Backstage Pass: MIK CIRE SS2011 For Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week

On September 11th, designer Eric Kim sent his MIK CIRE SS2011 collection down the runway at The Studio at Lincoln Center. The inspiration for the show was "90's grunge" a la Kurt Cobain. A peek backstage revealed that the overall look was messy, rugged, and very sexy.

*HAIR:

Here are the steps that key stylist, Sean James/Fred Segal for PHYTO followed to create the intended style:

1. For long hair, Phyto Professional Intense Volume Mousse was applied for a nice sheen and natural gloss.

2. Hair was blown dry. Phyto Professional Glossing Cream was applied to finish.

3. For short looks, a pea-sized amount of Phyto Professional Matte Texturizing Paste was added to the hair.

3. Hair was taken piece by piece to create definition.

4. Phytolaque hairspray was used to finish the look.

Stylist Sean James in action styling a male model's hair

Some shots of the models mid-coif:









The products used

GROOMING:

Key makeup artist, Priscilla Rangel for Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, stated that the models were meant to uphold a rugged, manly look, and thus, little makeup was used on the face. OCC Skin: Primer was applied as a "makeup alternative," to even out pores and create a smooth canvas. Brows were kept natural, and a balm was used on the lips.

The finished looks:

Photo credit: PHYTO

Photo credit: PHYTO

Photo credit: PHYTO

Photo credit: PHYTO

*Step-by-step provided by PHYTO

**PHYTO products are available for purchase at Sephora locations, www.sephora.com, Ulta stores, www.ulta.com, www.beauty.com, www.drugstore.com, and select salons.

Laura Mercier, the Pioneer of the "Flawless Face," Introduces the "What Is Flawless?" Campaign

I love when brands introduce campaigns designed to make us think about what beauty really means to us. That being said, Laura Mercier has recently launched a new online campaign (essentially an online conversation) that urges all of us to ponder the question "what is flawless?" and to submit our own definitions to this open-ended question. We're are all being asked to challenge the "traditional" notions of what is beautiful. Beauty lies in everything around us, and this discussion allows us to reflect upon those things.

So...how can you participate in the "What Is Flawless?" campaign? Simply head over to the Laura Mercier website and submit your answer. What's also really cool is that for every answer submitted between September 1st and December 1st, Laura Mercier will make a donation of $1.00 to the Gulf Relief Fund, a charity that is dedicated to restoring the wetlands preservation in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana (Laura finds flawless beauty in the concept of charity for a cause!).

Make sure to also follow Laura Mercier on Twitter (@lauramercier) and use the #whatisflawless hashtag!

What do you think? Will you participate? Where do you see flawless beauty in your lives?

One Singular Scent-sation: Presenting FlowerByKenzo

I love perfume. I love discovering new perfumes. Furthermore, I find it especially exciting when said fragrance(s) come(s) from a brand with which I have little familiarity. I mean how fun is it to get to explore a new line and then on top of that come out with a new favorite?!? My olfactory bulbs have been experiencing sensory overload....in a VERY good way ;-).

Not too long ago I reached out to my amazing friend Joey (of Too Many Eyeshadows) to help me learn more about KENZO and the products they have to offer. Now, I know she has tried many a KENZO goody without complaint (on the contrary, she has given them rave reviews!), so I put all my confidence in my favorite Bunny. After all, we do have a lot of similar tastes, especially in the fragrance realm, so I wasn't too concerned. Boy, did she ever pull through!! Introducing (OK, so it's not technically NEW...but it's new to ME).....FlowerByKenzo.

I generally find myself gravitating toward scents that mix florals with more fruity tones, but FlowerByKenzo is a straight up floral amalgamation...and I love it. It is powerful, yet light, and highly concentrated (you don't need to spray on very much to get the full effect of the fragrance...though I generally do, because well, I like it that way ;-)). I also find that the scent stays on the skin throughout the day quite nicely. It doesn't tend to fade away too quickly.

Since it is generally difficult to describe the tones of fragrances in a way that is easily understood, I thought I would give you the "accords" of the perfume as KENZO lists them. I admit, I am not familiar with all of the ingredients!

Floral Accord: Bulgarian Rose, Wild Hawthorne, Parma Violet, Cassia

Powdery Accord: Vanilla, White Musk, Oppoponax

Dynamic Accord: Hedione, Cyclosal

The scent to me is just pretty, fresh, and clean. It just screams summer to me, and I am finding myself wearing this almost every day. It makes me feel happy and feminine...and beautiful. I also love the way the thin glass bottle (curved to demonstrate the way a real flower bends) showcases the red poppy, the flower which really springs FlowerByKenzo to life. All in all, this fragrance speaks of sophistication.

A little background on Kenzo:

The House of KENZO was founded in 1970 in Paris by Takada Kenzo, a Japanese fashion designer, who, in 1987 introduced the fragrance line. The first women's fragrance came along the following year. In 1999, Mr. Kenzo left the company, appointing Odile Lobadowsky as president/CEO and Patrick Guedj as creative director. 2000 marked the introduction of the FlowerByKenzo scent, and in 2001 KenzoKi was born (a skincare off-shoot of the Kenzo brand). All of Kenzo's fragrances stay true to the underlying philosophy of the company - "attachment to nature, poetry, mixing of East and West, and a playful marriage of contrasts."

