New Collection: MAC Style Warrior

Whoa. MAC Style Warrior is quite the comprehensive collection, isn't it? We've already talked about a couple of items in this collection (Solar Riche bronzer and Peaceable nail lacquer), so let's take a look at the rest of the goodies up for grabs in this limited edition collection. Click the image above to enlarge and get a better look at everything.

The five eyeshadows range from neutral to super bright; yellow gold Bright Future and purple Vibrant Grape are the strongest. I wouldn't wear these, but I'm betting they'd work well on darker skin tones. (And if you're looking to save a few bucks, check outL'Oreal HIP Bright Duo in Flamboyant, which has two lookalike shades for about $8).

In the Lipglass category, Gold Rebel was a pleasant surprise. It's a shimmery peach copper, which I thought would look hideously orange on me, but I actually liked it. It seemed to give me blue eyes an aqua cast -- I'll take it!

Of the lipsticks, I'm liking the frosty violet Purple Rite. And Brave New Bronze, described as a creamy mid-tone pink nude, sounded promising, but in reality it looks like just about every other pinky nude out there - nothing special.

Solar Bits are back in this collection, but I've never really been a fan. They're a little messy and I just don't love the texture, so I say skip.

I'm really loving the Lustre Drops, though, a pearly liquid highlighter available in three shades. Pink Rebel is a cool-toned pink with gold pearl, and looks gorgeous dotted on apples of cheeks - alone, or over bronzer. Gives you that perfect, healthy California girl look for the summer.

Finally, Skinsheen is back! I reviewed this body bronzer last year and I'm happy to see it on counters again.

Full details on the Style Warrior collection:

LIPSTICK ($14)

Sunsational Sheer frosted beige gold

Brave New Bronze Creamy mid-tone pink nude

Purple Rite Mid-tone frosty orchid

Tribalist Creamy blackened berry

LIPGLASS ($14)

Liberated Sheer yellow gold with pearl

Gold Rebel Sheer copper bronze with pearl

Fierce & Fabulous Bright magenta purple with pearl

Style Warrior Blackened bronze brown with pearl

EYE SHADOW ($14.50)

Soft Force Frosty pale white gold

Bright Future Frosty bright yellow gold

Tempting Sinfully rich coco

Vibrant Grape Bright magenta purple

Night Manoeuvres Deep charcoal brown with pearl

EYE KOHL ($14.50)

Smolder Intense Black

PRO LASH MASCARA ($12)

Coal Black Honest-to-goodness black

BEAUTY POWDER BLUSH ($18)

Eversun Neutral peach bronze with gold pearl

On a Mission Pearly mid-tone plum

SOLAR BITS ($19.50)

Scatterrays Soft metallic peach with gold pearl

Bronzescape Clean yellow brown with gold pearl

Impassioned Frosty cool taupe

NAIL LACQUER ($11)

Peaceable Pearly pale golden beige

Violet Fire Bright creamy magenta purple

Mercenary Frosted blackened bronze

BRONZING POWDER ($21)

Solar Riche Mid-tone deep orange brown

Refined Golden Finely spun golden with soft pearl finish

LUSTRE DROPS ($18.50)

Pink Rebel Blue pink with gold pearl

Sun Rush Peachy bronze with gold pearl

Bronze Hero Hot bronze with fine gold pearl

SKINSHEEN ($22.50)

Medium Dark Sheer soft bronze with golden tan pearl

Dark Golden bronze

Deep Dark Deep warm bronze with rich golden pearl

IRIDESCENT POWDER/LOOSE ($21)

Golden Bronze Golden brown with golden bronze shimmer

BRUSHES 

242 Firm fibre brush wth rounded edge ($23)

182 Buffer brush

The Right Skincare for Every Age

With so many new skincare products hitting the beauty aisles every time you blink, it can leave a skincare newbie very confused. L'Oreal aims to dispel this confusion with their age-specific skincare line that corrects, repairs and reverses signs of aging. There are three moisturisers packed with skin-nourishing ingredients that cater to different age groups. The 20+ cream addresses your skin's needs in the 20s; it aims to improve skin quality and leave it feeling plumped up. Two noteworthy ingredients are purifyll and Vitamin B3, C and E which aid in purifying skin and improving the texture and clarity. It is nice and lightweight, absorbs quickly, and doesn't leave behind a greasy residue. The 30+ day cream has collagen boosting ingredients to iron out the first signs of aging. I gave this one to my cousin to road test it and though it is too early to see any visible difference, she seems to love the rich and creamy texture. My mother is trialling the 40+ moisturiser, which has the powerhouse Retinol A, it helps to brighten the complexion and firm up the skin. All the creams have SPF 21 to prevent sun damage and keep the skin safe from UV rays. 

The 20+, 30+ and 40+ creams are priced at 325, 425, and 595 INR respectively.

Best of Beauty: Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair shows natural skin care can be powerful

Ever try a natural skin care product and wish it did more? So often we prefer something made with natural ingredients but can’t get the same high-performance results of the chemical-laden alternatives.

Fortunately, Juice Beauty shows us that natural skin care can be powerful. This Bay Area-company has introduced two new breakthrough, anti-aging products that really work, and at prices that won’t break the bank: Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer ($65 for 1.7 ounces) and Stem Cellular Eye Treatment ($45 for 0.5 ounces).

