OCC Reintroduces Skin Shimmers!

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is again offering their line of Skin Shimmers, airbrush highlighting products that can now also be applied using the hand. These are available in a range of six shades (in the photo above, pictured from L-R in Vintage, Bronzed, and Sunset) and work to produce a gorgeous "glow from within." They are safe to use on the face, the eyes, and anywhere else on the body! As with the usual liquid highlighters, you can mix a drop with your foundation to give your face a subtle glow (great for the summertime!) or mix with your favorite body lotion for a similar effect for the body, and as with all of the OCC products, these shimmers are meant to be mixed to create customizable shades, to give you radiant skin wherever you want it.

Here are the colors available now:

Pris - neutral champagne shimmer

Vintage - blue-violet shimmer

Bronzed - shimmering golden bronze

Sunset - gold-flecked peach shimmer

Golden - 24K gold sheen

Luster - semi-transparent white gold sheen (new shade!)

I love versatile products that can give you pick-me-ups wherever you might need them! A 1 oz. bottle of the Skin Shimmer goes for $20.00, while a 4 oz. bottle is $67.50 at http://www.occmakeup.com/. Remember, OCC's products are very conventrated, so a little goes a long way! Mini kits are also available, perfect for sampling before you invest in full-size bottles (you can test out which colors you particularly enjoy!) A set of six minis retails for $25, and each is .25 oz.

If you haven't already, go check out the OCC line! They offer some amazingly highly pigmented and multi-purpose products and they are constantly adding new items/shades!

Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 Oil-Free

Not long ago I never thought twice about foundations or coverage - sheer, medium, full...huh? - but then college hit. I went from having smooth, flawless skin with just the occasional hormonal breakout, to actually having to deal with covering up some mild acne scarring and an overall uneven skintone. With more to conceal, I turned to foundations with medium-full coverage. Now, my foundation of choice (as I've previously raved about!) is Revlon Colorstay, for its buildable to full coverage potential.

Now that the humid, sticky weather is upon us, though, I feel like my skin preparation should follow more of a minimalist approach. Liquid foundations can feel a bit heavy when the days are hot, and so I have tried to work with other options. Tinted moisturizers are great (especially when they have sun protection), but they generally provide more of a sheer coverage, which doesn't work out so well for me.

A month or so ago, while browsing the Stila display at Sephora, I came face to face (hello, gorgeous!) with their tinted moisturizer options. They had a few different ones to offer, and the Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 Oil-Free quickly caught my eye. I had read on the Stila site that this formula offered more of a medium coverage foundation, and taking into account the sun protection properties it provided (twice as strong as the original formula), as well as the moisturization factor, I decided to give this one a try. For my super-ghostly-white skin, I ended up with the lightest shade (shocker!! lol), Fair, Light 01. This shade matched my skintone very nicely and blended in amazingly.



Sooo.....now for a little review of the product and some insight into why I think this product works for me. I have found that the formula of this tinted moisturizer, while it does feel a bit thicker than usual when you apply it (I use my fingers), absorbs nicely into my skin and does not leave my face feeling greasy. The result is a more even looking skintone; redness/blotchiness is minimized, while my freckles and beauty marks are still visible ;-). When I sweat, I don't feel like this is melting off of my face. I have been using the tinted moisturizer without a primer (I generally use one when I apply foundations) with an additional light sunscreen underneath - hey, you can never have too much sun protection! - (Right now my sun-protectant of choice is the Jan Marini Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant with SPF 30. See here for product review), and a light setting powder on top. The only thing I dislike about this tinted moisturizer is the packaging. It comes in a rather hard to squeeze plastic tube, which I can see having to cut open eventually to retrieve product (think Urban Decay Primer Potion).



Here are some photos from yesterday of me wearing this Stila tinted moisturizer (please ignore the extremely frizzy do!). I wasn't kidding about the minimalist make-up! This was a lazy day!

