Archive for the ‘Beauty’ Category

Hey Glossies,

One of my peeps asked me about the new  Maybelline quad palettes – Eye Studio™ Color Plush™ Silk Eyeshadow.  I had to check it out because I have never used Maybelline e/s before.  I picked up “Green With Envy” at my local Target, and I will say I was blown away by the texture, the color payoff, the shimmer.

The texture is smooth like…hmmm which word would be appropriate hmmm.  Aww yes SILK!   Creamier than some NARS shimmery single e/s. *I know, I know…believe it* There is no packing on the e/s, highly pigmented! *YESSSS!!!*  The shimmer in this product brings me joy, no glittery mess here!  The green shade is similar to MAC Golden Olive pigment and the Black shade is similar to Prescriptives Caviar e/s.

Maybelline Green With Envy Palette

I definitely will be purchasing a few more palettes!! *Praying for a Maybelline BOGO Free*

Face

• Makeup For Ever HD Primer
• MAC Select Cover-up – NC50
• NARS Cadiz Sheer Glow Foundation
• NARS Benares Sheer Glow Foundation
• L’Oreal True Match – Nut Brown
• MAC MSF Natural – Medium Deep
• MAC MSF Natural – Dark

Cheeks

• MAC Ombre Blush – Vintage Grape

Eyes

• MAC Matte Gel
• Cosmedicine Medi-Matte™ Oil Control Lotion SPF 20
• MAC Moss Scape p/p
• Maybelling Green With Envy Quad Palette
• MAC Aztec Brick
• MAC Creole Beauty
• Shu Uemura Paint Liner – Black
• Urban Decay Zero e/l
• Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes Mascara – Black

Lips

• MAC  Sweet Tooth t/t
• Revlon Matte l/s – Cocoa

Mix Maven

Dear Glossies,

Laura Mercier introduces her Lush Botanicals Collection, exclusive to Nordstrom, filled with six of her must-have products for springtime travel. The collection includes her iconic Foundation Primer (1 oz.), which evens out skin and creates the perfect canvas for makeup application.  Receive a cosmetic pouch with your $75 Laura Mercier purchase—a $50 value.

Receive a travel-size Lip Plumper in Peach Glow (0.1 oz.), Satinée Crème Eye Colour in Pink Chiffon (0.11 oz.), Flawless Skin Crème (0.17 oz.) and mini Foundation Primer (0.25 oz.) in a cute apple green cosmetics pouch.

Restrictions – Online only; not available for in-store pick-up. One per person, while supply lasts. Gift can only be shipped to the same destination as your order. This item cannot be shipped to international addresses.

Happy Haulin’

Mix Maven

Hey Glossies,

I am introducing a new feature on Pumps and Gloss called Steals and Deals, a weekly rundown of many of the sales at our favorite drugstores and beauty emporiums.  Thanks to The Glam Doctor for reminding me of this wonderful idea.

Ulta

• L’Oreal Studio Secrets (BOGO 50% Off)
• LASplash Cosmetics (BOGO 50% Off)
• Revlon (B2GO Free)*
• Almay (B2GO Free)
• Maybelline (B2GO Free)

*B2GO Free – Buy 2 Get 1 Free

Sale ends March 13, 2010.

CVS

• Revlon Cosmetics and Beauty Tools (BOGO Free)
• Physicians’ Formula (BOGO 50% Off)
• CoverGirl Eye Shadow $3
• CoverGirl LashBlast, LashBlast Length, Luxe, Volume Exact, Lash Exact, Exact Eyelights mascara, shadow or 2-step Smoky Shadow Blast $7
• CoverGirl eyeliner $5

Sale ends March 6, 2010.

Rite Aid

• Covergirl Foundation, Powder, Concealer or Blush (BOGO 50% Off)
• Revlon Cosmetics and Beauty Tools (BOGO Free)
• Physicians’ Formula Bronzers and Face Powders (BOGO 50% Off)>
• All Nail Enamel (Excludes Revlon) (BOGO 50% Off)
• L’Oreal Lip Color, Lip Gloss or Lip Liner (BOGO 50% Off)

Sale ends March 6, 2010.

Walgreens

• Maybelline – 40% Off
• Neutrogena Cosmetics – (BOGO 50% Off)
• Revlon  Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Blush or Eye Cosmetics – $3 off

Sale ends March 6, 2010.

Hautelook

The Makeup Show Los Angeles is around the corner…this weekend to be exact, February 28 – March 1, 2010.  Some of the favorite beauty bloggers will be there, including Silver Lips, ThisThat Beauty, Purely Cosmetics, The Gloss Menagerie among others. There will also be great beauty brands will be in the house as well as great demo presentations and speakers.

