Beating Frizz in Summer's Heat and Humidity

Yesterday we stopped by Ted Gibson's salon in NYC for a blowout before our SATC screening and Anne's birthday extravaganza.  I had an appointment with Devin Toth who is featured in June's Allure magazine.  I asked him the best way to control frizz as the summer starts to heat up.

First use a product on damp hair with an anti-humectant like Ted Gibson's Build It then blow dry and style.  When hair is dry, layer on light coats of hairspray to create a barrier from humidity. At home I use Ted's Beautiful Hold hairspray.

It was hot and humid last night and my hair held up well.  That's Heidi and I above at Abe & Arthur's for our after party.  To find Ted Gibson salon products or to make an appointment with Devin Toth, visit tedgibsonbeauty.com.

Two New Products~ Two Totally Different Looks

Both Clinique and MAC introduced new foundation products this month. Clinique's gives you a polished, matte finish, while MAC's gives you a dewy, iridescent glow.

Clinique's new Almost Powder Makeup comes in the standard light green compact (remember the one you had in high school?). It goes on like a light foundation with good coverage and truly does dry like a powder. If you want an even sheerer look, they recommend using their new foundation brush. We can imagine keeping this in our purse this summer for quick touch ups or for a steamy night in the tropics when the glow is getting out of hand. It also has SPF 15, very important for the months ahead. Almost Powder retails for $22.50.

On the flip side, MAC's new Strobe Liquid, which is a thinner, lighter version of the popular Strobe Cream, goes on smoothly and gives a natural looking glow. We were sceptical at first, since we lean to the shiny side anyhow; but we were impressed even hours after using it. Our skin looked fresh and younger (oh yeah) and not greasy at all. It didn't provide opaque coverage for trouble spots; but even using it on the tops of your cheekbones over your regular foundation would give you a healthy glow. Strobe Liquid retails for $29.50.

You can find both at department stores nationwide this month or visit http://www.clinique.com/ and http://www.maccosmetics.com/.

New Rep, New Lipglass, Free Music!

Fergie is MAC's newest Viva Glam spokesperson and she's introducing the latest VG VI Lipglass. Visit the special section on their website (www.maccosmetics.com/fergie) to see behind the scenes coverage of the ad campaign, view ecards from Fergie, and most importantly download her new remix of Glamorous (called "Viva Glamorous")-the first 15,000 downloads are free! While you're there pick up the latest VG Lipglass, every dollar spent goes to the MAC AIDS Fund which has raised $100 Million to date!

Lippmann Collection Start Me Up Set

From JSG's Hope: It's hard to believe that I haven't had my nails done since Christmas. Between the two of us, I'm the one who loves to have a weekly mani/pedi (Anne's the one who gets the blowouts). But in an effort to be more economical I've been doing my own nails. Let's just say, it's pretty obvious to anyone who's seen them. That's why I was so excited to get my hands on this all-in-one Lippman Collection Start Me Up Set. It features everything you need for a do-it-yourself manicure. I start with the 4 sided Smooth Operator Nail Buffer, then the Cuticle Remover, the 2 Second Nail Primer (which rids the nails of oils that might sabotage a good paint job), the Rehydrating Base Coat, the easy to wear but light-for-me Baby Love Nail Lacquer, and the super shiny On a Clear Day Top Coat. I finish with the Cuticle Oil which is out of the recommended order; but it works for me and I love the tropical smell from the jojoba oil.

I just learned Kate Winslet was wearing Baby Love at the Oscars. There's one more reason to covet the set.

I'll definitely be bringing this along on our next girls' trip. The entire kit including the buffer is housed in a cute light blue striped bag and the small bottles fall under TSA volume requirements.

At $39, roughly the cost of a budget salon's mani/pedi, or a manicure alone at a fine salon, you get all of these products. Considering how many times I've used the set, I think I've saved up at least enough for a new pair of boots, no?

You can find the Start Me Up Set at Nordstroms or Lippmann Collection.

Hair Color Doesn't Have to do Harm

Contributed by Daily Makeover's Megan McIntyre

Hair color used to mean bleaching your way to dry worn out hair; but it doesn't have to be that way. Jason Hueman, colorist to the stars and mainstay at Ted Gibson salon's in D.C. and N.Y., dishes to Daily Makeover about the new L'Oreal salon color and the at home Garnier HerbaShine product that'll give you great color without damaging your hair. Stars like Ashley Tisdale change their color on a whim and do so with healthy results and you can too! Read on the see the full story.

