Talika Cosmetics Invites You to a Contest and Free Product!

Great news! TALIKA COSMETICS shared some exciting news with us today and I know you'll want in.

Talika specializes in the care of the eyes, complexion, and body. This quiet miracle worker gets lots of love from celebrities: Drew Barrymore, Dennis Alexander, Rachael Ray and countless makeup artists and consultants who have unlocked Talika's secrets.

Well, Talika is celebrating the launch of its improved, best-selling eyelash growth product LIPOCILS EXPERT by holding a contest that offers every registrant a free product! (full size, I might add) This is a value of $55! Talika is so confident in the effectiveness of Lipocils Expert (claims say proven results in 28 days) that they're going to post Before and After videos/photos of its registrants. The winner of the best video following the 28 days of trial period will receive $1,000 in Talika products with prizes for 2nd and 3rd place too.

HERE ARE THE DEETS

• GRAND PRIZE: Win a collection of Talika products worth $1000, with products for eye contour, lashes and brows, along with anti aging skin care. Winner will be featured on Talika.com, Twitter and our Facebook Fan Page.
• 2ND PRIZE:  Win a collection of Talika products worth $500. Winner will be featured on Talika.com, Twitter, and our Facebook Fan Page.
• 3RD PRIZE:  Win a 6-month supply of Lipocils Expert to keep your lashes big, bold and beautiful.

BEFORE                                                                   AFTER

  

Here’s How it Works
We’ll send you the new Lipocils Expert lash booster for FREE. All you have to do is submit a video to share your experience using the product, and your before and after results. All videos are entered into the contest, and featured online on our Facebook contest page and web site where friends and visitors can vote for the preferred video. Our panel of judges will select the Grand Prize winner.

Step 1: Get your Free Lipocils Expert by registering below

Step 2: Start your video documentation, be sure to get a good before shot

Step 3: Submit video after 28 days of use to show your results (Talika will send a link)

Contest Period
Register for your free Lipocils Expert between June 11th 2010 12:00 am and July 31st 11:59 pm ET
Submit your videos between July 11th and September 11th , 2010
Winners to be announced on September 15th , 2010

The contest is now live and registration will remain open until July 31st. The last video must be posted by August 31st and winners will be announced between September 3rd and September 15th, 2010.

Click HERE for more information and to register for contest participation!

Stila Limited Edition Travel Palettes ONLY $10!

Oh, you're not going to believe this one, Stila Girls.  A Stila palette of colors for $10, are you kidding?  

Stila Girl Travel Palettes! Follow the five Stila girls as they travel across the world and get five complete looks (launching each month June through December). Now, these aren't huge, they're more like the size of an index card, but each contains plenty of product for many looks of fun. As a green-eyed girl, I truly adore the colors in this one - those purples, mauves, plummy shimmers. All destined to make a green eye pop!

The first of the series is Road to Radiance Across the USA inspired by Kylie's road trip across the US!

This cute, collectable palette includes:

FOUR EYE SHADOWS

• 
  
  Snow Bunny (shimmery pink-champagne)
• 
  
  Southern Belle (mauve)
• 
  
  Valley Girl (pink)
• 
  
  City Chick (alloy)

CONVERTIBLE COLOR

• 
  
  Hibiscus

Each palette is ONLY $10, a $65 VALUE! Collect all five (check back next month for the new palette!) Absolutely gorgeous.  I've already ordered mine. Click here to learn more about the travel palettes and Kylie's trip!

For more information or to purchase this fab little limited edition palette, visit Stila online today! There is one downer, shipping is $7.95. Whew ... come on, Stila, you gotta fix that!

Create Your Own Kit: Smashbox All About Eyes

Smashbox Create Your Own Eye Kit



Better yet, create the kit with 3 full-size Smashbox products for only $32 (a $63 value), including the cosmetic bag! Woohoo ...



Mix and match their must-have eye products for a limited-time-only price. One week ONLY. You can create your own personalized makeup kit with three eye products of your choice packed in a chic black woven bag. Offer ends 6/21/10.