Make sure to check out Inglot Cosmetics. Inglot is a Polish beauty brand that finally hit the US in 2009 (a flagship store in NYC). Celebrity makeup artist Jon Hennesy, showcasing Inglot products, will be holding a free seminar on “Achieving Editorial Beauty” on Sunday, February 28, 9:45am-10:30am.

Lip Obsession: OCC’s Lip Tar  Pucker up for a long-lasting lip color. Katie Pellegrino is a genius for creating OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS Lip Tar. It combines the longevity of a lipstick with a high concentration of color pigments and goes on slick, leaving lips ultra shiny. Lip Tar is the perfect lipstick, lip stain and lip gloss all in one! I am looking forward to trying this product.

OCC is proud to announce the launch of its Spring/Summer 2010 Lip Tar line-up at The Makeup Show LA, February 28 to March 1, at Booth #5004. This season’s collection of shades is a study in contrasts, each color having a counterpart that notes how a slight shift in color can change our perception of the wearer. The ultra muted plum/beige COMPLEX opposed to the bubble-gum violet VAPID. The vibrant magenta HOOCHIE attracts a very different wearer than fuschia-rose DEMURE.

Mix Maven

Neiman Marcus – THE BEAUTY EVENT Online now, in stores starting February 25. Take home an überchic denim bag, plus glamorous goodies* for all ages, with your cosmetics or fragrance purchase of $100 or more.

Goodies include:
• Clé de Peau Beauté Le Coton
• Le Métier de Beauté Vierge Anti-Aging Complex Tinted, Treatment Fluid Moisturizer, 2 mL
• Chantecaille Stress Repair Concentrate Eye Cream, .10 oz.
• Sisley-Paris Sisleya Global Anti-Age Cream, 4 mL
• Atelier Cologne Absolue, Orange Sanguine, 1.7 mL
• Van Cleef & Arpels Oriens Eau de Parfum, 2 mL or .06 oz.
• Glowelle Beauty Beauty Drink Mix Packet
• NM Exclusive Balenciaga Paris Eau de Parfum, 1.2 mL
• Dior Beauty Invitation for a L’Or de Vie offer
• La Mer Invitation for The Regenerating Serum gift

In stores February 25-March 7. Available online through March 8. Online offer expires 3/09/10 at 8:00 AM CT.

Happy Haulin’

Mix Maven

Hey Glossies,

I hope you all are doing well. I have been experiencing some technical difficulties on my plucky blog. . Still working out the kinks to create a new look for the blog.

But on to the good news.   Starting February 18 to February 20, 2010 (1-hour Prime-time specials), Purple Lab Founder and Creatix, Karen Robinovitz will be showcasing Purple Lab’s fabulous double-duty products on HSN.

Purple Lab exclusive HSN Products include:

• Huge Lips Skinny Hips ($22.00), a lip plumping gloss enriched with hoodia
• Lashionista Modelista ($26.50), a protein-packed mascara/felt tip liquid liner duo with lash conditioner
• Silk Sheets ($28.50), a luxe foundation
• Luvah ($22.50), a compact with lip stain and gloss
• Luxury Squared ($24.50), highlighter and concealer
• Cheek Implants($24.00), cream blush complete with collagen

Here are the times and days that Purple Lab will be on the HSN:

• February 18th at 9am EST
• February 18th at 8pm EST
• February 19th at 12pm EST
• Friday 19th at 7pm EST
• February 20th at 2am EST

I am very excited about this launch and I have already set my DVR for a couple of the airings. If you want to pre-order, go HSN.Com.

If you are on twitter, please join me @PumpsandGloss, as I will be live tweeting Purple Lab’s HSN visit on February 18 from 8p-9p (EST)

Hey Glossies,

There has been a lot of discussion lately on P&G about foundation.  Finding the right foundation can be elusive at times, but there are some brands that have shades for the medium dark to deep dark WOC, so don’t be afraid to try brands that are not too popular..does not mean they are not good.

I am always trolling Sephora’s sale page and I have been noticing a bit of foundation for the deep dark beauties at discounted prices.

Napolean Perdis Foundation Stick Look 8 – This foundation is great.  I use Look 7 foundation stick very lightly on my roseacea areas as a cover-up and the coverage is AWESOME! The coverage is full, but the foundation feels light on the skin, which I love.

Napolean Perdis Foundation Look 8

Napolean Perdis China Doll Foundation Look 7 - The foundation is sheer. I have tried Look 6  and it works well on the non-rosecea part of my skin, which is from the apple of the cheeks to the forehead. It is light and not too matte, but not dewy at all…just right.

Napolean Perdis China Doll Foundation Look 7

Cargo Foundation Oil-Free Foundation – F 100 – I have not used this product, but fellow beauty homies like this product.  They said the coverage is sheer.  One of them raved about that she looked natural, but had a glow without looking dewy or greasy.

