized for weeks to come, Origins is giving away gift bags containing a three week supply of GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream and illy espresso, while supplies last.

Events will be held in the following locations:

-New York, NY (opening at 8am)
Flatiron: 175 Fifth Avenue SoHo: 402 West Broadway
Upper West Side: 2327 Broadway
Grand Central: 62 Grand Central Terminal

-Los Angeles, CA (opening at 9am)
South Coast Plaza: 3333 Bristol Street

-San Francisco, CA
Embarcadero Center: One Embarcadero Center

San Francisco Centre: 865 Market Street (opening at 10am)

-Boca Raton, FL (opening at 9am)
Town Center at Boca Raton: 6000 Glades Road

-Dallas, TX (opening at 9am)
Southlake Town Square: 1426 Civic Place

Laura Geller Brow Marker

The Mom has almost no eyebrows. As long as I can remember she always struggled with getting the best pencil. She has a few that have been staples for years but is ready to try new things too.

When she saw the Laura Geller eyebrow marker on QVC one night she thought it a winner and picked it up on our next Sephora visit.

Unfortunately it went back. In theory this is great. It creates a fine line and you can draw with it. On her, though , since she was applying right on skin, it didn't stick, although it is said to be formulated to hold on skin. It smudges if put over foundation and you if put foundation over the pen line it rubbed right off.

I've seen some great reviews of this, so I have to think it's the bare skin angle. For filling in spare but there brows it may work much better.

For now, pencils still win.

Victoria's Secret Makeup- Re-Launch

Back in September during Fashion Week, Victoria's Secret previewed the new line and new look of their makeup collection. No longer called Very Sexy, it's just VS Makeup.

Nice guy and super makeup artist Quinn Murphy was handling the touch ups, but I was in a rush so wasn't able to get him to work on me. I would have loved it. He's done the VS models before, Adriana Lima etc. and knows his stuff.

The color line is really nice, more than I expected, with a huge range of shades and textures. There were some especially nice green and purple eyeshadows. Lipsticks are matte,creamy, shiny.

New additions are PRO Makeup primer ,mascara, an extensive concealer palette and more.

Brand new is the Heidi Klum for holiday line called Exotic Jewels.

All are up now at the website and in stores.

www.victoriassecret.com

Cover Girl New Smoky ShadowBlast & ShineBlast Pre-Sale

Cover Girl and legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath are bringing 2 new products to the market in January. However, starting Nov. 2nd you can pre-buy these plus new Lash Blast Length mascara at several online retailers. McGrath designed the shades in the eye and lip launches .

Smoky Shadow Blast looks fab. After seeing it in Marie Claire, I'm waiting to get my hands on one. Everyone in this image looks good ( although I have a hard time getting behind light blue eyeshadow). Smoky Shadow Blast is meant to make doing a smoky eye super easy. There's two coordinating shades ready to go, one for base, one for lining and crease. Easy.

ShineBlast has the patented ShineSculpt™ tip which is a "uniquely shaped applicator that delivers more shine in a single swipe than the leading gloss"

According to Cover Girl the gloss has "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" and it has a non tacky formula.

The pre-sale details:

Log-on to www.covergirl.com/blastpresale to take advantage of this exclusive opportunity.
Pre-Sale on thru Dec. 5 or while supplies last.

Details for online retailers will be featured on www.covergirl.com/blastpresale on November 2nd.

- Consumers who visit Drugstore.com will save $5 and earn free shipping when they purchase all three products -while supplies last.

- Those who visit CVS.com will receive free shipping

Both ShadowBlast and ShineBlast have sugg. retail of $ 7.49

Shades available to buy are :

Smoky ShadowBlast
· Silver Sky
· Onyx Smoke
· Bronze Fire
· Purple Plum

ShineBlast Lip Gloss
· Dazzle
· Flare
· Ablaze
· Firecracker

LashBlast Length Mascara
· Very Black

Elemis Essential Beauty Secrets Kit for BCA Month

Elemis makse some great skincare. It doesn't come inexpensively , so when a set comes along at a good value , it's worth looking at. The Essential Beauty Secrets kit is the companies BCA month contribution. Elemis will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales of this new ‘Essential Beauty Secrets’ kit to Breast Cancer Care, an organization that provides information and support, and campaigns for improved standards of care.

