Which Color?

So, I decided that my nail color is going to be a reflection of my mood at any given time. Today I'm going to get a polish change and I'm going neon because I feel outlandish and adventurous. I'm stuck between two Essie shades though!

Perky Purple or Funky Limelight.....

Which one do you think I should get? Which is cuter for the summer from the Essie 2009 Neon collection?

Hit or Miss?: Ciara's Two-Tone Hairdo(n't)

I know that celebs have a lot of license with what they do with their hair. They can usually get away with styles that regular, non entertainer 'gals like you and me probably couldn't. Yet, is there a line that is past the point of ugly? I think Ciara's latest hairstyle has crossed the ugly line for sure. What do you think? Would you do this to your hair?

Let us know what you think. 

As always, stay Truly Beautiful!

The Perfect Low-Maintenance Nail Polish by Essie

Irony! Tell me why, the most perfect, low-maintenance shade of sheer pink nail polish by Essie is called... get this... Hi-Maintenance. I just thought that was funny. Anyway, I don't know about you, but I hate getting bright colors on my fingernails only to have them chip in a few days. Because of this, sometimes I just opt for a clear shade. However, sometimes you want to feel a bit more fancy. If you can relate, this shade is for you.

It goes on quickly and flawlessly with two thin coats and makes you look like you just came from the nail salon.

This polish gets the Truly Beautiful stamp of approval! Make sure to try it. You'll thank me later.

Stay Truly Beautiful!

Easy, Cheap Eye Makeup Remover!

This is still a recession, so instead of using expensive eye makeup removers (even Neutrogena is getting pricey!), try Johnson & Johnson "No More Tears" Baby Shampoo.

Put a small amount on a cotton ball, and swipe it gently across your eyelid and lashes. This should take off even the thickest coats of Dior mascara instantly!

This tip is courtesy of Ashley B., a student at The University of Florida. Send me your beauty secrets and share them with Truly Beautiful readers everywhere!

The Truly Beautiful Girl's Holiday Gift Guide: Drugstore-Brand Beauty Basket

For those pinching pennies this year, the thought of buying gifts for your friends and loved ones is a scary one. Never fear! You can still get your loved ones amazing gifts without going into debt - all it takes is a little bit of creativity.

I just had a brilliant epiphany and I am definitely putting these together for some of the Truly Beautiful ladies on my shopping list...
Holiday beauty baskets are a great idea! They are easy to make and allow you to personalize them for everybody and for every budget. All you need is a small basket (larger if you want to spend more to fill it), some cellophane wrap or tissue paper and a ribbon to tie it!

Next, hit up your local Walgreen's. They have better sales. Often you can find makeup with the little orange tags for 50% off or more!

Purchase whatever you feel your friend/loved one would love. For a natural beauty, try items by Neutrogena. For a glamour girl, try L'Oreal H.I.P.

The sky is the limit with possibilities, but not the price tag.

Get Beyonce's New, Natural Look

Along with her new double CD, I Am...Sasha Fierce, Beyonce ditched the over-the-top makeup and extensions in favor of a more natural look. I think that this look makes her look much more youthful and allows her natural beauty to shine through. Sometimes less is more...

The key to this look is a flawless face. Achieve this by applying a light foundation or tinted moisturizer all over your face to even out your complexion.

TB Tip: After you apply foundation, see where you still have blemishes that need to be covered and apply concealer there. This way, you will avoid looking cakey. 

Make sure to dab concealer under your eyes too, to cover any dark circles or those pesky bags. 

Define your eyebrows by lightly accenting the arch and tail of your brow with a pencil. Try Maybelline Define-a-Brow Retractable Pencil. Then, use a light brow powder to fill in any gaps.

Apply a very subtle blush to the apple of your cheeks. NARS Orgasm will give you a perfect, light peachy glow.

Set your makeup with a light powder to keep you shine free all day, and then apply 2 coats of Covergirl Lash Exact mascara and Clinique Air Kiss lipgloss.

Voila! You are now ready to show the world that you don't need tons of makeup to look amazingly fierce!

The Truly Beautiful Girl's Holiday Gift Guide: LAVANILA, The Healthy Fragrance

LAVANILA is the new, healthy fragrance and cosmetics line on the beauty block. Made with a mix of essential oils, goji berry, kakadu plum, olive leaf and other botanicals, these products nurture the skin without all of the chemicals that nobody can pronounce. 

