Per-fekt Beauty, CATWALK by TIGI, & China Glaze Backstage at Alon Livne Fall 2014

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One of the most exciting and rewarding backstage experiences ever was backstage at Alon Livne’s Fall/Winter 2014 presentation at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Sponsored by three amazing beauty brands, Per-fekt Beauty, CATWALK by TIGI, and China Glaze, I was among the mix to get the details of the show’s overall beauty look.

The Face

Lead Makeup artist for Per-fekt Beauty, Suzana Hailli used the Mario Badescu line of products to clean and prep the model’s skin before makeup application (she’s a huge believer in the brand). She then used Per-fekt Beauty products to create a clean complexion. The products used were their Skin Perfection Gel with a beauty blender for natural looking skin, the Bronzed Cheek Perfection Gel as a slight contour on the face, and the Per-fekt CC Creme on the lips to create a nude lip for each model. Per-fekt Beauty is available at Sephora.

The Hair

The hair was slicked back in tight buns at the nape of the neck making this style work easily with the inclusion of 1920s flapper-style head pieces that were a part of the Livne’s show. CATWALK by TIGI Global Creative Director, Nick Irwin, sprayed small sections of hair with TIGI’s Your Highness Weightless Shine Spray before flat ironing each section bone straight. He then used TIGi Session Series Wet Look Gel to help smooth the hair down into the bun and then smoothed any flyaways with a small comb and set the hair with the Sessions Series Finishing Spray.

The Nails

Nails were led by Pattie Yankee for China Glaze, and they were just as fierce as the beautiful looks of the collection. Depending on the model the nails varied but the shades were: Queen B, Goldie But Goodie, Gossip over Gimlets- Coated with Swarovski crystals, and What Are You A-Freight Of? (A new color from the Fall 2014 collection). China Glaze is available at Sally Beauty supply for $6.79.

Overall each part of the look was amazing and really added fierceness to the presentation.

***Thanks to our Backstage Beauty Contributor, Laura of Blush and Beakers for covering Backstage at the Alon Livne Fall 2014 Collection for My Life on and off the Guest List. Make sure to check out her blog.

Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa Backstage at Angel Sanchez Fall 2014 Show

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For backstage with Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas, I can always expect the beauty team to lead with clean, beautiful skin and they did just that for designer Angel Sanchez Fall 2014 collection show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

The Face:

The skin is “perfect and satin” with define brows and highlighted cheeks. Red Door Spa Professional Hyaluronic Serum combined with Red Door Spa Clarifying Vitamin D Serum to prep the skin. Neutral shadows were used on the eyes with darker shadows used to create depth in the corners of the eyes.

The Nails:

The nails were as porcelain and perfect as the face using Essie’s Sand’s Tropez nail color.

The Hair:

A very simple sleek ponytail bun was created by blowing the hair straight and adding a gloss for a slicked look.

***Thanks to our Backstage Beauty Contributor, Laura of Blush and Beakers for covering Backstage at the Angel Sanchez Fall 2014 Collection for My Life on and off the Guest List. Make sure to check out her blog.

Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa’s Clean & Healthy Glow Backstage at Brandon Sun Fall 2014

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The Look:

Backstage makeup at Brandon Sun’s Fall/Winter 2014 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was very subtle and clean, allowing the rich leather and furs of the collection to take the forefront. Lead makeup artist Cesar Olivas for Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas used a mixture of Red Door Spa’s Professional Hyaluronic and Clarifying Vitamin D serums to create a base of plump and hydrated skin necessary for makeup application.

Highlighter and cream blushes were added to the cheeks for a healthy glow while the eyes and lips were toned down with natural matte colors.

The Hair:

Master stylist Zahir Ziani for Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas utilized dry shampoo on the roots of the hair to take away any shine but used a silky serum on the ends of the hair for a sleek look.

The Nails:

Iwona Opiola used shade of deep brown and red for the nails.

***Thanks to our Backstage Beauty Contributor, Laura of Blush and Beakers for covering Backstage at the Brandon Sun Fall 2014 Collection for My Life on and off the Guest List. Make sure to check out her blog.

