Beauty For A Cause: Darphin Introduces "50 Little Luxuries"

Luxury beauty brand, Darphin, has recently launched a remarkably lush and hydrating face cream, Hydraskin Essential ($50). Its formula contains ingredients such as Butterfly Lavender and Organic Shea Butter that work to make your skin ultra-moisturized and healthy.

To accompany the launch of this new product, Darphin is encouraging women to share their favorite $50 indulgences. They have partnered with IDEAL Providence Farms, an organization that raises funds to provide the children of Ghana with school supplies. A donation is made to the foundation with each tip shared.

It is simple to get involved! Simpy head on over to http://www.50littleluxuries.com/ and enter your favorite luxury. Hurry, though, because on April 21, the 50 most creative entries will be selected to win full-sized samples of the Hydraskin Essential. In addition, one grand prize winner will receive a trip to NYC for two, including 2 nights at the Surrey Hotel and complimentary Darphin spa treatments (and more!)

So, what are your indulgences?

Get Back To Your "Origins" And Celebrate Earth Month

Origins is celebrating Earth Month in a huge way! On April 19, the brand will be sponsoring a FREE concert, the First Annual Origins Rocks Earth Month Concert in NYC. The event, which will take place at the famous Webster Hall in downtown NYC, will feature such artists as Macy Gray.

How do you score a ticket, you ask? Well, here's the scoop: bring an empty cosmetics container (any brand) to your local Origins store in NYC, Westchester, or Garden State Mall in NJ and receive one free ticket to the show while supplies last (no purchase necessary). Unfortunately, though, admission to the concert will be on a first come, first served basis, so ticket holders must arrive early to the venue! HOWEVER, there is a way to guarantee that you will be in attendance! The first 50 customers to prove that they are fans of Origins on Facebook (either by providing a print out or via mobile phone) at the Flatiron Flagship store in NYC will receive concert access (+1 guest) and 2 free drink tickets guaranteed!!

In addition to this amazing concert event, Origins is urging people to "go green" through their Trade-In Program. On April 22, customers will have the chance to bring in their empty cosmetics packages to ANY Origins location to trade in for a FREE full-sized Checks and Balances Frothy face wash ($18.50 value) or A Perfect World Antioxidant cleanser ($20 value). The used containers brought into the stores will all be recycled via the Return to Origins Recycle Program. Everyone involved is encouraged to share their experiences on Twitter using the hashtag #OriginsTradeIn.

These are some pretty great initiatives and I hope you'll get involved! What other ways are you honoring the planet this month?

Get "Kiss Worthy" Lips With FSL Cosmetics: A Review And A Giveaway!

I love supporting smaller, up-and-coming businesses. So you can be sure I was thrilled to meet Kimberly Riley, the brains behind FSL Cosmetics (Feel Good, Smell Good, Look Good), at a blogger mixer during the recent New York Fashion Week. Kimberly, a cosmetic chemist, has a passion and a love for her new line that is frankly infectious...it just oozes out of every aspect of her being! I know from "tweeting" and chatting with her that she spends hours every day working on and perfecting her current lipstick and lip gloss offerings. And I love them!

I had the opportunity to test out Pink Colada and 14 Karat lip glosses and Vino lipstick. Upon application, I was immediately struck by the smooth, non-sticky (and I mean zero tackiness!) texture of the glosses. They provide lovely color and high shine finish, but are extremely light on the lips. The hint of sparkle is gorgeous! I have been wearing Pink Colada, a beautiful pinky-mauve, on its own (I love the way it makes me feel when I have very little makeup on!), but I think that this shade would complement a pink lipstick or even a more nude color very nicely. 14 Karat, is a yellow gold gloss with subtle shimmer. This one is sure to add a richness to a variety of lipstick colors, especially nude tones. Vino lipstick is a creamy, rich, and beautiful cranberry red with a lovely sheen, that can be built up or sheered out on the lips, depending on the desired level of intensity. All of the FSL products are infused with lip healthy vitamins and antioxidants and smell deliciously of juicy fruits (Pink Colada's scent reminds me of a Pina Colada...yummy!)

Pink Colada Lip Gloss

14 Karat Lip Gloss

Vino Lipstick

FSL Cosmetics' lip glosses and lipsticks retail for $18.50 each.

And now for a fun giveaway from The Beauty Chick and FSL!

To enter to win one lip gloss of your choice, simply comment below and tell me what makes you feel good, smell good, or look good. You can increase your chances of winning by following @fslcosmetics on Twitter and RTing "I want to win an FSL Cosmetics Lip Gloss" #feelgoodsmellgoodlookgood (with the hashtag).

*The contest will end on April 18 at 11:59 PM and is open to US residents only.

GOOD LUCK!

NB: Images and product samples were provided to me by FSL Cosmetics. 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.