Related articles:
How to get Audrina Patridge's braid
Do men like short hair?
Budget Haircuts

Try This Sun-Kissed Red Carpet Look

Contributed by Daily Makeover's Megan McIntyre

Carol Shaw is the creator of Lorac cosmetics and a sought-after celebrity makeup artist.  She recommends using Lorac's TANtalizer Baked Matte Satin Bronzer on your cheeks, forehead and chin to get a sunny glow without the harmful effects of sunbathing.  Read on for more details on Rachel Bilson's gorgeous runway look.

Related articles:
How to get Audrina Patridge's braid
Do men like short hair?
Budget Haircuts

Essie Summer Collection

We already fell for the Essie Resort Collection and they've turned out another beautiful collection of nail polish. The Summer Collection is anchored by "Demure Vixen," an iridescent cocoa mauve.  There are six colors altogether.  The best way to sample them is with the four piece mini set which costs $17 and includes Pretty Edgy (a bright green), Knockout Pout (a hot pink), Haute as Hello (a punchy coral) and Demure Vixen.  We're looking forward to a few months of bright, sexy nails.

Votre Vu Duette: a Perfect Travel Companion

There are two things we carry on a plane flight to combat the dry air: lip balm and lotion.  We found both in one great package: the Votre Vu Duette, which  has lotion (conveniently only 3.38 oz. and under the TSA limit), and a lip balm. There's also a bonus small mirror on the inside of the lid.

Both the lotion and lip balm have an irresistible coconut and vanilla essence that are moisturizing and left my hands and lips smooth for hours.   If you're a fan like us of  Laura Mercier's Body Souffle, this lotion is equally as decadent.

This review was based on a sample.

Jennifer Lopez' Makeup at the "This Is It" Premiere

Jennifer Lopez looked gorgeous at the "This Is It" premiere. Celebrity makeup artist, Bebe Booth, used Milani cosmetics to achieve her perfect smokey eye (under $50!). We're not so sure about the hair. She normally has sleek smooth locks and here it looks like they overdid the texture. Fortunately for JLo, little can distract from her good looks. Here's how Booth did her eyes:

It is all about the eyes for this look. To achieve these beautiful bold smokey eyes for an evening out on the town, you will need several shadows to create the look. I recommend two palettes from Milani’s Runway Eyes Fashion Shadows; Backstage Basics ($8.99) for your shimmery silver & black shades and the Ready To Wear ($8.99) palette for the golden highlight around the inner corners of your eyes. Each of these palettes has six shades to choose from, so you have many options for creating a soft or heavy smokey eye. For this look, keep the darker shades toward the outer crease and the shimmer highlights toward the inner crease of the eye.

To really make your eyes pop, you will need Milani’s Eyeliner Pencil in True Black ($3.99). Line the eye top to bottom from the inner corner to the outer corner of the eye; don’t be afraid to smudge the liner for a softer affect. Though it might feel strange to apply the pencil liner along the inside of the waterline, it will definitely give your smoky eye that dramatic affect Jen is known for. Don’t forget about the lashes - you want them to stand out as well - so apply several coats of Milani’s Power Lash in Black ($6.49). I recommend applying the first few coats of mascara for thickness, let the lashes dry and then go back to add length with a finishing coat.

Review: June Jacobs Papaya Purifying Enzyme Masque

A few weeks back we were invited to the June Jacobs Institute in New York for a facial. We loved how soothing the facial was--it left us glowing and ready for a night on the town, not red an blotchy. Our fave take home product the Papaya Purifying Enzyme Masque.

We're always a sucker for a good peel--and sometimes we can get a little too aggressive with the products we chose. But the Papaya Purifying Enzyme Masque is strong enough to give results we can see, but gentle enough that it didn't leave our Irish/German skin flaky. In addition to papaya enzymes, the masque contains mango and pineapple extracts to slough away the dead skin cells. What we love about it is that with sweet almond and borage seed, plus white, red and green tea extracts--it's ultra moisturizing. It smells yummy, too, thanks to goji berry, pomegranate and grapeseed extracts--also potent anti-agers.

We've been using the Papaya Purifying Enzyme Masque once a week, leaving it on for a full 10 minutes. Our skin is noticeably softer and brighter. Love!

This review was based on a free sample.