On top of it all, it smells great if you like warm, Oriental fragrance notes like I do. If you or your friends hate the smell of vanilla, avoid purchasing these products as gifts. 

Sephora has the Vanilla Grapefruit fragrance in a gift set, along with the matching Body Butter for only $56. Not too shabby considering the fragrance alone usually retails for that price.

TB Tip: Fragrance gifts are best reserved for people you know very well, or if you know for a fact that someone has a signature scent they wear 24/7. Get a fragrance for your mom, aunt, sibling or best friend.               

MAC Little Darlings Lip Gloss Set

Little Darlings, the final release in MAC'S Holiday 2008 Collection, is now available online and at a counter near you. The gift sets feature 5 miniature products, including lipglass and lustreglass, pigments and eyeliners.

I have been eagerly anticipating this release because I have an obsession with lip products and you can't get a better variety of the best colors at any other time of year for only $29.50.

The Little Darlings lip set choices are:

Coral Lips featuring Underage, Ola Mango and Pink Grapefruit Lipglass, and Wonderstruck and Budding Lustreglass.

Pink Lips features Fleur Delight, Song and Dance, and Magnetique Lipglass, and Flashmode and Little Vi Lustreglass.

Neutral Lips features C-Thru, Mouthwatering, and Languish Lipglass, and Love Nectar and Beaux Lustreglass.

I reallllyyyy want 2 sets, but I feel like that might be overkill. I can't choose between Neutral or Coral.

Neutral lips can go with look you choose to put together, but there is nothing hotter than a coral lip, especially in the summer. Oh... decisions, decisions.

Check out some great Little Darlings swatches from Temptalia.com!

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Fabulous: Essie Nailpolish Set

Even though it's only October, this cold weather makes December feel that much closer. Before you know it, it will be time to start thinking about Christmas shopping (or another holiday you may celebrate). Along with holiday cheer comes long lines, fighting over the hottest items and stress. To nip that before it begins, I will be doing the hunting for you to find the best gifts possible that are sure to wow the lucky recipients. Check out my first suggestion.


Essie Winter 2008 Mini 4-Pack Nail Polish Set

This set contains all you need to keep up with the dark, vampy nail color trends of the winter. Also, Essie is up there with O.P.I. in salon-quality polish. Your fab friend is sure to love this set. It includes:

"...Sexy Divide, an electric violet temptation; Bold & Beautiful Rich, a ruby garnet; It’s Genius, a violet quartz shimmer; and Rock Star Skinny, a glamorous crimson red."

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MAC Counter Mini-Spree!

The other day, I went meandering through Macy's and somehow ended up where I always do... the MAC counter. I usually don't buy department store makeup frequently, and when I do, it's usually just an eyeshadow or a lipgloss. However, this time I became jaded by the fact that I have a job now so I decided to go on a mini-spree. Now, this was my first and will be my last MAC spree. My bank account will thank me later.

Anyway, despite me going broke on this addicting habit, I decided to share my spree with you. This is called a "haul" across the online makeup community. People make YouTube videos dedicated to showing the world their latest makeup purchases, often from the latest collections. My "haul" isn't on any limited edition collections, but on some tried-and-true staples that every girl needs.

I got 2 eyeshadows in Sumptuous Olive and Woodwinked. Both have Veluxe Pearl finishes, which are soft and luxurious (very similar to the texture of NARS eyeshadows). Also, I decided to give Mineralize a try with a blush in Love Joy. Finally, to top of my makeup ensemble, I got Plushglass (my first one) in Big Kiss. Everything I got looks great in combination, so I'm very happy with my purchase. The colors are classic and wearable (I don't splurge on bright colors, only bronzes, coppers, golds, browns and other natural tones).

I swatched everything so you can see how they look. I applied the shadows and blush onto Urban Decay Primer Potion.

Left to Right: Mineralize Blush in Love Joy, Veluxe Pearl Eyeshadows in Woodwinked and Sumptuous Olive

I am wearing Plushglass in Big Kiss. This is said to have a plumping effect and it definitely works! My lips look bigger than normal here.

Well.. now I can say I did a haul post!

