ShoeWoo Announces The Launch Of e-Commerce Site!

Aside from beauty products, my great love is shoes. Flats, heels, sneakers....I love them all! In this vein, I'm happy to inform you all that ShoeWoo, a shoe heaven carrying brands such as Nine West, AK Anne Klein, and Joan & David (among others) has just expanded into the world of online shopping. This is awesome news considering there are only a handful of ShoeWoo retail locations around the country (which is great for those of us in the NYC area, but not so great for those of you in, say, California...see, I knew the East Coast is where it's at!). Now regardless of your placement in the US, you can get your fix!

ShoeWoo offers specials, sales, and a great selection of shoes and accessories! What are you waiting for...I'm already there! Prepare to be wooed ;-)

Beauty From Canada: A Look At Vasanti Cosmetics

As a beauty blogger, one of the aspects I love the most is gaining exposure to new and exciting national and international brands. One such brand that has recently caught my attention is Vasanti Cosmetics, a beauty line out of Canada offering a full range of terrific products. Recently, I have tried out some of their offerings and I'm very excited to tell you a bit about them and some of my thoughts.

Yesterday, for an afternoon out shopping with a girlfriend, I decided to do a "Vasanti eye," using one of their eyeshadow palettes and mascara (of course I left my camera at home!). As much as I appreciate and love color, on a daily basis (if I wear shadows) I'm really a neutral gal. Vasanti's Eye Colour Palette in "Manhattan 24/7" ($40) was a perfect fit! This compilation of shadows contains five fairly frosty/shimmery natural, everyday colors in a compact with a nice-sized mirror and a dual-ended brush (I have not used the brushes to apply the colors).

The Colors:

1. Soho - Neutral pearly champagne 2. Central Park - Golden peach shimmer 3. Wall Street - Medium brown with a hint of lustre 4. Tribeca - Metallic pearl pink 5. Times Square - Burgundy brown w/subtle coppery shimmer

I found the shadows very easy to use. They blended easily and I was quite happy with the simple daytime look I created (Soho on the lid, Central Park blended into the crease, and Wall Street in the outer corner area). So pretty! I didn't experience much fall out at all with the shadows, either. My only criticisms of the palette are the fact that it only contains shimmery and metallic shades (as opposed to one or two with matte finishes) and also that there was no real highlight color. When grabbing for a palette, I tend to like to have the option to create a balanced look with just that one grouping of eyeshadows (especially for travel). That being said, however, I think that this product will be a nice choice for the spring and summer when I tend to gravitate more towards those colors with more lustre.

To round off the eye look I used the brand's Long Lash Mascara in Intense Black ($16). For daytime, I am all about adding length to my lashes without weighing them down with heavy formulas (I love the soft, natural look). I found that this mascara (housed in a sexy, skinny little tube!) met both of my criteria. The brush is really nice (reminds me a bit of one of my favorites, Maybelline Full and Soft) and easily coats the lashes while adding some length and volume. The formula contains moisturizing ingredients such as Vitamin E, Jojoba Oil, and Shea Butter, as well as Panthenol and hydrolyzed silk protein to condition.

Another Vasanti product that I have been using for the past couple of weeks is their EYE WONDER Triple Action Eye Treatment Cream ($42). I have incorporated this into my nighttime routine. The formula is soft and creamy and applies to my under eye area nicely without any tugging or irritation. I pat this underneath my eyes, covering my dark circles. Though it is a little early in the game to comment on the product's more long-term benefits, I am very much enjoying it. The cream's unique formula works to minimize the effects of dark circles, puffiness, and wrinkles. It acts to target the underlying causes of the issues (aging, sun exposure, etc.), by thickening the skin around dark areas (with Dermican) and reducing puffiness with Eyeliss. There is a lot of product contained in the tub as well, considering how little you need to use to cover the area of interest. I'm still working off of the cap!