Beauty Preview: Nordstrom And MAC Present Exclusive Opulash Mascara

"Extra, extra, read all about it!" Behold, MAC's latest mascara and a Nordstrom beauty exclusive....Opulash! With a formula designed to maximize lash volume and curl, Opulash boasts a full wand that tapers at its tip (my favorite brush design!) and promises to coat lashes uniformly without creating the "spider lash" effect. It creates dramatic lashes without clumping.

The new Opulash mascara will be available ONLY at Nordstrom stores and online at www.nordstrom.com where it will retail for $14. While it officially launches on April 22, it is possible to pre-order starting on April 12.

I am very curious to see how this bad boy performs. Thus far, I haven't had any experience with MAC mascaras (though I do have Studio Fix Lash waiting in my beauty drawer to be tried when some of my others have been used up/dried out).

What do you think? Will you try MAC Opulash mascara?

Tina Turnbow For Tarte Go Gorgeously Green Event!

Attention NYC area beauty lovers! Here is an awesome opportunity for you! This Friday, April 9th, eco-chic celebrity makeup artist, Tina Turnbow, and her team of Tarte artists will be making an appearance at the Sephora on 42nd St. and Madison Avenue. They will be offering tips, tricks, and mini-makeovers to help you create beautiful eco-friendly spring looks using the Flower Child by Tina Turnbow collection. Tina herself will be available at the location from 12-3 PM, with the rest of the team on hand from 12-6 PM.

If you are in the area and can make it out, I highly recommend popping over! I would also suggest calling the store to make an appointment beforehand. I might even be there (fingers crossed!).

*All guests will receive a complimentary gift with every Tarte purchase.

It's That Time Again...Urban Decay Friends and Family Sale!

Hi lovelies! I just wanted to let you know that Urban Decay is currently coming at you again with a Friends and Family sale! From April 6 - 19, receive 30% off on orders made at www.urbandecay.com. To redeem the offer, simply enter the code 1SFNF at checkout.

Urban Decay has recently launched their Spring collection, so now's a great time to try out some of those new items (or pick up some of your old favorites!) My picks are the Summer of Love eyeshadow palette and De-Slick in a Tube mattifier. What items are on your lists?

Caress Introduces New Line Up With A Night Of Sweet Indulgences

Last week I was invited to attend a press event to celebrate the launch of some new additions to Caress body care's already well-loved line. Though I arrived a bit late to the venue (Sweetiepie, a super cute restaurant in NYC...so chic and girlie!), I was able to check out the products first hand and get the scoop behind their formulations.

The new line up includes two Whipped Souffles, ultra-silkening body washes, in White Peach Cream and Blackberry Cream (SRP $4.49 each), as well as Velvet Bliss (with blackberry and vanilla essence), available in both beauty bar (2-bar pack: SRP $2.99, 4-bar pack: SRP $4.99, 6-bar pack: SRP $6.49, and 8-bar pack: SRP $7.99) and body wash (12 oz. SRP $3.50 and 18 oz. SRP $4.49) formulas. All are designed to be incredibly moisturizing and infused with fragrance notes that are sure to tantalize the senses. The smell and the texture is just simply luxurious (affordable luxury!)

I was encouraged to indulge to the max - there were lots of sweet confections to taste (including both Blackberry and Peach Whipped Mousses!*), manicurists were on hand to beautify nails, and a photographer snapped pictures as I posed with the Caress goodies in Sweetiepie's "birdcage." I had the opportunity to experience the individual fragrance notes behind the products and learn a bit about how they came together into a unified scent. Let me tell you, the products smell heavenly! Though I am a self-proclaimed peach girl (and this Whipped Souffle is currently in my shower), I'll have you know that I think I love the blackberry one even more (as I found out when I selected this one to be used as the lotion for my coral Zoya manicure! Yes, it really is that moisturizing...it was a natural fit for my pre-mani hand massage!) The Souffles are ultra-creamy, yet very light on the skin. The scents are nicely balanced - they stay on your skin after the product is washed off, yet are far from overpowering (and you all know what those are like!)

The delicious Blackberry Mousse! How cute are they?!?

The peach candies were so yummy!

Ooooo la la!!

It was a great night and I'm so glad I made it by (my abilities to navigate in NYC when streets no longer follow a perpendicular grid are not very good...so I got a little lost ;-) )! These new products from Caress are definitely a hit in my book! They are all available now at food, drug, and mass retailers around the country.

Posing with Caress products in the Birdcage (photo credit: Caress-hired photographer)

*Here is the recipe for the Whipped Sweetiepie Souffles (for Blackberry version, simply follow below and substitute the berries for the peaches) if you are interested in recreating them at home!

Ingredients:

2 lbs of fresh peaches

pinch of salt

1-1/4 cups sugar

2 cups cold heavy cream

Combine half of the peaches in a saucepan with salt, 3/4 cups of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water

Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat

Cool completely

Whip heavy cream with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until it forms soft peaks

Mash the remaining uncooked peaches

Fold the cooked and cooled peaches into the cream just enough to create a marbled effect

Chill in the fridge for three hours before serving

SERVES 4

Disclosure: I attended a Caress sponsored event