Cargo Oil-Free Foundation F 100

Some Sephora stores still have some CARGO items, so get there ASAP!  So go forth and test.

Mix Maven

Just in time for the Holidays, Pumps and Gloss is having another giveaway.  Since this item was quite popular, I am giving away the Kissable Couture Smooches gift set of 5 mini glosses AGAIN. I love Kissable Couture lip glosses. The colors are pigmented and even the nude shades leave lips looking shimmery (not glittery) and sophisticated.

Kissable Couture Smooches

So enter your name and e-mail in the pretty green widget below. You have until December 3, 2009 3:00 AM PST to enter. Open to residents in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Please note: 1 entry per e-mail.

Mix Maven

No, not the Swedish pop group who had hit songs like “The Sign” and “All That She Wants.” I am speaking of makeup artist extraordinaire, Toni Acey.

She is a sought-after celebrity make-up artist, based in Atlanta,  who did not imagine that she could even work as makeup artist.  Toni worked in corporate America for many years, as well as working as a model.  Toni found that the MAs either  were not qualified to do make-up for Women of Color (WOC), specifically African-American women.  So she took matters in her own hands and came to the shoots already made-up.   By doing so, industry professionals as well as close friends and family took notice and encouraged her she to get into the business.  Ms. Acey does not have formal training in make-up artistry, but she worked as a freelancer for MAC Cosmetics where she learned a lot through the MAC training programs.  She has continued to hone her craft and teaches airbrushing classes.  Ms. Acey is also well-known for  her signature “Wearable Art” body painting and “Celebrity “Knock-Off Makeovers.

Eight years ago, Toni was one of the first makeup artist to use airbrushing for glamour makeup.  Most artists in the entertainment industry used airbrushing, primarily, for special effects. Her go-to brands for airbrushing are Temptu and Air Makeup.  Toni enjoys the creativity of airbrushing because she can create one-of-a-kind foundations,  lipsticks,  and even blushes to fit her clients’ needs. She has many clients including  LisaRaye, Kenya Moore, Meagan Good, Karen Clarke-Sheard and Sheree from The Real Housewives of Atlanta.  They have all been very pleased with her work and seek her out time and time again.

We talked about beauty trends for the winter/holiday season.  Toni definitely loves to see all women wearing red lipstick, a throwback to old Hollywood glamour. She does recommend that golden tone women wear tomato reds, fair/light skinned women  can wear pretty much any shade of red, but they should stay from bordeaux, unless they are going for a goth look.  For darker skinned women, she loves loves bordeaux.  Red lip color, she believes, can work for  a daytime look, but it should be sheer.  Her must-have lip product is MAC Money Honey dazzleglass.

For the eyes, she loves Urban Decay eye liners and MAC pigments to create a bold, shimmery look for all the holiday parties we will be attending this season.  She loves Urban Decay eye liners because they can be easily smudged and set to wear as shadows.  For the cheeks, Toni raved about NARS blushes and as a fan myself, I definitely think they are must-haves for all beauty aficionados.

She had words of wisdom for all up-and-coming make-up artists ” Be the best that you can be. Be serious about your craft, treat it as a business, (continue) to learn about the craft by staying ahead of the trends.  Make sure to have  a website!”

I asked her about her future goals, she wants to do a follow-up to her book, Make-up FAQs,  to continue with her foundation, “Lipstick Theory” to assist  women’s charities, produce training DVDs and  create her own makeup and skincare line

She was a delight to interview and I will be looking out for all of her upcoming endeavors.  I do wish her all the success, she has a great spirit.

So check out her book and website, definitely will provide inspiration.

Mix Maven

I know, I know there have been many Beauty Friends and Family sales going for the last couple weeks.  Well, there are more sales going on now.

My favorite Beauty.com is having a 20% off Friends and Family Sale, now until 11/6/2009 11:59 PST. FYI, NARS Holiday Collection is now available on Beauty.com. The great thing about Beauty.com is the 5% rebate that can be earned on each order.  I also use Ebates to earn an extra 6% rebate on my order.  The cool thing about Ebates is that I get cash back i.e a check.  I amazed amazed at how many Beauty e-tailers offer rebates through Ebates.

Also Makeup.com is having a 50% off sale (Coupon Code is 50OFF) on the Boutique Brands and 70% Off (Coupon Code is 70OFF) on the Prestige Brands until Sunday, 11/8/2009.   Please note that only items that have the coupon code near the price listing is on sale.  Ebates offers a 9% rebate on all Makeup.com purchases.   So stock up on the favorite beauty goodies.  ….Maybe get some gifts for the upcoming holiday season.

Happy Haulin’,

Mix Maven