So this blog edition has covered my thoughts and experiences using some of the products from the Vasanti Cosmetics range. Overall, I am rather impressed with the line! If you are interested in learning more about the products from this brand, be sure to check out their website, www.vasanticosmetics.ca/us (leave off the "us" for the canadian site).

P.S. I loove the bright packaging!

NB: These products were sent to me by a PR representative for my consideration. Though I did not purchase them myself, my review was in no way influenced by my receipt of samples. I am dedicated to providing reviews that are 100% my own opinions, bias-free. If I ever feel that I cannot give my readers honest feedback on a product, I will not present a review for it. I am here to inform, and publishing untruthful thoughts is neither beneficial to those who visit my blog nor to me.

Jan Marini Age Intervention Prime Preps For Flawless, Youthful Skin

It's no secret that I love my primers, and the Age Intervention Prime Face Primer from Jan Marini has easily become my new go-to. As with the other primers I have tried, the product glides onto my skin effortlessly and smoothes out my complexion (leaving my skin feeling silky and soft, I might add!). What is particularly cool about Age Intervention Prime, however, is that in addition to helping minimize pores and prepping the skin for foundation, it also provides some amazing skin-rejuvenating benefits. It's unique formula is packed full of delicious ingredients such as co-enzymes (e.g. Co-Enzyme Q10) and tea extracts (from green tea, red tea, and white tea) that are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Unique ingredients such as Lys'lastine® work together with the CoQ10 to help restore elasticity to the skin, something that becomes more of a concern as the skin ages. Hyaluronic Acid adds moisture and volume to the skin to "plump" it and leave it looking more youthful, healthy, and radiant. Skin-strengthening peptides help fill in fine lines and wrinkles as well. Overtime, the effects of these ingredients becomes even more apparent.

I also notice that when I'm using this product my skin looks more radiant in photographs, more flawless and without excessive shine. Who could complain about that?!? The primer has no offensive scents (I can't detect any at all) and it's just a dream to use. It has certainly fit seamlessly into my daily beauty regimen!

Age Intervention Prime retails for $75 and is available for purchase at www.myjanmarini.com as well as a variety of other retailers around this country and others (call 800-347-2223 for locations).

This is my favorite face primer of the moment. What about you? Do you wear a primer on a daily basis? If so, which one(s) do you love? Do you hate primers? Comment and tell me about it!

NB: This product was sent to me by a PR representative for my consideration. Though I did not purchase it myself, my review was in no way influenced by my receipt of a sample. I am dedicated to providing reviews that are 100% my own opinions, bias-free. If I ever feel that I cannot give my readers honest feedback on a product, I will not present a review for it. I am here to inform, and publishing untruthful thoughts is neither beneficial to those who visit my blog nor to me.

Attention NYC And San Francisco Beauties! Come Join The CoverFx Flashmob!

Hello my pretties! I have some great news for those of you in the NYC and San Francisco areas! On March 24th in NYC and March 29th in San Francisco, the CoverFx team will be out in full force, handing out FREE retail size ConcealFx tubes (and this is good stuff!). Stop by and say hi to the cool people rocking the camo gear and show them your "problem" spots. They'll be sure to hook you up with the super blemish concealer ($25 value, while supplies last)!

Here are the deets:

NYC (3/24): Grand Central, 4:00-6:00 PM, by the tower clock at the center of the station

San Francisco (3/29): Union Square, 4:30-6:30 PM, center of the square by the Victoria Monument

I hope that you can make it out!!

SJP NYC - Flirty, Feminine, and Fabulous

A great fragrance can be a girl's best accessory, and I think I've found a favorite in Sarah Jessica Parker's latest perfume, SJP NYC. I love the way wearing it allows me to feel flirty, feminine, and confident. I totally have my Carrie Bradshaw moment as I walk down the streets of NYC (and really, who could ask for more?) The scent combines the best of both worlds - the floral and the fresh and fruity.