Products used:

Jan Marini Antioxidant Face Protectant SPF 30

Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 Oil-Free in Fair, Light 01

Smashbox High Definition Concealer in Fair (under eyes)

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC15 (around nose and a little on blemishes)

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin

Clinique Long Pretty Lashes Mascara in Black

The finished look after adding Laura Geller Blush n Brighten in Roseberry and Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Whisper

For further swatches of this product (in my shade, of course), you can check out my previous Stila haul post here. The Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 retails for $36, and can be purchased from the Stila website and from Sephora (as well as other locations Stila is sold). I recommend giving this one a look, especially if you dig the lightness of a tinted moisturizer with a little more coverage.

Have you tried this tinted moisturizer before? Any of the others from Stila? Are you a fan of any other tinted moisturizers? I want to hear about your experiences!

The Beauty Chick Wants To Hear From You!

Hello, my chickadees! OK, so this is a really important post even though I won't actually be saying much. In this installment I won't be giving you a rave review about a product that I currently adore or info about some gorgeous new collection. Instead, in this TBC post, I am asking for some much needed (and greatly appreciated!) feedback from my readers. While I am passionate about describing and critiquing what I am enjoying (or lusting after) in the beauty world, I am quite aware that I am not only writing for myself. I hope that those of you who follow The Beauty Chick have been benefiting from what you have been reading thus far. I would love to hear your own thoughts and opinions about the products I have been discussing. Dissention is fine! I want more dialogue here! What are you liking and what don't you like? What aspects of the posts are you fond of and what would you like to see approached differently? I am so thankful to those of you who already follow/subscribe to my almost 2 month old "baby" and I want to thank you in advance for any time that you take to help me out. I welcome any and all comments on specific ways that I might be able to make my blog more informative, useful, and entertaining. In essence, I am determined to make my blog a place to stop on your daily tour of the beauty blogosphere!

NARS Fall 2009 Collection

The NARS Fall 2009 collection has popped onto the scene and there are some stunners in the mix. The look for Fall is, in the words of the great Francois Nars himself, intended to be "romantic and feminine but with a distinct edge." Here is what you can expect to see from this collection....

Eyeshadow Duos ($32 each):

Indian Summer - Frosted champagne/Mustardseed

Silk Road - Icy pink/Rose gold with golden flecks

Brumes - Matte charcoal/Blue slate

Single Eyeshadow ($22):

Mekong - Espresso infused with gold

Nail Polish ($16):

Tokaido Express - Black Amethyst infused with gold flecks

Lipstick ($24):

Fast Ride - Sheer Mulberry

The bold and dramatic, yet wearable hues have me lusting big time. I adore NARS eyeshadows - the quality and pigmentation is amazing - and these new shades look like they will fit in nicely for Fall looks. And who can resist a berry lip? I will most certainly be checking out this collection! See it for yourself now at http://www.narscosmetics.com/.

Thoughts on the new NARS goodies? Does anything call out to you?

PurpleLab Unveils "Kiss and Tell Your Huge Lips Skinny Hips I.D." Contest!!!

Do you kiss and tell? I think in this case you most certainly will want to! PurpleLab has just announced their "Kiss and Tell Your Huge Lips Skinny Hips I.D." contest, and it's as big and juicy as your lips are when dressed up in their signature gloss. My heart is thump-thumping with glee as I post this! So, here are the details straight from the gorgeous PurpleLab team!

There are currently six shades of the Huge Lips Skinny Hips lip gloss (with more to come!)They all have their own distinct personalities and are inspired by Karen's (the PurpleLab's creatrix) favorite icons and philosophies. Each gloss comes with its own little "love note" with the story behind the name selection. The glosses feature names like Love Your Thighs (we all know it can be tough to at times!) and Red Sole (ogled a hot pair of Louboutins?!? This top shoe designer is Karen's fave!)