NYC Beauty Crawl with Daily Makeover's Beauty Bloggerati

See the Daily Makeover Beauty Bloggerati on our beauty crawl through NYC this summer:

Facialist to the Stars

When we were in LA for Fashion Week, we were lucky enough to get squeezed in for a facial at the Kate Somerville Clinic. We've read about it in just about every celeb magazine known to man: Kate takes care of the skin of, oh let's see, Paris Hilton, Jessica Alba, Sharon Stone, Lindsay Lohan, Debra Messing, Ellen Pompeo, Kerry Washington, Kate Walsh and Sandra Oh, just to name a few. And the celeb factor didn't disappoint: when we were waiting for our appointment, the receptionist was saying that Michelle Tractenberg had just had her eyebrows done there.

Could any facial live up to that amount of hype? Yes, and then some.

We had the Dermal Quench facial, which felt like little puffs of air, in a totally pleasant way. The puffs are actually shots of oxygen infused with vitamins and hyaluronic serum. All we know is that we could literally feel our skin getting plumper and less tired during the treatment. Afterwards, our skin was glowing and we truly were "Red Carpet Ready" as the brochure promised.

We've been using the Quench serum religiously. Our skin hasn't looked this good in years. We expect to get carded any day now!

Kate's products are available through 800-984-KATE.

As a funny aside, we learned that Johnny Depp used to have his office upstairs in a space that will soon be the clinic's VIP area. When we asked the manager if Johnny was as cute in person, she said yes, and they used to get excited when they could see Johnny's feet on his balcony!

A Peek Inside Poppy King, "The Lipstick Queen"'s Carry On Bag

We recently met Poppy King, aka the "Lipstick Queen" fresh from a trip to London. Here's what she travels with: 

My carry on bag is a large Louis Vuitton (I think this style is called “Never Full). It's super simple and fits everything.

What beauty products do you travel with?
I travel with Visine, NIA 24 Skin Strengthening Complex and my Lipstick Queen Medieval which is a lip balm and lip color in one.

Do you have a favorite wrap or sweater for chilly planes?

Just a good old pashmina!

Are you currently reading any books or have a guilty pleasure magazine for the plane?

I am a real saint and sinner when it comes to reading...I read very heavy books (at the moment my 3rd Proust) and then when I am in a sinner mood I will buy those gossip mags for the plane.

What music do you listen to on your iPod when traveling?
Disco and funk so that it is upbeat and keeps me in a good mood.


Any favorite plane snacks?
Fruit! It adds the illusion that I am doing something healthy rather than sitting in an awful old plane.

Anything else you always travel with?
A toothbrush! No matter what state I am in if I have clean teeth I feel fresh.

Our New Favorite Cosmetic Travel Bags

When perusing the Target website the other day, we came across these adorable cosmetic travel bags from the Hollywood Intuition line, created by Jaye Hersh owner of L.A.'s Intuition store. We love the brightly colored foursome: we'll stash our lipstick and gloss in the red bag, eyeshadows in the lavender, tinted moisturizer and bronzer in the tan and brushes and mascara in the large one. And at $12.99 for the set, we won't cry too much if our makeup spills in flight.

Best Black Nail Polish

Deciding what nail polish to wear in Vegas was simple: Sephora by OPI's 212-SEPHORA is a party in a bottle. We started out using the dark nail polish on our toes only, but liked it so much we had our manicurist use it on our hands, too.

We've been rocking the shade for a week now and have received compliments on the color from everyone from Vegas showgirls to the 50+ receptionist at our dentist's office. It gets our award for Best Black Polish 2009!

Available at Sephora.

This review was based on a free sample.

Fall Beauty Trends for Daily Makeover's Beauty Bloggerati

Hear what the Jet Set Girls and our fellow Daily Makeover Beauty Bloggerati picked out as their favorite fall beauty trends:

Tummy Tuck Sticks by Rodial

Here's a new one for us: the Tummy Tuck Sticks by Rodial which promise to flatten your tummy by decreasing the bloat.  The ingredients green clay, fennel seeds, pineapple and papaya shrink your belly by getting rid of the gas.  We know that fennel seeds aid in digestion (that's why they're served at the end of Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants); but we'll have to test the Tummy Tuck Sticks ourselves before we can attest for the combination. 

To use, empty the contents of one of the sticks in a glass of water and drink.  You can find the Tummy Tuck Sticks at Beauty.com.  This could be a great way to prep ourselves before our next trip to the beach.

Bobbi Brown's New Antigua Face Palette

We're huge fans of a good makeup set.  They're perfect for travel because they take up a fraction of the space in your bag, they're a bargain versus buying the products separately, and they're great for rushed mornings when you want to look polished.

We've bought a handful of Bobbi Brown's palettes in the past and her new Antigua is on our list.  It's a combination of soft taupes for your eyes and pinky browns for your cheeks and lips which are designed to give you a glow as if you've been at the beach.