Regardless, I will have a look with these new colors posted soon!

The Coolest Toothpaste EVER.

Honestly, I never thought I'd see the day where I would be writing about....toothpaste! Yet, here I am. So, the other day.. well.. it was really about 2 a.m., I was in CVS browsing the aisles. I needed toothpaste, but I HAD to check out the makeup wall. It would be a sin not to. Anyway, after a while, I went to get the boring, old toothpaste I used before.

As I was walking to the front to pay for my items, I noticed a shiny display off to the side. Now, I'm one to be easily distracted by anything shiny or interesting, so of course I took a detour. On the display I found a new toothpaste line from Colgate called Max Fresh. It has tiny breath strips in it to give fresh breath that literally lasts for hours. But.. that's not what sold me.

The tube is clear! I think that's the most ingenious and cool, yet painfully obvious innovation I've seen in a long time. Don't you get frustrated trying to squeeze the life out of normal toothpaste tubes? At least with this, you can see that there is none left and judge when you need a new one. They have had those little toothpaste bottles, but I'm an old fashioned gal and prefer the normal squeezable tube. Way to bring toothpaste to the 21st century!

Bravo, Colgate.

How To Organize Your Makeup Collection on the Cheap!

Building a collection of your favorite makeup is the easy part, but keeping it organized is where things start getting complicated.

If you're like me, you never throw anything away and still have makeup from high school (I know, I'm a pack-rat). If you have that problem, there are several solutions out there which don't require you breaking the bank or throwing out your old favorites or limited edition pieces.

Solution:

Purchase a cheap, yet high-quality train case. I really like the ones that Caboodles makes. I used to have the little plastic ones when I was a kid, but they actually make professional cases that look similar to those from MAC. You can get them as low as $19.99, but the large one above is $39.79 at Target.

Who is Rihanna's Makeup Artist?

A couple days ago, Rihanna was spotted attending the 2008 Spirit of Life Award Dinner rocking a super-hot natural, yet glamorous makeup look.



I love-with-a-capital-L this look. It is understated, yet bold, with copper red and light brown eyes, a nude-pink lip and a coral-bronze cheek. When I saw this, I had to find out who Rihanna's makeup artist was stat.

Her name is Mylah Morales, and I must say that she is one of the most talented artists in the game. Check out her Myspace for pics of her work and more info about her.

The Best, Cheapest Facial Around

On a college student's budget (well, most budgets nowadays), maintaining yourself is THAT much more difficult. Between hair appointments, nails and eyebrow waxing, keeping up your image can be pricey. However, Clean & Clear Soft In-Shower Facial is making life just that much easier for all of us by bringing a professional facial feel to your shower.

"The In-Shower Facial treatment is applied to skin while steam produced by the hot water allows the ingredients to deep cleanse pores while infusing moisture into the skin. The SOFT In-Shower Facial is left on skin for one minute, then gently massaged into skin to exfoliate dead skin cells and extract impurities from pores. Skin is left feeling smooth and soft after just one minute. The SOFT In-Shower Facial features Glycolic Acid, an exfoliant that promotes gentle cell turnover, as well as clay, which draws the dirt and oil out..."

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I haven't used Clean & Clear products since I switched to Proactiv back in high school, but something about the attractive packaging and the promise of a great facial baited me in. Facials get pretty pricey. They can range from $60 to over $100 with extractions of blackheads. They also say that you should get them every month or two. Not practical.

I decided to give this product a try and I absolutely love it and recommend it. It might be slightly harsh for extremely sensitive skin, but if you only use it once a week or so, it shouldn't be too bad. It makes my skin feel deep cleaned and soft. This will definitely hold you over until you can afford the real thing.

NARS Holiday 2008

Since I purchased my first NARS product in the summer of 2007, I have become a junkie! I swear, if I had more disposable income, I would buy the whole lot of it. The quality of these products are unmatched. I especially love the silky-smooth texture of NARS eye shadows. I adored the Fall 2008 Collection and ended up buying Isolde, one of the duo eye shadows from the line.

As I expected, the NARS Holiday 2008 Collection is beautiful. It features shimmery metallics, alongside rich purples and peachy neutrals.

My favorites from Holiday 2008 are:

Peachy pink, with gold glitter.