Presented in a fuchsia pink cosmetic bag, the collection contains four award-winning Elemis products, including the Limited Edition Pro-Collagen Lifting Treatment Neck and Bust ‘boob tube’ as well as Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (1 oz.), Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream (1 oz.), Papaya Enzyme Peel (0.5 oz.).

I have used the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and it's very nice.

This kit also contains a 5 Step Breast Check guide to make sure you regularly monitor yourself for any abnormal changes.

Price: $95 ($222.00 value, savings of $127.00), available now at Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman and http://www.timetospa.com/

Lancome Polyvore Contest

See more on Polyvore

Polyvore is a super fun tool to make some great fashion collages or any kind , really. Now your collage can win you some Lancome goodies.

Lancome is excited to announce that their very first Polyvore contest . Called “Hypnotize Lancôme with Your Fashion Sense,” it celebrates the launch of Hypnôse Senses, their sexy new fragrance.

Create a layout that illustrates your sense of style and Lancome spokemodel Daris Werbowy will pick the best one to win a $250 lancome-usa.com gift card and a bottle of Hypnôse Senses, signed by Daria . Five runners-up will each win $100 gift cards plus a bottle of Hypnôse Senses.

The contest runs through Nov. 2nd.

Here is the link to the contest info and rules on Polyvore: http://www.polyvore.com/hypnotize_lancôme_with_your_fashion/contest.show?id=118391

Good Luck

Clinique Deep Comfort Hand Cream & Body Wash

It's beginning to be that time of year when I ( and maybe you) can't get enough hand cream. My hands started to get dry as soon as we had a few cold days. I hate that. So I add good creams to the stash whenever I can. Clinique's new Deep Comfort one fits the bill.

I had the huge tub of their Deep Comfort Body Balm years ago. It was highly moisturizing but took long to sink in. The hand cream is equally moisturizing but sinks in right away. It lasts long on your hands, is soothing and keeps them soft. There is no scent so it won't compete with fragance and will be fine for them men as well. I have been using it every day.

The cream has conditioning agents of glycerin , sodium hyaluronate, birch extract, vitamins C and E, a blend of other natural ingredients from barley, wheat and murumuru butters and gentian extract which helps irritation. These help not just hands but nails and cuticles as well.

Also new to the line is Deep Comfort Body Wash which is rather nice too. Again, no scent, but a mousse like consistency that is so soft and leaves skin feeling hydrated. I still needed lotion but the feel of this is wonderful. No dryness at all. Perfect for the really cold days.

Both will be available in November at all Clinique counters and online at CLINIQUE

Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream $ 17.50
Deep Comfort Body Wash $ 20.00

Omorovicza Hungarian Mineral Skincare

Omorovicza is a new high end skincare range that uses the healing waters of Hungary to benefit your skin.

Based in Hungary all the products feature the water that naturally filters through the Carpathian mountains and is used in the famous thermal mineral baths in Budapest. The line also has it's own proprietary complex called The Pannon Complex .

According to the company Hungarian healing water "is rich in key minerals, including calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper, which boost the synthesis of collagen and elastin, strengthen the skin barrier, increase moisture retention and provide anti-oxidant defense against free radicals "

I have tried just a few products as it's a pretty extensive line and has something for all skin types. Most of the products have peptides, and virgin ente plum oil as well as apple pectin in some. This line is very natural and has a huge list of whats not in there. No petrochemicals, no synthetic colors, etc.

Balancing Moisturiser- This one is for combination skin and is very light. It hydrates just enough and smooth skin. This one has Ruby crystals and Pineapple and Rosemary extracts , both of which work well for oily skin. $ 125.00

Radiance Renewal Serum - This is a strong firming serum. After using this, skin felt really tightened. I was surprised by that. It's great start to the day serum if you need a little "lift". $150.00

Complexion Enchancer- An SPF 15 light tinted cream that adds a little color , a little moisture with light, smoothing, matte coverage. It's very sheer but a nice base or for makeup free days. $ 135.00

Rose Lifting Serum- This one I didn't try but what's intiguing is that it has May Seaweed which is supposed to be a natural botox to inhibit contracting of facial lines. $ 185.00

Omorovicza is available in the US at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, in the UK at Liberty and Harvey Nichols. Worldwide locations on their site at http://www.omorovicza.com/

Vapour Beauty on Shop NBC

If you've been wanting to try Vapour Beauty, heres a chance to see it live and check it out. I reviewed the line earlier this fall and the products are all very nice. I especially like the Siren lipsticks.