Click HERE to create your Smashbox All About Eyes Kit - on sale $32

Offer ends 6/21/10
Free shipping, as always, free jumbo samples too.

Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion: A Not-to-Be-Forgotten Gem

No surprise, Urban Decay's Eye Primer Potion is a beauty addict's must have.  However, with all the rollover of new products in and out the spotlight, it's sometimes hard to keep focused on the products that won our hearts years ago.  Such is the case with this little gem.

There is just nothing else out on the market like this.  I'll be quick as I know for many of you I'll just be preaching to the choir, but here is a product that simply has no real competition.  The first time I tried it, it came as a travel size in an eyeshadow kit I received around the holidays.  I knew it had garnered rave reviews, but really how good can an eye primer be for goodness' sake?  It seems like an unnecessary step to feel obligated to incorporate into one's makeup routine in the rush of early morning activity (especially when "one" is not a morning person to begin with - everybody say, "Woooo-yah" - ok, maybe don't say it; it sounds ridiculous). 

Truth be told, the two second step of applying a thin touch of Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion to eyelids before shadow is SO worth the effort.  Not only does it, like facial primers, create a smooth canvas and foundation for your other eye products, it keeps your shadow put ALL DAY!  It still amazes me even years later.  Take yesterday for instance.  I put it on around 6:30 in the morning, and came home at five minutes to ten at night with my shadow looking exactly as it had when I first applied it - same pigmentation, same concentration, no smearing, no fading, no creasing.  How many products can you count on to that degree?  Not many, I dare say.

Here's why it works:
It packs a punch with just a dab of its silicone-enriched, smooth-as-silk formula lightly applied on each eyelid before applying shadow. It dries down instantly and invisibly to create lids that are serious shadow magnets—a little goes a majorly long way. Just apply a thin coat, let it dry, and apply eyeshadow as you normally would. Then enjoy your vivid, crease-proof shadow that won't budge till you take it off. Seriously!

Oh, and by the way, Urban Decay Eyeshadows as well as their creamy 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils are gorgeous.  My favorites? Too many to tell (a story for another day).

Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion retails for $18, now comes in several shades/tints, and is available at Sephora, Urban Decay and Beauty.com.

REVIEW: New! Wei East China Herbal Advance Eyes Alive

I discovered Wei East skincare several years ago (well, perhaps a little longer than several, the older I get the quicker time goes by). My first Wei East love was their China Lotus Anti-Aging Masque, which remains the creamiest, most hydrating and soothing facial masque I've tried to this day.  I was intrigued by Wei East's sparkly, energetic, charismatic founder Wei Brian. That's what first drew me to want to try her products. There she was, peddling skincare made from ancient Chinese recipes loaded with herbs and botanicals on HSN (yes, the shopping network) long before botanical, natural ingredients in skincare was, well, cool!

Since those days, HSN has come a long way in provision of the ultimate in beauty must-haves and Wei Brian has continued to expand her much adored skincare line, all the while staying true to her premise that ancient Chinese remedies passed down for generations from mother to child and nature's flora and herbal wonders are what make life worth living, and what make skin beautiful.

I admire Wei for holding true to her heritage, for allowing her love of nature and beauty to drive her purpose and mission; oh yes, it is a mission and Wei represents it well. And is if I needed more reason to admire her, allow me to add yet one more; one that demonstrates her grace and one that deserves respect. Wei makes no secret of the fact that she and her family have struggled to find help for her son diagnosed with autism at the age of six. Through a journey that led them through various Western and Eastern treatment modalities, they have seen some light, where once there was only mysterious darkness, and are hopeful and confident about continued improvements and progress in the treatment of autism. As one who works specifically in the field of mental health for very young children, I know how devastating this disorder can be for families and how important it is to support continued research for its treatment. To help bring "rainbows" to families affected by autism, Wei created a special WE Help Bring Hope collection to support the work of The Autism Treatment Center of America™ and Autism Speaks™ . Collection by collection, box by box, they donate the entire purchase price of the collection ($70) to these organizations. Incredible!