The FlowerByKenzo Eau de Parfum is available in three sizes (30 mL for $56, 50 mL for $72, and 100 mL for $92) and can be found at Sephora locations, www.sephora.com, and www.kenzousa.com. There are also other products in the range including a cream as well as La Cologne.

Have you tried this scent or any others from the KENZO range? If so, what do you think? What are some of your favorites? I definitely will be trying more!

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.

Hot Deal Alert: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Duos

I just came across this offer on the Urban Decay website, and I thought it might be of interest. Right now, the brand is selling duos of their best-selling shades for $19!! A veritable steal, considering one shadow generally retails for $17! While there isn't a huge selection of shades being offered, UD has hit on a lot of the popular ones like Midnight Cowboy, Mowie Wowie, and Half Baked.

I have my eyes on the Narcotic/Toasted duo. What do you think? Will you participate in the offer?

P.S. What are some of your favorite Urban Decay eyeshadow colors?

Lip Gloss Loving: BECCA Cosmetics Glossy Lip Tint In "Daquiri"

On a recent beauty excursion with Josie of Too Many Eyeshadows, I was gifted a gorgeous lip gloss, a Glossy Lip Tint to be exact (with a totally sexy, perfect-for-summer name, "Daquiri!"), from one of my new favorite brands, BECCA (I really fell in love circa IBS in March). Josie knows my love for corals knows no bounds (give me a lip, a cheek...you name it, I love it!), so she was anxious for me to try the shade that she touts is the only coral she loves to wear - period. Now, to me this is a rather demure coral, one that seems more rosy-hued than the traditional bright peachy/orange-pink I normally associate with the term, but let me tell you, this baby has sent me to gloss heaven!!! It is the prettiest color, almost like a juicy berry tone, and the consistency is ultra luxurious and smooth (plus, I swear the scent is actually reminiscent of a strawberry daquiri! YUM!). I can achieve an awesome natural, "bee stung" lip with the gloss on its own, and it tops lipsticks nicely (adds a little pizazz to an ordinary nude!).

As you can see (or read!) I am soooo in love with this gloss right now. Trying it has really tempted me to test out other shades of the formula as well. Zero tackiness!!

Sooo now I ask you all...have you tried any of the BECCA Glossy Lip Tints? Are there certain shades you love/hate? What's your favorite lip gloss/product of the moment?

P.S. If you have any coral suggestions, feel free to comment and let me know (i.e. you better!) ;-)

Celebrate, Celebrate! The Beauty Chick Turns 1!!

Today is a big day for me and this blog. Today I celebrate The Beauty Chick's 1 year anniversary (blogiversary, if you will). It's hard to believe that 12 months ago I sat down to craft this little baby. I never expected my blogging days would endure, but I'm happy to say that, though my posts have been less than daily as of late (I owe you all lots of product reviews, event write-ups, and more....all of which have been in the works!), my blog and I are still going strong! I'm not going to make this post long-winded, but I do want to thank all of you who have stuck with me. A special welcome goes out to my new followers!! I have a great giveaway to launch in the next few weeks (heck, I can celebrate this whole month if I want to!). Some pretty awesome brands that I love (and I hope you do, too) will be participating to help me kick off my foray into another year of blogging and sharing what I love about beauty. I love you guys and I hope you'll continue to read my posts! Never hesitate to comment, send me emails, or suggest ideas for product reviews (PS if you've requested a review in the past, you will see it the near future!).

So here's to another year, hopefully even more productive and informative than the last!!

xoxo

The Beauty Chick

From The Drugstore Aisles: "Balms Away" With EOS Lip Balm

These cute little lip balms from EOS (short for Evolution of Smooth) have recently become the talk of the beauty community. I was finally able to hunt them down about a month ago at a local Walgreen's location (though they are starting to pop up everywhere now!) and I'm glad I found them! Ergonomically-friendly (they feature a little "thumb rest"), these are seriously the cutest balms I have come across! They look like little eggs and contain some yummy-flavored lip moisturizer within. I snagged the EOS lip balm in Honeysuckle Honeydew and Summerfruit (my store was out of Sweet Mint...though I hear that is a favorite!) and both are deliciously fruity. Their ability to soften and hydrate the lips is not remarkable (I can say other products are more moisturizing), but they do the trick and I love the delicious scents (Summerfruit being my current fave). They also feature a nice flat bottom to guarantee that your product will sit nicely on any flat surface. Furthermore, who could resist whipping out one of these guys while on the go? The sight of one of these might just lead to a few stares and onlookers going "what's that?!?" So stylish...not your average lip balm! A conversation starter for sure!

EOS Lip Balm in Honeysuckle Honeydew

EOS Lip Balm in Summerfruit

I've really become addicted to these balms since purchasing them and I've planted one in my travel makeup bag while one has a secure place at my bedside. The EOS product can be found at a variety of drugstores and retail for about $3.99

Have you taken one of the EOS balms out for a spin yet? If so, do you like them/which is your favorite flavor?

NB: I purchased these myself.