Tune in this Tuesday the 27th to watch Eric Sakas, makeup artist and co-founder of Vapour Organic Beauty, demonstrate the latest Fall beauty looks on ShopNBC. He'll be showing how to create the hottest looks for fall and offering special kits that make it easy to create jewel-toned eyes, smokey eyes and pale lips.


Date: Tuesday, October 27th
Time: 12 noon ET (A full hour of Vapour)
4 pm ET (A full hour of Vapour)
10 pm ET (part of Beauty Confidential)
11 pm ET (part of Beauty Confidential)

Liz Earle Superskin Body Cream

Liz Earle has added some fab smelling body balm to her already strong lineup. Everyone has raved about the scent from the Superskin facial line ( admission- I liked it so much, I would use the Superskin Concentrate on my hands, they needed the love and I loved the smell). To address that, she now has Superskin Body Cream.

This very rich balm has an aromatherapy aspect with notes of neroli, lavender and chamomile wafting around you. It's a bit smoky, herby and floral.

The cream itself has loads of heavy duty moisturizers including shea butter, rosehip seed oil, cranberry seed oil, grape seed oil, avaocado oil and borage seed oil ( borage oil being the one proven ingredient to actually get below the upper layer of epidermis). It gets the job done without being greasy at all. It dries fast and leaves skin hydrated long.

All Liz Earle products use as many organic ingredients as they can, and use no animal ingredients or testing. Superskin Body Cream has 25% pure plant oils.

6.7 oz tube is $ 55.00

Liz Earle can be found at at Studio Beautymix at Fred Segal in Santa Monica, California, Brownes Apothecary & CO. in Miami, Florida and at or UK site http://www.uklizearle.com/ to order and more info ( worldwide link there as well).

Glamour Squad Weekly Reads

ClumpsofMascara may not be dressing up for Halloween but her nails are in total costume!

Aly gets up close and personal with her favorite style icon.

The Beauty Alchemist find you can be tres chic while fighting acne and oil.

Butterflydiary views the world through Victoria’s Secret PINK holiday collection glasses.

ThinkThruFashion shows how to incorporate traditional garb you get on vacay into your everyday ensembles.

The Product Pasha shows how you can embrace the season's blue and greens with a little help from Illamasqua Nail Varnishes.

DivaDebbi turns back the clock, with ZO Skin Health's Oraser for Daily Hand Repair.

Estee Lauder Sumptous Color Mascara

Colored mascara was rampant in the 80s , it was also very bold. Colored mascara has been making a comeback but in a much more subtle way. I had a great Bourjois burgundy a few years ago that you could barely tell was colored. Now Estee Lauder has a full line of colors in their nice Bold Volume Lifting formula.

The shades are much deeper than the images on the company's website. I have tried the green( Emerald), burgundy( Garnet) and brown( Amber). Now brown is easy, I love brown in general some days. It works for my coloring and is dark enough. Amber is a deep brown but not as dark as the black browns of drugstore brands. Emerald is bright in the tube , but again on, looks very dark and not in your face green. Just pretty. The wine colored Garnet is a fav. A Burgundy can just look so nice at times , a little different than black but still a deep , rich color. Amethyst and Sapphire round out the colors.

These are fun to play with , and the formula gives good length, volume and some curl. It holds up really well and doesn't smudge .

*Pictured are swatches of Amethyst and Garnet, Garnet also on the wand/brush. ( keep in mimd they seem brighter here too, due to white background and flash)

$ 19.50 each at all counters and online.

Lierac Event for Gilda's Club

Friday Oct. 23rd you can support Gilda's Club with any Lierac skincare purchase. My rec- if you haven't yet tried the Diopti eye line, you need to.

Lierac In-Store Event/Gilda’s Club Initiative – October 23, 2009

100,000 consumers will have the opportunity to visit Lierac Paris European Skincare Centers at 700 participating CVS/pharmacy and Long’s Drugs.

On October 23, 2009, customers will be able to contribute to Gilda’s Club of NYC with every Lierac purchase. For each product bought, Lierac will donate $1 from its sale to the foundation. Gilda’s Club NYC provides free support to individuals living with cancer and their families. The organization has a unique philosophy that emphasizes interaction among its members, namely “community-building, collective wisdom, and shared experience.” Gilda’s Club also avoids discussing cancer using terms that carry a negative connotation. Instead, they seek to empower individuals through the use of their own “Gilda’s Club language.”