Free shipping and a sample of the Party mascara from her website.  Price is $55.

The Makeup Show NYC Recap

The Makeup Show NYC is a must-attend event for beauty professionals and makeup lovers alike that happens once a year. In its 5th year, over 70 exhibitors showcased their products, art and services from stage and special effects makeup to everyday beauty and skincare. Here are my top 5 picks from the show:

5. Mai Couture Blush Papier
Mai Couture took the technology behind blotting paper and combined it with a soft powdery blush to create this on-the-go product. Gently rub the paper on the apples of your cheeks to use it as a blush!

4. Stila Smudge Stick
This waterproof eyeliner is the pencil version of Stila's popular smudge pot. There is a little shimmer in the highly pigmented liner which goes on smoothly and stays on.

3. Shu Uemura UV Underbase Fluid with SPF 20
This product is the best but least known offering from Shu Uemura according to the makeup experts manning their booth. This wonder-base cuts redness, smoothes skin surface, elongates the life of foundation all while protecting you from the sun with SPF 20.

2. Smashbox Lustrous Lip Gloss Kit

This kit was the fastest selling item at the Smashbox booth and everyone was lining up to pick it up. The limited edition kit includes 6 of the best-selling glosses by Smashbox, and the best part is that it is an unbeatable value!

1. Make Up Forever Aqua Cream Waterproof cream color
Boasting the longest line of shoppers waiting to purchase at this booth, it goes without saying that Make Up Forever wins the best product of the show. The new Aqua Cream is waterproof, crease proof and highly pigmented. It goes on smoothly and can go on anywhere! The red Aqua Cream can be worn as a shadow, blush or lipstick with equal stay power on all areas. Every beauty lover must have one of these pots in her makeup collection.

Contributed by The Stylester.

JSG's At-Home Wedding Beauty

Annie's wedding is only a few days away (!!!) and many are asking her what's on her wedding beauty countdown list. Here's everything she's doing in full:

Last week, I updated my Facebook as: Is it possible to OD on beauty products? I'm currently wearing Talika eye patches and Crest White Strips after using a face scrub, face mask, 2 kinds of body scrubs, a hair mask and various moisturizers.

Um, yeah, I'm doing a lot to look my most gorgeous ever on my wedding day!

I'm very lucky that I have access to not only the best products, but also some of the best hair stylists, skin experts, nail techs and makeup artists in the world. I am doing a lot at home to save both money and time--a precious commodity when I'm running around town to dress fittings, shop for jewelry and other last minute wedding errands.

To get my skin in tip top shape, I've been doing at-home facials twice a week. I'm alternating between my old stand by duo Prescriptives Instant Gratification and Intense Rebuilding Hydrating Mask (Yes, I know these products are going bye-bye. No, I haven't come to terms with it yet.) and my new favorite June Jacobs Papaya Purifying Mask.

I do LOVE the Talika Eye Patches. They instantly plump and refresh the skin under my eyes, without ever making them puffy, like other intensive eye moisturizers I've used. I plan on using these the day of the wedding.



My dress has spaghetti straps, so to keep my skin soft and glowing, I try to use a body scrub every time I'm in the shower. I've never met a scrub I didn't like, but my current one is the de-Luxe Bain Instant Manicure and Body Polish. The dead sea salts remove my dead skin. With all the different peppermint oils, it's like being in a eucalyptus steam room.

I also like the Being True Energy Work Active Body Peel. It's a gentle alpha hydroxy acid peel. I like that it's not greasy. I plan on using it right before I self tan--probably on Wednesday and/or Thursday.

I'm not a huge fan of conditioner, because my hair is on the fine side and it robs it of volume. But to get my hair back in shape after my last color appointment, I used PhytoCitrus Restructuring Mask for Color-Treated Hair, once and only once. My hair should be in perfect shape on the big day!

When I step out of the shower, I use Payot Regenerating Dry Oil. It's got all the moisturizing oomph of a regular oil, but none of the greasiness.



At night, I use Korres Body Butter in Melon. It has shea butter, plus sunflower, almond and avocado oils to leave my skin super soft. The Melon scent is pretty mango-y, which reminds me of my upcoming honeymoon and helps calm me down before bed.



I've had my teeth bleached a few times, so I think they're about as white as they're going to get. I do use Crest White Strips when I remember, but that's not everyday.

Tomorrow, I'll tell you about my professional help for my wedding beauty checklist.

Parts of this review were based on free samples.