So here's what to do. Go ahead and read about the Huge Lips Skinny Hips glosses at PurpleLab, choose the shade that best reflects your personality and tell them why! It's that easy ;-) Then, you must vote, vote, vote!

One Grand Prize winner will get these fabulous treats:

A trip to NYC with a friend

A shopping trip at Topshop to pick out some amazing threads from the Kate Moss line

Private pole dancing lessons

.....and more exciting surprises!

You will get to spend a day with the brains behind it all - the beautiful Karen! - sipping Lychee Martinis (if you are over 21, of course!) and getting to connect with some of the things that have inspired the names for her lip glosses - and continue to inspire her daily!

In addition, there will also be yummy prizes for the most "viral," runner-up, and random winners throughout!

So go check out Purple Lab and enter this fabulous contest! Click on the image below and you will be directed right to it!

Remember.......have fun!!

Jan Marini Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant - Protect Yourself

It is absolutely necessary to wear a sunscreen in the summer, ideally with at least an SPF 30 to make sure that your skin doesn't fall victim to the harsh rays of the sun. My issue with many sun-protectants (especially for the face), though, is that they can be pretty greasy and heavy feeling on the skin. During the summer months, when it is hot and humid, the product can even seem to slip and slide on the face as you sweat. I don't know about you, but I'm not such a huge fan of that feeling!

Lately, I have been using a new product (new to me, at least!) by Jan Marini Skin Research, however, that has truly changed my feelings about sun-protectants and the way they can peform. The Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant, which contains SPF 30, is also waterproof and provides protection against both types of harmful sun rays, UVB and UVA. The SPF factor on sunscreen packaging tells you about the amount of protection the product is giving you against the "burning rays" (i.e. the ones that will give you a sunburn and can cause skin cancers) - the UVB rays - but the number tells little about the protection that is provided to combat the effects of the UVA rays, those that can really lead to the aging of the skin.

I love the way this product smells (very fruity and pleasant!) and when applied to the skin, it is instantly absorbed for a nice matte finish. It is also oil-free and I don't experience any greasy residue - it stays put! The packaging states that this product is "very water resistant" and that it "retains SPF after 80 minutes of perspiring or water activity." I am a believer thus far! I use this under my foundation, sometimes in conjunction with a primer, and apply it, as is the case with all sunscreens, about 30 minutes before I go out.

A little more information about the product as the Jan Marini site states:

The formula contains a "microscopic sponge encapsulation system, state-of-the-art sun protection, and a PhytoMelanin plant extract that mimics human melanin and provides further UV and antioxidant protection." The formula contains Nayad (trade-marked), a "potent antioxidant technology."

This Jan Marini "broad spectrum" sunscreen is available in the original formula (which has no color when rubbed into the skin) and also in three tinted shades, Sunkissed Bronze, Sunkissed Sand, and Sunkissed Neutral. I'm definitely interested in trying out the tinted varieties! If I can get the great benefits of the original while imparting a pretty golden glow to brighten my fair skin, count me in!

You can purchase the Antioxidant Face Protectant online at http://www.myjanmarini.com/, and a 2 oz. tube (also available in a 2 oz. pump form) retails for $48. I agree it is a bit pricey, but not very much product is required to cover the face and it truly performs beautifully. I recommend checking out the other products from the brand as well. There are a lot of great skin care items to be found here!

Score Smashbox HD Dual Finish Micro Powder For One Day Only!!

Today only, Smashbox has a special offer available! Be the first to test drive their new HD Dual Finish Micro Powder, a great new translucent formula! This product has UVA/UVB SPF 15, and dispenses easily through a brush with a "twist" of the tube. Three finishes can be obtained: click "matte" to absorb oil/shine, "luminous" for a beautiful glow, or "mix" for a combination of both looks. This will be great to carry around in your purse for those necessary touch-ups throughout the day!

This HD powder is available on the Smashbox website for $38 only until the end of the day! Snag yours before it officially launches in stores!