For locations, contact 1.877.5LIERAC or visit http://www.lierac-usa.com/.

La Mer for BCA Month

Everyone loves La Mer. Even I love La Mer although most of the time it's too rich for my oily skin. Yes it has hype and I once wondered, is it all that ? It is.

La Mer not only plumps, smooths and moisturizes, it heals burns or cracked noses after a cold. It does it all but repair the car engine.

So if you are a La Mer fan and it's time to stock up or maybe you've been waiting to try it, ( after all it doesn't come with an inexpensive price tag) now is the time. La Mer participates in BCA month by making a donation of $ 30, 000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation . The cream comes in a pink box to mark this month as well.

http://www.lamer.com/ for more info.

Payot Les Purifiantes Skincare

I knew some about Payot skincare, after all they are a top of the line French brand that has been around for many years ( since 1927) . What I didn't know that they had a whole line of oily/acne skincare. That was interesting. After all, it being French and luxe made me think it would be an adult oriented line and more gentle . It also doesn't hurt that it's a lot more elegant than Clearasil type products. You can be chic even while battling the oilies.

I've found the line to be effective but not harsh or drying . There is a full line of products and I have been using a few of them off and on since mid summer.

Pate Grise- A drawing and drying paste of sorts. When put over an eruption it helps pull out the oil/sebum and reduce the size quickly. It has ingredients of Talc and Bituminous Schist to heal, and dry. This really works. Yes it's a bit goopy and grey in color, but that's fine. Just don't wear it out of the house. $ 30.00

So Pure Balancing and Purifying Serum- Formulated with green coffee extract, this is a serum you can apply day and night to help reduce oil and mattify. It has a bit of the smell of acne products but this does a nice job of helping keep pores a bit clearer and keeping the T- Zone more breakout free. It's a very moist feel on the skin and not tightening at all. I used it under makeup in hot summer, and at night. Now just at night . $ 44.00

Masque Purifiant- has green coffee and mineral salts as well as purified schist extract and salicyclic acid. All this adds up to a top notch clay mask that really smooths and de-oils. $ 39.00

Stick Couvrent Purifying- A concealer for acne and oil, hallelujah. There just aren't many out there. This doesn't add the the oil on your pimple, just covers really well and has a nice bit of anti acne meds in it- oat extracts and triclosan. Now triclosan is one of those ingredients that is on the hit list for possibly not be good for you. I can say, though, that an old acne zapper long since discontinued I got in London had triclosan and worked amazingly. Oat also is great for drying up acne. $ 29.00 ( one neutral, medium tint shade)

Payot isn't the easiest line to find but I found some online outlets like http://www.3graces.com/

More info and spa/sales outlets at http://www.payot.com/

Sebastian Texture Collection

Sebastian Texturizer is part of a small new line called Texture from the company. New products from Sebastian are always worth checking out. After all their Shaper hairspray line is not just a staple here but for stylists everywhere. While this new Texture line is geared more towards giving those with long hair the texture and hold but softness they crave, it's been great on my short hair as well.

My favorite of the line is called a liquid gel , full name Sebastian Texturizer Flexible Bodifying Liquigel , but is really more gel. Just a thinner gel than others like their Liquid Steel.

Texturizer gave me great styling ( applied in damp hair before drying) , great lift, good style hold and piecey-ness. All the things I want. Nothing to weigh my hair down or add any greasiness to it. Worked as well as my gels and my hair was left super soft .

Also new are :

Matte Putty- Soft-dry Texturizer( a dry paste for piece styling, it does a nice job and will be great for dry hair. It was too much moisture for me ) and Microweb Fiber Elastic Texturizer-(inspired by the properties of spider silk – flexibility, invisibility and invincibility – to create soft texture that’s malleable and touchable . This one I haven't tested)

Great videos and more are at http://www.sebastianprofessional.com/

Glamour Squad Weekly Reads

DivaDebbi is heady over PurMinerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Powder Foundation.

ThinkThruFashion rounds up all the spring trends from Fashion Week in New York, London, Milan and Paris.

Butterflydiary gets all Parisienne with her review of the new YSL fragrance.

Clumps of Mascara is loving Illamasqua! Especially their blushes.

The Beauty Alchemist enters the EOSphere with EOS lip balm.

Aly Walanksy knows that big brows are back in style - are you ready?

The Product Pasha is not afraid of stains anymore! All about Lip and Cheek Stains.