So, I know I've digressed, but if I'm going to feature an article on a Wei East product, I simply cannot do it justice without sharing the depth of beauty of its founder and creator.

Now onto New! China Herbal Advance Eyes Alive: Wei's new China Herbal formulas feature breakthrough technology that allows scientists to extract properties from herbs in ancient Chinese remedies with greater precision and deliver them directly to your skin. Using only the freshest, hand-harvested Green Tea from China's remote Lushan region, they use advanced extraction technology to deliver both immediate and long-term benefits to the thin, vulnerable skin around the eye area.

Combined with Mulberry Leaf and Soy this new formula is said to provide visible results within minutes of application and to diminish the appearance of puffiness, dark circles, fine lines and crepiness over time, and for me it has. The cream has a light, silky texture that absorbs effortlessly making application comfortable and efficient. As a little goes a long way, just a tiny pea size or so is needed each application. Just gently tap onto the undereye area with your ring finger. The scent is very light, subtle and herbal so as not to overpower the sensitive nasal passages close to the eyes. I've found this cream to be very soothing to my undereye area and I've noticed a brightening effect for sure where once only purplish, dark circles appeared at the inner corners closest to my nose. I'm enjoying this product immensely. A bit hard to explain or pinpoint but it just "feels good!"

This is a huge tube of eye cream compared to most eye creams you'll find on the market at a whopping .7 ounce and retails for $35. Compare that to some of these: Murad Lighten & Brighten (.5 oz $67), Relastin Eye Silk (.5 oz $69, which I do still love by the way), SkinCeuticals Eye Blam (.5 oz $78),  Hylexin (.78 oz $95), Bliss The Youth As We Know It Eye Cream (.5 oz $75), Philosophy Hope in a Tube (.5 oz $33).

For more information about Wei and Wei East products, please visit Wei East online or HSN.com.  There, you'll find incredible specials on beauty and skincare kits as well as the inside story behind all her wonderful products individually.

REVIEW: Multiple Beauty Award Winner Relastin Eye Silk

It says something when you win Allure Magazine's Best of Beauty Editors' Choice award three years running. That's exactly what Relastin Eye Silk has accomplished, winning for the third year in a row Allure's Best Anti-Wrinkle Cream. These awards go to the products Allure's beauty editors choose as the best, having had the good fortune to try thousands of beauty products each year.

Developed by Reverance Therapetics, a specialty biopharmaceutical company, company president and CEO Dan Browne offers, "Eye Silk's Zinc Firming Complex has established itself as one of the top anti-aging technologies. While its results are clinically proven, the consistent enthusiasm from top beauty editors validates how well the product works for the consumer."

The company boasts Eye Silk's patent-pending Zinc Firming Complex is the first technology that is clinically proven to increase elastin production. While many anti-aging products focus on collagen production, Eye Silk is reported to go beyond this benefit by increasing the amount of functional elastin fibers in the skin - a key structural protein in skin. Elastin stops being produced by the body in our teens, and as a result, skin loses resiliency and slowly begins to sag and wrinkle. Zinc Firming Complex, featured in all three Relastin products, penetrates skin, and works at the cellular level to help stimulate elastin production. The company reports they completed studies in September 2006 that clinically demonstrated Relastin's ability to help increase functional elastin in the skin, visibly decreasing fine lines, coarse wrinkles, and undereye laxity and puffiness. They say study participants also noticed a decrease in undereye dark circles after four weeks of Eye Silk application.

REVIEW: So here's my experiene. First, let me 'fess up that I've wanted to try this ever since Kristin Kelly, the consummate beauty connoisseur who writes Beauty Addict, first talked about the compliments she was receiving at makeup counters after using Eye Silk. For some reason, I didn't break down and buy it, as other products continued to tantalize me, though always in the back of my mind I knew there'd come a day.