In clinical studies, over a six-week period, these two products provided:

• 44% decrease in the number of fine lines and wrinkles
• 36% reduction in length and depth of lines and wrinkles
• 88% reduction in the appearance of lines and wrinkles
• 88% improved skin tone and luminosity
• 75% improved skin elasticity
• 100% improvement in hydration

Especially impressive are these before and after photos of a woman who only used the Stem Cellular Repair products with Juice Beauty’s coveted Green Apple Peel for a single week! (click the image to see a larger view)

Before and after using Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer and Eye Treatment with Green Apple Peel (click image to see larger view)

And check out these before and after photos after using the products for six weeks.

Before and after using Stem Cellular Moisturizer and Eye Treatment for six weeks

The two new Stem Cellular products bridge high-tech science with nature. They both feature a proprietary blend of fruit stem cells and fat-soluble vitamin C in an antioxidant-rich organic juice base to improve skin tone and texture, exfoliate, soothe, moisturize and protect. The products “decrease DNA damage and accelerate cellular proliferation to help repair, renew and protect your skin,” say Gerard Camme, COO, and Karen Behnke, Founding Partner of Juice Beauty.

How They Worked for Me. I tried both and definitely saw an improvement in my skin after just a few weeks with my skin looking more refined and brighter, and lines were less noticeable. The products also lovely to use. The moisturizer smells so yummy (like lemon verbena), feels great on the skin and sinks right in without any greasy feel. The eye treatment has a light, gel-like consistency, penetrates easily and doesn’t interfere with eye makeup. I highly recommend giving them a try.

Ingredients. The products have organic content up to 98 percent and are free of parabens, petroleum, butylene, propylene, PEGs, DEA, phthalates, and artificial dyes and fragrances. Here is a list of ingredients and what the benefits are (click the image to see a larger view):

Ingredients in Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Treatment and Eye Treatment (click image to see larger view)

Sophisticated Packaging. Both of the products come in unique, airtight packaging typically only found with traditional, high-end skin care. There’s no dipping your finger into either of the products, which just spreads bacteria. With the moisturizer, you press a button on the top of the container to release just the right amount of product for a single application.

With the eye treatment, pressing the tip releases a single application as well. The product has a built-in applicator that smooths on the product without tugging the fragile skin around the eyes. The applicator is also supposed to help relieve fluid retention and improve circulation. See the video below to see how the packaging works and how to apply the products.

Right for Your Skin Type? The moisturizer and the eye treatment are best for normal, dry and mature skin.

DIY Beauty 101: How to make a natural foaming face wash

Beauties, how would you like to make a natural fruity foaming face wash? I have a simple, easy-to-make, very affordable, skin-clarifying recipe for cleanser made with apple juice, castile soap and clay. It gently sloughs off dead skin cells and feeds skin with enzymes, vitamins and antioxidants.

This is the Juicy Fruit Foaming Cleanser recipe from Green Beauty Recipes by Julie Gabriel, who is also the founder of organic skincare lines Petite Marie Organics and Green Beauty by Julie Gabriel.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons apple juice
• 1 ounce natural olive oil soap or castile soap
• 1 ounce green clay (illite)
• Optional: 10 drops chamomile, mandarin, lemon and/or carrot seed oil (if using all four, make sure you do not use more than 20 drops of essential oil for each ounce of soap

How to Make

1. Combine juice and soap; stir gently to avoid excessive bubbles from forming.
2. Gently fold in clay and stir well (use a stick blender if needed, but keep it below the mixture level to avoid getting tons of bubbles).
3. If using, add essential oil and stir.

How to Use

1. Every morning and evening, apply a hazelnut-sized amount to skin and lightly massage.
2. Avoid getting cleanser in eyes.
3. Rinse off with a face cloth and warm water.+

Storage

Store for up to one month in a refrigerator or cool, clean place (not the shower!) with container tightly closed.

I just whipped up a batch of this for myself and I really like it. It was super easy to make – only took about 5-10 minutes. It provided a lot of lather but didn’t leave my skin feeling dry or stripped.

I only had peppermint castile soap on hand, which contains peppermint essential oil. That gave the cleanser an extra refreshing feel (great for a morning pick-me-up!). If you do the same, just be sure to not get much of the cleanser around the eyes (eg., don’t rub it around the eyes or use it to remove eye makeup), because peppermint oil can be too strong around the eye area.

I also used orange, lemon and chamomile essential oils and doubled the recipe, which was more than enough to fill this 125ml bottle. That will probably be way more than I need to wash my face for a month so I’m going to try using it as a body cleanser as well.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads

The First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads have become a staple in my beauty arsenal. These resurfacing pads fight blackheads and blemishes while restoring the skin's natural pH balance. I've tried everything to get rid of my milia and only this seems to be working. I use it once a day before bedtime and follow it up with a nourishing serum. They're particularly good for people with clogged and congested skin as it efficiently exfoliates without aggravating the skin. The pads contain a blend of lactic and glycolic acid to improve the texture and clarity of the skin. The hyaluronic acid in it helps refine and smooth the skin while deeply nourishing it. The pre-moistened, single-use pads are extremely gentle and you won't feel any tingling sensation. Post use, my skin always feels softer and glowier - great for prepping your skin before big occasions. A quick sweep over the face and décolletage is all it takes to achieve healthy, radiant skin. Suitable for dry and oily skin types.