FTC Regulations Statement

I am sure many of you have heard about the new FTC regulations coming in December for bloggers. If you haven't , the very brief description is that the FTC will now require bloggers to let readers know where products reviewed came from. i.e - were they free samples sent by PR, bought, etc.

I receive many samples from PR companies and brand reps. Most bloggers do. I would say about 75% of all products reviewed have been free samples. Now, that in NO way changes what I feel about a product or colors my review in any way. I have never been paid to do a review and would never take payment for one.

I do tend to write about the things I like . I tend to gush about wonderful products. It's far for more fun to write about what you love, thats why I started this blog in the first place. I had no idea that free samples would be available when I began The Beauty Alchemist almost 3 years ago. It's wonderful that they are, but I would still write this blog free product or not. So, you will not see loads of negative reviews simply because I love most things . Few things cross my desk that I don't like at least a little. There are a few not so impressive and I've written about some of them too.

I also get samples at Sephora or counters , test things in store, buy them myself or trade off for them. I love trying everything new and I will find a way to try it whether a sample has come or not. Some items posted are also simply from images and information . Usually this will be a fashion post. I include a wide variety because, lets face it, there's a lot out there .

So you can assume that most of time, a product has been a given sample. But not always. And it does not affect what is written.


Thanks for reading this and my blog. I will keep a small disclaimer under the About Me page all the time for now and add more info if needed. Also, each post that is a press sample will be marked with a tiny asterisk and "press sample" noted at the bottom of that post.

Boots Protect & Perfect Day Cream Coupon

Boots Friends & Family Sale – get $2 off No7 Protect & Perfect Day Cream.

Boots Protect and Perfect line has gotten raves for years. It's a good line and easily accessible. Now you can save $ 2.00 by thru Oct. 31st. Even January Jones of Mad Men loves it. She recently noted Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Day Cream as one of her favorite beauty secrets on the EXTRA tv show.

*For more information about Boots, click here to visit their website. Offer ends October 31st 2009.

Coupon link :

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/contests/bootscream/

Michelle Tractenberg for BCA Month & Beauty.com

On Gossip Girl, Michelle Tractenberg's Georgina is bad girl. I mean, spilling the secret of Lily and Rufus's son at their wedding. BAD.

In real life Michelle is a far site better. Recently she pitched in along with Kristen Chenowith to help put togther beauty baskets by Beauty.com as part of Cancer and Careers BCA initiative. Each box is being sent to a cancer survivor. That's a really nice idea.

In addition to creating a BCA store with an assortment of products that benefit different BCA charities, from October 12-18, if you click on www.beauty.com/cancerandcareers, 10% of all purchases made on Beauty.com will be donated to CEW’s Cancer and Careers.

Shoppers can buy ANYTHING sold on the site, not just BCA products (nothing is restricted in any way). This gives you the opportunity to stock up on your favorite brands and products and help give back .

Madison Harding Studded Boots

These fab boots showed up in the inbox last week . I am into the studded look for fall, well always have been.

Madison Harding has named their very rocker chic boots after famous lady rockers and so we have the Janis, Cyndi and Joan.

All are available at http://www.amazon.com/ although not all styles are up thus far .

The Joan- is $ 320.00 (studded half boot)

The Cyndi is $ 356.00 ( mid boot with straps)

The Janis is price unknown (Flat bootie)

See http://www.madsionharding.com/ for more info

LUSH Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo

One of Lush's newest is Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo. Yes it has beer. Real beer. Irish Stout. It's also a great shampoo.

Smelling a bit of the beer ( and only a bit) with some citrus and herbs, this makes your hair so soft that you need less conditioner. Loads of shine and it seemed to brighten up the color of my hair as well.

Ingredients include Lemon and Cognac Oil.

Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo $8.95

Vaseline Sheer Infusion

Winter is coming and new lotions are out as well. Vaseline has new Sheer Infusion. The breakthrough according to the company is the Stratys 3 patented moisturizer, which goes deeper into the skin than just the first layer most lotions do.

The lotion itself is not heavy or greasy. Vaseline mentions that you get a silky feel using this and you sort of do. There is no tackiness, or leftover lotion feeling. It sinks in fast and a nice smoothness is left to the skin.

I didn't feel as though I was getting a lot more moisture than others , but it certainly does the job of moisturizing. If it's getting to more of my dry skin, thats good. Each variety has little to no scent as well. Just a hint, so if you are looking for something mainly unscented , this is good. I liked the Vitamin Burst best as it has some citrus smell.