Relastin Eye Silk is a powdery gel formula that spreads very easily, similar to the consistency of Smashbox Photofinish Primer. A little goes a long way; it only takes a smaller than pea size pump (not even a pump really) to pat onto the undereye skin of both eyes to do the trick. I've noticed truly visible results, having used the product for about four weeks, applying at night and some mornings. The wrinkle minimizing is the biggest positive effect, though dark circles do appear slightly less noticeable as well. I'm not noticing any reduction in undereye puffiness, an issue I'd very much like to diminish, but I'm thrilled with the other results.

The product has no scent, is light and airy in texture, blends very easily so as not to pull delicate skin under the eye. For me, this product has definitely given me positive results in firming the undereye area, reducing appearance of wrinkles, and softened the overall appearance of my undereye area. I'm loving it!

Relastin Eye Silk is available in a .5 fl oz pump dispenser retailing for about $69 at the following stores as well as through dermatologists nationwide: Bliss Spas, SkincareRx, Dermstore, Relastin, SkinStore, SpaLook and Perfume Worldwide (where the product is usually offered at discounted pricing).

REVIEW: Per-fekt Eye Perfection Gel

Selected as a Cosmetic & Personal Care (CPC) Packaging 2009 Editor's Choice Award Winner, Per-fekt's Eye Perfection Gel is winning women over too with its unique applicator tip and multi-function formula.

Each year, CPC Packaging reviews hundreds of product launches from the previous year and this year Per-fékt Eye Perfection Gel was named for the best outstanding package. The product features an exclusive palladium tip applicator that instantly cools skin and reduces puffiness upon application. This revolutionary, multi-functional skin-perfector, eye treatment and moisturizer-in-one is formulated especially for the delicate eye area and helps smooth away the appearance of puffy, tired-looking eyes, under eye shadows, fine lines and wrinkles, while also hydrating the skin. Peptides help stimulate the synthesis of collagen; ceramides and hyaluronic microspheres hydrate and firm the skin; cucumber extract helps relieve puffiness; and alpha lipoic acid with vitamins A & E fight aging.

Per-fekt Eye Perfection Gel is a multi-tasking, modern gel-mousse that glides on effortlessly to instantly leave the eye area with a smooth, airbrushed finish - perfect alone or a fantastic primer for eyeshadow. This multi-tasking formula contains a light-reflecting tint that brightens tired-looking eyes, and it's free of oil, talc, wax, fragrance, and parabens.

So here's my experience: The silver (palladium) tip is excellent at providing a cooling sensation to tired, puffy morning eyes. In combination with the cucumber extract, it definitely provides a soothing experience for the delicate undereye area - no question. Additionally, I'm actually quite impressed, though not surprised, with the texture and finish this creamy-powdery-gel-mousse product provides. If you've tried Per-fekt Skin Perfection Gel (their version of a facial primer), the eye gel is very much like it in feel and finish. Per-fekt recommends applying two layers of the gel allowing about 30 seconds drying time between applications for best lifting, lightening and smoothing results. Very similar to a primer, the lines around my eyes are less noticeable and my undereye area is definitely left with a "softened" appearance. Would I use this alone without concealer? No. I mean, maybe on a Saturday or Sunday running errands, but for work days or nights out I definitely need the extra coverage concealer provides. I have one of the tinted shades ("Bright," the lightest of the three shades as I am very fair), but it blends so well into skin I don't notice much in way of coverage. The gel leaves the area feeling soft and makeup/concealer application is easier when used as a primer. I also appreciate the skincare factor the gel gives, though I'm not advocating for ridding your drawers and bags of night time eye treatments and/or moisturizers.

So nice is the feel and appearance this product gives that I've used it as a primer/line fill/pore reducer for my forehead and the area on either side of my nose as well. Though the price of this little gem does not lend itself for all-over coverage (it's a tiny tube, only .3 oz of product), it could easily be used as a facial primer with great results.