The scent itself was created to reflect the vibe of NYC, the fashion and the freedom, and was, in fact, inspired by the character Sarah Jessica made so famous in the Sex and the City series (side note: who else is looking forward to Sex and the City 2??) The packaging is cute and features a glass bottled nestled within a bright pink plastic cylinder covered in some fun graphics. The illustrations are colorful and the patterns are intended to mirror the interior of SJP's own closet. I definitely dig the colors and the theme of the designs, but I would have preferred a slightly more polished presentation. I am not the biggest fan of the plastic casing and the designs are displayed on paper wrapped around the bottle. I am afraid if I traveled with this bottle the paper might start peeling off. Regardless, though, I would not be deterred from purchasing this perfume. The scent is just divine (literally, upon receipt, I sat in my room with the most stupid grin on my face, inhaling the sweet goodness!) In SJP's own words, she says that she "wanted to create a fragrance with a great sense of fun and whimsy." For her, the perfume was to reflect her love of "mixing things up and breaking rules" a philosophy to which she subscribes in her fashion style.

Available in department stores around the country, the SJP NYC Eau de Toilette comes in three sizes - 60 ml ($49), 30 ml ($35), and 15 ml ($25). There is a body lotion ($25) as well.

For those perfume enthusiasts, here's a rundown of the fragrance notes:

Top: Italian Mandarin, White Osmanthus, Wild Red Strawberries

Heart: Gardenia, Honeysuckle, Mimosa, Red Rose Damascenia

Base: Sandalwood, Vanilla Absolute, Rum Flavor, Creamy Musks

SJP NYC makes me feel like strapping on those Manolos (that I don't have!) and strutting down Fifth Avenue! If a fragrance can make you feel that way, I suppose it's not a bad thing, right? ;-)

NB: This product was sent to me by a PR representative for my consideration. Though I did not purchase it myself, my review was in no way influenced by my receipt of a sample. I am dedicated to providing reviews that are 100% my own opinions, bias-free. If I ever feel that I cannot give my readers honest feedback on a product, I will not present a review for it. I am here to inform, and publishing untruthful thoughts is neither beneficial to those who visit my blog nor to me.

Pucker Up With Bare Escentuals Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Balm!

Relatively new to the Bare Escentuals line up, the Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Balm dresses lips up in a pillow of moisture and comfort. Designed with skin healthy ingredients such as Vitamins C and E, the product acts to plump up the lips, leaving them looking shiny and gorgeous.

I have been using this lip balm in Copacabana (in photo above, top row, middle) for a while now, and I love the way it makes my lips feel. Though the balm does seem quite sticky when you dip your finger into the pot (it is thick and almost forms a web), when actually applied to the lips, there is no detectable tackiness. I experienced nearly immediate hydration and shine. I didn't feel that the lip-plumping factor was excessive or uncomfortable; it was a slight tingle. The scent of the balm is the same as that of the Buxom lip glosses, which I would best describe as "butterscotch" (yummy!) The product comes housed in a cute mirrored tub, with an actual mirror located under the gloss' cap.

Copacabana is a very light peachy-nude shade, very natural and wearable, though it doesn't deposit very much color on my pigmented lips. For this reason, I have been wearing it mostly underneath other lip colors or as a lip treatment at bed time, as it provides such a nice level of moisture to my dry pout. Other shades in the range seem to have more pigmentation.

The Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Balm is available in five shades, sold exclusively at Sephora stores and online at www.sephora.com. It retails for $15.

Bora Bora - sheer cherry red

Copacabana - sheer nude glow

Portofino - sheer plum wine

St. Barth - sheer lilac sheen

Waikiki - sheer bright pink

Have you tried one of these balms out yet?

NB: This product was sent to me by a PR representative for my consideration. Though I did not purchase it myself, my review was in no way influenced by my receipt of a sample. I am dedicated to providing reviews that are 100% my own opinions, bias-free. If I ever feel that I cannot give my readers honest feedback on a product, I will not present a review for it. I am here to inform, and publishing untruthful thoughts is neither beneficial to those who visit my blog nor to me.