There 3 types:Botanical Blend, Vitamin Burst, and Mineral Renewal.

EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm

One of the coolest looking lip balms ever is the new EOS Smooth Sphere. It's a big round ball of balm that you glide across your lips.

It's also certified organic by the USDA, is all natural with 95% organic ingredients. There's Vitamin E , shea butter and jojoba oil for moisture.

I do think have to use a bit more of this than some others to get good coverage and moisture but once on it's good. And really, you can't beat the cute factor.

I have the sweet mint and while I am not normally a mint fan I like this one. It's got a candy sweet going on. Somewhat like a candy cane maybe. A hint of vanilla.

There are 3 favors:

Honeysuckle
Summer Fruit
Sweet Mint

EOS is available online at http://www.evolutionofsmooth.com/ and in most Walgreens and Rite Aid and specialty stores like Blue & Cream( http://www.blueandcream/) in NYC.

Retail is $ 3.49

Glamour Squad Weekly Reads

DivaDebbi probes Dr. Elizabeth Chabner Thompson on the newest Botox techniques

ThinkThruFashion finds Halloween costume inspiration from the runways at Fashion Week.

Beauty Alchemist reviews the Kenzoki Chilly Foaming Cleanser.

Butterflydiary is all over the immune system-enhancing, gold-flecked lipgloss by Purple Lab for BCA.

Clumps of Mascara wants your support in her 50 million pound challenge!

Aveda Hand Relief Cream for BCA Month

Last year I tried Aveda's Hand Relief for the first time as part of their BCA month support. It is truly one of the best hand creams I have ever used. I kept this handy all winter and it worked so well. My hands were in their best winter shape in years. They get really dry and can crack on the fingertips so I need the strongest stuff I can get. It's very moisturizing obviously but also sinks in fast and isn't greasy in any way.

It's a winter staple and if you buy this special edition, $ 4.00 from each will go to the Breast Cancer Research Fund.

Available at http://www.aveda.com/ and Aveda stores.

$ 21.00

L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara

It's the length wars. New mascaras keep coming, each giving longer length than before. Available in the UK for some time, L'Oreal's newest, Telescopic Explosion, is in stores stateside now.

Telescopic Explosion has a small round ball for a wand, that looks a bit medieval but it works. It is a funny little brush but I kind of like it, though it does takes some getting used to ( you can poke your eye very easily). It gives major length . Some volume but not a lot . It can go on a little clumpy at first if you don't wipe the brush a bit, but you can comb it out. My lashes came out very long, very dark and very defined.

I don't think I'd replace my regular style wand with this permanantly but since I keep 3-4 mascaras in the rotation, I do like having this one in there. Most of us want long lashes and this did deliver.

Lauren Hutton Naturals Palette

I've had this Lauren Hutton Naturals palette on my desk for a month now. If I had posted sooner I would have beat Lucky magazine to it. It's featured by Jean Godfrey- June in the Oct. issue. All that I read by Ms. Godfrey-June suggests that she is a barely there kind of makeup gal and that is very much who this is for.

The makeup here is basic, easy and natural. It's also certified by the Natural Products Assoc. for use of natural, plant based ingredients and lack of synthetic preservatives., petrochemicals and more. The makeup is infused with anti-aging properties like grape seed oil, green tea and bamboo.

When I think of Lauren Hutton, I think of African safaris, among other things. Very much a wrold traveler, she always seems to be doing shoots or traveling there. And this is perfect for that kind of trip. Ok, I know not many of us are going to Africa on Safari. But if you were you wouldn't want to be out there with a full face of makeup and crimson lips. Best leave that to the Masai.

There is spot and sheer concealer, lip balm, powder, cake eyeliner, contour and brow colors. All with a handy application chart if needed. The palette is very large in size but lightweight and has a very pretty image on the outside.

$ 70.00 at http://www.laurenhutton.com/ ( I remember when Sephora carried the line. Now it is all online)

Photo of Lauren Hutton -Marie

Claire magazine online

YSL Parisienne

When YSL released Paris the perfume years ago, I made sure to get it when it came out. Then came Paris Babydoll. I got that one quick too. Babydoll isn't quite to my tastes now, but I , as do many, still think the original Paris a great scent.

Now we have Parisienne from YSL . This one meant as a tribute to Paris and the strong woman inspired and embraced by the City of Light.