Per-fekt Eye Perfection Gel is available in four varieties - Awake (colorless), Bright (sheer, light neutral), Refreshed (sheer, medium beige) and Vibrant (warm tan for olive or darker skins); and retails for $45. Per-fekt brand beauty products are available at Per-fekt Beauty online, Sephora (in-store and online), Henri Bendel, Takashimaya, HSN and Fred Segal.

Dior Jazz Club Eye Palettes for Fall 2009

So I'm seeing these palettes all over the web and in mags and I'm drooling over them both!

New from Dior, these limited-edition Jazz Club Couture Eye Palettes feature Dior's signature silver toggle on a black patent clutch, which is the must-have accessory for Fall.

Jazz Club in Smoky Jazz 001 - $65

Inside, you'll find four eyeshadows, a brow-shaping powder, and a cream-to-powder eyeliner—all are perfectly coordinated to create a sultry, smoky-jazz harmony.

Jazz Club in Purple Jazz 002 (The Nordstrom Exclusive Palette) - $65

All kinds of purple are defined in this new Jazz Club Eye Palette. Includes pinks and greys, berries and plums to create the perfect day-to-evening look for Fall 2009. This all-in-one palette features six Dior eye products. Dior Liner, Sourcils Eyebrow, Fard Matte Eyeshadow, Fard Iridescent Eyeshadow, Fard Iridescent Eyeshadow, and a topcoat.

images: Christian Dior RTW Fall 2009

For more information on the Dior Jazz Club palettes and other new items for Dior Beauty Fall 2009, visit Nordstrom.

Summer Bridal Beauty

Every bride want to look her very best on her wedding day, and that includes gorgeous hair, flawless skin and perfectly manicured nails. Beauty beginners and beauty-savvy brides alike will find these tips from Planet Beauty useful for looking radiant and camera-ready on the big day.

Look bright-eyed by getting as much sleep as possible the night before. Combat any dark circles or puffiness with Yonka's Phyto Contour Eye Firming Cream $54. Use eye drops if eyes still look red or tired.

Make sure you use waterproof mascara that can withstand "tears of joy". Lash Injection Pinpoint Mascara by Too Faced will prevent smearing; its exclusive 3D polymers build waterproof tubes around each lash. $19.50

Achieve a flawless complexion as good as professionally created with this smoking-hot product. Winning rave reviews from all over the world, ERA Face Spray on Foundation by Classified Cosmetics is like having a professional makeup artist in a can. This is an oil-free foundation tha contains a nourishing vitamin and botanical base ideal for all skin types. It comes in an array of shades and blends flawlessly into skin. $55

L-R: ERA Foundation Spray in shade R6, AirBrush Shimmer, AirBrush Primer

Keep hair looking radiant and shiny with I.C.O.N.'s AirShine Brilliant Shine Spray $19.50. AirShine blasts dry air for incredible surface gloss and shine while shielding your style from environmental damage. I.C.O.N is fast becoming a favorite hair care brand of many a beauty addict. This stuff rocks!

Create a perfect, pouty lip and blendable soft, shadowed eyes with Napoleon Perdis Palette Patrol $39. The palette includes his seductive set of rich, versatile colors for lips, eyes and cheeks. People StyleWatch says this about the set, "(a) sleek blush, shadow, and gloss double-decker kit from the Aussie brand ... a secret weapon for conquering any beauty battles."

Don't forget all eyes will be on your new bridal bling. Get your fingers ready for the closeup with Barielle's Natural French Manicure Set $16.50, including Cherish, a light pink, Enduring, a white shade, and Top Shield for glossy shine with a protective shield.

For the honeymoon, give yourself a glow from head to toe with Tan Towel's Self-Tan Towelettes. Each towelette is concentrated with a self-tan formula that ensures a quick and even application with no streaking or mess ($4.00 for a full face and body application).

Bridal tips courtesy of Planet Beauty. All products mentioned in this piece are available at Planet Beauty. You can find more tips and trends from Planet Beauty's team of professional makeup artists, hair stylists and licensed estheticians.

images: Zoe Clark, Whiterz