Vibrant violet & pearlescent purple.

The shades of both products will work with most skin tones, especially the universally-flattering Orgasm blush.

The entire NARS Holiday 2008 Collection is available online now.

No More Blackheads?: Clean & Clear Advantage Blackhead Eraser

Okay, so I went to Ulta the other day and I was meandering the aisles aimlessly as most beauty junkies like myself would. Then, this lady from the salon portion of the store came out of nowhere and starts trying to sell me her facial treatments. I was taken aback, but I decided to see what she was offering. It turns out they had this contraption which was basically a camera that gives extreme close-ups of your skin, so they can diagnose what is wrong and what products you might need. I was scared to see my skin zoomed times 1 million, but I figured, why not?

It wasn't that bad until the lady got the camera to my nose. She was like, "when was the last time you got a facial!" My blackheads were waving at her, I guess.

I got my first and only facial about a year ago. She sounded appalled when I told her. She said you are supposed to get them monthly. At that point, I knew that my solution would not be getting regular facials because they are $55 a pop. So... that brings me to the quest for a solution to blackheads!

I decided to try the Clean & Clear Advantage Blackhead Eraser ($18). If it does what it promises, I'm sure we will all be happier women.

At first the device was a bit confusing to me, so here's how it works.

The little machine itself is cute and compact enough for travel, but it's a bit on the large side if you are trying to get rid of blackheads on your nose and in other smaller areas of your face.
First, you have to put in the battery, which comes with the machine. Then, you twist the cap shut. The cap is also the on-off switch.
Put on one of the blackhead removing sponge pads at the velcro-like end of the machine. These pads come with it, but you have to buy re-fills.
Wet the end of the sponge, until it starts to get foamy.
Finally, turn on the Blackhead Eraser and run it on your face in slow, circular motions. Focus it on areas that you want to target. For me, that would be my nose.

I think that this product is okay, but it doesn't really get you instant results. My face was smooth after I used this, but I could still see my blackheads clear as day. This is good for overall facial exfoliation, but if you have very sensitive skin, it could irritate your face.

If you are looking for a quick fix, this is not the product for you. Skip it.

TB Exclusive: Bath & Body Works Sexy, New Fragrance + Some New Old Favorites

Bath and Body Works has long since been a favorite at-home-spa destination of women all over the world, and a go-to store when looking to buy somebody a nice gift on the cheap. Nowhere else can you find such a broad assortment of lotions, body washes and everything else you could possibly ever need in your favorite fragrances! Lately, I've been trying to tear myself away from Sweet Pea and Moonlight Path and try something fresh and new.

I was pleasantly surprised by my two new favorite B&BW scents! I decided to try Sensual Amber and Enchanted Orchid.
Sensual Amber is a lovely "oriental" and "woody" fragrance. The top notes are: Bergamot, Wild Berries and Succulent Plum. The mid-notes are: White Rose, Orange Flower, Lotus Petals and Iris. Finally, the base notes consist of Amber, Creamy Sandalwood, Vanilla, Patchouli, Praline and Musk Captive. Basically, it is an extremely seductive scent because it has such a deep, sexy base scent but fades into floral and fruity delight. Luckily, I recently received the entire collection as a gift! I was soooo overjoyed. I love this fragrance!
My other fave is Enchanted Orchid. I love all things floral and exotic and the orchid is one of my favorite flowers. Now, it has turned out to be one of my fave scents. You will love it too if you love subtle, floral and citrusy fragrances that aren't too overbearing. The fragrance top notes are: Pink Grapefruit, Wet Greens, Waterlily and Crisp Apple. The mid-notes are: Calypso Orchid, Fresh Gardenia, Delicate Iris and Violet Petals. The base notes include Vanilla Orchid, Heliotrope, Creamy Amber and Skin Musk. Like Sensual Amber, Enchanted Orchid has a deep base, but is softened up even more with an abundance of floral extracts and fragrances.

The moral of the story is... try something new and you may just be pleasantly surprised!

P.S. Speaking of new, B&BW is revealing its "sexiest fragrance ever," dubbed Black Amethyst. Sounds sexy, right? The name reminds me of Black Orchid by Tom Ford. Anyway, the new line drops into stores on September 3rd or you can order it online NOW at "BOGO 50% off." It is "a hypnotic scent inspired by chic, sensual and confident women."