Parisienne is very pretty . I hoped it would be a good one ( you never know these days) and it is. No it's not overly innovative or new, but what it is , is simply a nice perfume.

Created by Sophia Grosjman, a very well respected parfumeur who developed Paris ,along with Sophie Labbe, Parisienne is very much violet to my nose. Now I love violet, so this is a good start. The fragrance begins very effervescent, right into the violet. It's slightly sweet due to the blackberry, but I don't smell the actual berry note too much. As it dries the rose peeks out but not strongly.

The full drydown remains violet with a slightest hint of the musk and sandalwood bottom notes.

Sillage is medium as is lasting power.

This is not a strong scent, and you don't have to worry about overkill. I am particulary happy to see that the smallest size is $ 39.00. A great price point that makes this more accessible.

Top notes: vinyl accord, cranberry and blackberry
Middle notes: Damask rose, violet and peony
Base notes: musk, sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver

If you want to explore more, begininng Oct. 12, YSL is celebrating the launch of Parisienne, and to encouraging women to find their "inner Parisienne" by going to http://www.experienceparisienne.com/ , where each a woman and her Parisienne experience is shared with other women.

They will have five bloggers will travel around the country to discover and reveal their very own Parisienne experiences in New York, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and LA.

ExperienceParisienne.com will be the place for everyone to read daily blogs and discover stunning photography of "The Journey". It will also be where women can enter to win a trip to Paris and to Experience Parisienne for themselves.

1.0 oz $ 39.00

1.7 oz $ 65.00

http://www.yslbeautyus.com/ or

Sephora.com

Kenzoki Chilly Foaming Cleanser

In summer I began using the Kenzoki by Kenzo Chilly Foaming cleanser. It had been on my radar awhile but can only be ordered online, so it took some time for me to actually get one. The cleanser is part of the Energizing/Bamboo Leaf line tailored towards normal to oily skin .

It has now become a favorite. It really gets the oil off . In summer I am massive oily, but even with fall here, it's much the same. Using this, skin is very clean but I never feel dry or stripped after using it. It also has a nice, fresh scent thats a bit herbal tea like.

The cleanser is a gel and you don't need a lot . It lathers up only a little despite being called "foaming" , but gets the job done.

The whole Kenzoki line is intriguing , using many plant extracts and having aromatherapeutic qualities. I have also tried and liked the Nightwatcher Detoxifying Serum, a nice nightime treatment for oily skin . It's light but adds a bit of moisture and like the cleanser, is a gel .

Cleanser -$ 28.00 for 5.1 oz
Nightwatcher $ 60.00 for 1.7 oz

You can shop online in US at http://www.kenzousa.com/ Worldwide site http://www.kenzoki.com/

Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 Live Show

This season's fashion weeks have brought quite a few live online shows, which has been wonderful. I think, though, I am most excited that Alexander McQueen is streaming his live. I have been a fan , for well, lets just leave it at a long time.

The show begins at 8:15 PM Paris time, which is 2:15 EST.

Watch here :http://alexandermcqueenlive.showstudio.com/

Clinique Superbalanced Powder Makeup SPF 15

Clinique Superbalanced Powder Makeup SPF 15 is a good powder makeup for those who have fear of powder.

This powder is actually creamy in texture. After testing on my hand, my hand felt soft. It has hydrators in it, so thats where the softness comes from. It blends well, has medium coverage and will work on most skins except the super oily or super dry. I liked it a lot, but fear it's too creamy for me. I fall into that super oily group.

The neat part is the container that shaves off just the amount you want from a solid piece underneath. It's fun and a good idea. Makes it easy to carry if needed( although it is a large container) and no waste .

I believe Macys is having their Clinique bonus time now, so if you're thinking about buying, why not get some extras too?

Retail is $34.50

The Glamour Squad Weekly Reads

I've joined up with some fellow, fab bloggers to be part of The Glamour Squad. To start we are each posting a group of the best posts from the week. As time goes on, look for more .

Butterflydiary gives you all sorts of pink beauty coolness by dishing on Breast Cancer Awareness friendly buys.

Beauty Junkies Unite shares the fab new Fall colors from Essie's "Cuddle With Color" nail polish collection.

Diva Debbi gives her unvarnished opinion on mascaras, and why she adores L'Oreal's Telescopic

Clumps of Mascara heads to the Artist Summit in Miami and dishes on her fave products.

The Beauty Alchemist tells you if CoverGirl's Outlast Lip Stains are all that -- and then some.