– Fashion photo source: FashionGPS
– Beauty: Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa

DHC USA Launches Age-Defying Lipsticks, Blushes & Powders

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DHC USA is proud to launch new, age-defying and multi-tasking lipsticks, blushes and powders. Why only fight aging with skincare when your makeup can also help in the battle. These innovative cosmetics all help skin look younger with both cutting-edge technology and revitalizing ingredients. Already known for their amazing skin-loving products, DHC presents Premium Lipstick GE, Face Color Palette EX, BB Mineral Powder and Q10 Moisture Care Face Powder, all available now (as of February 1st) via the DHC catalog or www.DHCcare.com.

Premium Lipstick GE

DHC Lips

Lips look more youthful when moisturized, hydrated and have minimal lines, which is why DHC’s latest lip innovation, Premium Lipstick GE, is ideal. A brilliantly pigmented lipstick, Premium Lipstick GE comes in six sophisticated hues and features Pure Color Technology with micronized pigments for a smooth, completely even surface and  fuller appearance. It boasts no clumping, just satiny color with light-diffusing pearls for a 3-D plumping effect. Lips get a kiss of emollient moisture from macadamia, olive and rice bran oils with Collagen and sodium hyaluronate to help lips hang onto hydration. Oat kernel extract minimizes the look of vertical lines while Vitamin A and germanium encourage revitalization. Get younger-looking lips in these six colors: Petal Pink, First Blush, Rich Raspberry, Velvety Red, Rose Gold, and Bold Persimmon. Each color retails for $19.00

Face Color Palette EX

DHC face palette

Want gorgeous, natural color and skin that looks instantly flawless (especially during these skin-drying, cold winter months), reach for DHC’s new age-defying Face Color Palette EX. The lighter of the duo shades, a smoothing powder, camouflages imperfections, including large pores, uneven skin tone, and roughness while the darker shade, cheek color, imparts a natural, healthy-looking glow. The palettes are infused with botanical jojoba oil and olive oil, as well as moisturizing ceramide and sodium hyaluronate to increase the blendability of the powders. Face Color palette FX will have your skin looking flawless and healthy. The four flattering palette shades include Glowing Rose, Radiant Ruby, Pearly Pink and Sunny Bronze with each retailing for $20.00.

BB Mineral Powder

DHC BB Mineral Powder

Beauty Balms continue to be one of the hottest-selling categories in the cosmetic industry. DHC USA takes this trend to the next level with new BB Mineral Powder, a multi-tasking, micro fine pressed powder encased in a chic gold compact. It makes a perfect complement to DHC’s top-selling BB Cream. DHC’s BB Mineral Powder brightens, fights dullness and shine, helps makeup last longer, covers flaws, and fights visible signs of aging by nourishing skin with age-defying ingredients, including skin-revitalizing germanium. Available in Natural, the DHC BB Mineral Powder retails for $40.00.

Q10 Moisture Care Face Powder

DHC Q10 Moisture Care Face Powder

Known as the U.S. leader in coenzyme Q10-enriched makeup, DHC welcomes the new Q10 Moisture Care Face Powder. This smooth, finishing powder comes in a universally flattering tint and is made with luminous micro-fine pearls to softly camouflage flaws, set foundation and keep away dullness and unwanted shine. The DHC Q10 Moisture Care Face Powder hydrates thanks to olive oil, sodium hyaluronate, ceramide, and collagen; helps minimize the look of large pores and uneven skin tone, and makes skin instantly radiant, without caking. Oat kernel extract and antioxidant coenzyme Q10 fight lines and sagging. Available in Healthy, this super-blendable powder retails for $19.00.

We are huge fans of DHC Skincare, especially their superstar product, the Deep Cleansing Oil and their Pore Minimizing Set is a must if you suffer from enlarged pores, and we are truly excited to try out these new cosmetics. We’re totally in love with the Rich Raspberry and Velvety Red Premium Lipstick GE while Radiant Ruby is our go-to cheek color.

Give Love & Give Back this Valentine’s Day with Given Goods

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Nothing feels as good as giving and seeing the look on someone’s face when you’ve given them something that makes them happy. With the wonderful offerings from Given Goods, you get to make more than one person happy. What do we mean? Given Goods is the marketplace for products that give back. Every product offered on Given Goods makes a tangible social impact each time it’s purchased. Whether you purchase candles, coffee, jewelry or bags, you positively impact the area where the product was made.

Valentine Scent Collection by Bright Endeavors

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A Valentine’s Day limited edition assortment of valentine soy candles and salts. Wrapped in a silver tin box, the Valentine Scent Collection includes two packs of fair trade soaking salts in lavender milk and vanilla honey and two soy votives – in orange bergamot scent and eucalyptus leaf (all phthalate-free). For $18.00, you help at-risk young mothers living in Chicago in need of permanent employment fight homelessness and gain financial security.

Essentials to Go by One Love Organics

Essentials to Go

Perfectly petite samples of One Love Organics’ Easy Does It Foaming Cleanser, Brand New Day Microderma Scrub & Masque, Skin Savior, and My New Best Friend Skin Shammy. One Love Organics provides scholarships to support education for low-income families in developing nations and the U.S. by donating 1% of their annual revenue to CARE and The Children’s Scholarship Fund to support families living in poverty. At $50.00, this gift set allows you to help make lives so much better.

Pyramid Weekender Bag by Rising Tide Fair Trade

Pyramid Weekender Bag

Planning a romantic escape with your sweetie? Give her this stylish and perfectly sized weekender bag. With an all-over geometric triangle pattern, leather handles and trim and brass components, you’ll be ready for a jet-setting adventure. Through fair trade practices and working with nonprofit organizations such as SASHA to provide education and skill training, Rising Tide Fair Trade supports artisans and women in developing nations like India.

Emerald Studs by Far & Wide Collective

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These stunning uncut emeralds embody the 2,000-year-old tradition Afghan jewelry-making tradition with their timeless elegance and rough cut appearance. Each stud is unique and will be the perfect addition to any outfit or occasion. Far & Wide works closely with 28-year-old jeweler and community leader Shugufa Yousofzai to create sustainable job opportunities for herself and her team in Kabul, Afghanistan.

GIVEAWAY | Dry, Cracked Winter Skin? Get a Honeywell Humidifier

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Thanks to polar vortex one and two, we seem to be living in a frozen tundra, making our battle with dry, winter skin even more of a exhausting one. Not only do we have to fight against the freezing dry air outside, we have to come home to the dry air from our heaters. During the winter, humidity levels can drop as low as 10%. That’s drier than the Sahara Desert. To compensate, we pile on moisturizers which can cause clogged pores and break outs. There is a better way to relieve dry, winter skin. You can relieve cracked, scaly skin and chapped lips by adding moisture to the air in your apartment with a humidifier. Supple, hydrated skin during wintertime can be achieved, even if you’ve been in the glacial outdoors for hours, with a cool or warm mist humidifier. Honeywell has several outstanding warm and cool air humidifiers that add much-needed moisture to the air in your home and your skin. Today we feature three of their models that are $70.00 and below:

Designer Series Filter Free Cool Moisture Humidifier (HUT-300)

The Honeywell Designer Series Filter Free Cool Mist Humidifier provides soothing moisture to help temporarily relieve dry air discomfort in a sleek, modern design that brings comfort and style to any room in the house. The HUT-300 quietly provides a continuous stream of soothing moisture you can see and feel and fits seamlessly with any décor. It retails for $69.99.

Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier (HWM-340)

The new Easy-to-Care Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier provides warm, soothing moisture in less than one minute. The unique top fill design and filter-less system makes it easier than ever to temporarily relieve dry air discomforts. This model has an added benefit of releasing moisture that is up to 95 percent bacteria-free. It retails for $44.99

Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (HUT-150)

The Honeywell Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier provides soothing moisture to help temporarily relieve dry air discomfort in a streamlined, aerodynamic model that is ideal for use on a bedside table or office desk. Incredibly quiet when in use and filter-free, this model fits seamlessly into any environment to provide soothing dry air relief for better home comfort. It retails $39.99

How would you like to keep your skin moisturized throughout this overly drying season? We’re giving you the chance to enjoy supple skin and avoid the dry, scratchy results of winter with a chance to win one of these Honeywell Humidifiers. That’s right, one of these great Honeywell Humidifiers can be yours. To enter to win, see the Rafflecopter entry below:

What’s New in Beauty from DHC Skincare, Orlane Paris & Specific Beauty

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We admit we love getting to know about the latest in beauty products before most do. It gives us a chance to share our excitement about discovering new products we love. Today we share three products (two new and one not-so-new) that we are newly in love with from DHC Skincare, Orlane Paris & Specific Beauty:

DHC Scalp Massage Pack

dhc Scalp Massage Pack

Formulated with five botanicals – shea butter, macadamia, avocado, olive and algae extract, the invigorating DHC Scalp Massage Pack weekly purifying mask energizes the scalp and revives dull, listless hair with natural clays. The oils deeply condition for incredible softness and your hair ends up looking healthier, shinier and more voluminous. As someone who tests beauty products almost on a daily basis, I always end up with a lot of product buildup in my hair. This amazing mask also removes styling product buildup and excess oil to promote scalp health and you will see this amazing result in just one use.

Orlane’s B21 Extraordinaire

Orlane B21 - mylifeonandofftheguestlist.com

An innovative approach to anti aging, Orlane’s B21 Extraordinaire brings the skin’s cells to a younger condition. You will soon begin to see your wrinkles visibly fade, your expression lines diminish, your skin becomes radiant, dark spots fade, your skin is firmed and hydrated with this unique textured product with 21 essential amino acids extracted from Pale Iris stem cells.

Specific Beauty Exfoliating Cleansing Cloths

Specific Beauty Exfoliating Cleansing Cloths

Although this is not really new, this brand is fairly new to be after recently discovering them through the Cocotique beauty box. With dual-sides, one to gently exfoliate the skin, while providing a deep clean to remove impurities and the other smooth for easy and gentle makeup removal, the fragrance, oil and alcohol free, Specific Beauty Exfoliating Cleansing Cloths contain a blend of aloe, green tea, and Vitamin E to soothe and calm the skin. They are a great way to get a deep clean without the use of water and a great way to refresh the skin.

What We’re Loving | LVX Luxury Vegan Nail Lacquer

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A few weeks ago we were vicariously invited through our sister blog, My Life on and off the Guest List, to preview the luxury vegan nail lacquer brand, LVX Nail Lacquer at La Vie Zen Spa. During the event, we were lucky enough to preview LVX’s current Fall 2013 Collection, which launched this past August, their Holiday Trio and the Winter Resort Collection which was released Thanksgiving. Guests were pampered with on-site manis featuring colors from any of LVX’s collections. I went with the very rich, very lush Caviar from their Winter Resort collection

“Caviar pays homage to our very own Livid, a classic jet set crème. What makes Caviar especially distinctive is its final texture; the silver glitter particles act as a three dimensional element and make this ultra black crème all the more intriguing when dry.”

I loved this color; it had stunning shine and was completely opaque in only two coats. The resulting jet set texture blew me away and received several compliments. I must note this was the first time my nails were dressed in black. Usually with vegan formulas, I experience chipping within a day but after 5 days, the LVX Nail Lacquer was still going strong.

The Winter Resort Collection consists of (from left to right) Magenta, Avalon, Scarlet, Graphite, Caviar and Sappir (a striking sapphire metallic crème – not pictured)

The Holiday Trio colors that are synonymous with the holiday season and from now through December 31st, LVX will be donating 20% of their proceeds of the sale of this set to PETA. The Holiday Trio features (from left to right) Sanguine, Luxe and Alchemy.

If you’re an animal lover or looking to add healthier nail products to your collection with out losing the luxe and fashionable aspect, look no further than LVX Nail Lacquer. Featuring the top colors of the season, is long lasting, chip resistant with a gel-like formula that is free of toxic and harsh chemicals. LVX products are fomulated without the use of Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, DBP, Toluene, and Camphor without compromising quality, durability and finish.

xoxo
 
Nelly/The Nail Polish Exchange