Fragrance top notes: Bergamot Italian Oprur, Juicy Mandarin, Sparkling Tangerine, Zesty Orange, Waterfruits, Crisp Melon
Fragrance mid notes: Lily of the Valley, Magnolia Blossom, Sheer Gardenia, Tuberose, Freesia, Peony Petals, Camellia
Fragrance base notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Vanilla, Musk

[Healthy Hair]: Redken Extreme Anti-Snap

Have you finished washing, drying and ironing - basically full-on abusing- your hair to find that the bathroom floor is covered with broken ends? Yeah, it really sucks. It turns out that this kind of breakage is what keeps your hair from growing longer! However, there is hope yet!

Redken Extreme Anti-Snap is the solution to help stave off breakage. This product was recommended to me by a hair consultant at JCPenney salon, so I decided to give it a try. She said it was perfect for dry hair that has split or brittle ends.

Why It Works:

• Helps fortify hair that's prone to breaking, splitting or snapping off
• Gently smoothes the cuticle
• Reduces friction from brushing and helps prevent further damage
• Leaves hair healthy, shiny and resilient

Source

In my experience, I found that this was the perfect leave-in conditioner. I really liked that it was lightweight and didn't make my hair sticky. I hate when a product leaves my hair with residue, making it feel heavy. Anti-Snap was just the opposite. Also, I noticed significantly less breakage. My barometer was my bathroom floor and hairbrush.

I applied Anti-Snap after my normal shampoo and deep conditioner, then proceeded with the "abuse" of blow drying and ironing my hair. I noticed that my hair was softer and my ends were still intact! Also, I really like how Redken products smell. It leaves your hair with that clean, yet not overly fragranced smell.

When I finish my travel bottle, I will definitely be purchasing the full-size bottle. The verdict is... Get It!

The full size, 8.5 oz bottle is available at basically any salon that you go to. It ranges in price from $13.99 to $17.69 or so. It is kinda pricey, but it is worth your hair's health to purchase this product. A way to beat the system is to buy the travel size bottle, available at Ulta for $3.95. It is a non-committal way to see if you really like Anti-Snap before buying the big size. The travel size will last you a while if you use it once a week as a fortifying treatment.

Check out some more reviews at Epinions.

Beauty Q&A: Hair Conditioner Help!

We received our first reader question today, from Lisa in Miami!

She asks:

Q: What hair conditioner do you recommend? I bought Pantene Pro V conditioner and I wasn't ecstatic about my results! It was such a waste of money. Can you help me find something that will help me maintain my look between visits to the hairdresser and keep the moisture locked in?

-Lisa, 21

A: Hey Lisa! Thanks for sending in your question. If you have dry hair, the summer can be hell on your strands. If you don't use a good conditioner, it will be extremely hard to maintain that moisturized, "just-in-from-the-salon" look.


For everyday or weekly use (depending on how frequently you wash your hair), the best conditioner to use is...Nexxus Humectress. It's slightly pricey at $24.99, but that is for the 33 ounce bottle, and trust me when I say it lasts FOREVER. This will make your hair so soft and easy to detangle. After you wash your hair, squeeze out the excess water and squeeze out 2 pumps of this amazing stuff. Make sure you comb the conditioner through your hair with a wide-tooth comb to prevent breakage. Leave the conditioner on for a few minutes while you shave your legs or something. Then, wash it out and voila -soft, salon-ish hair!

To keep your moisture game up, I also recommend that you try bi-weekly deep conditioner treatments.
I love Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Pak, $1.29. You can grab it at any Walgreens, CVS, Wal Mart - basically anywhere! One pack is good for about 2-3 uses, depending on how much you use. Use this in place of your regular conditioner, every other week. Again, get rid of the excess water from your hair and apply this liberally. Comb through your hair and make sure there aren't any tangles. Once you do this, put on a shower cap or clear plastic cap to seal in the moisture. If you have a dryer that you can sit under, this is the time to use it. Sit under it for 20 minutes. If you don't have one, just leave the cap on for 45 minutes. Sometimes, I leave mine on for a couple of hours on my "cleaning Saturdays" while I take care of chores. When you wash this stuff out, you will be AMAZED at how silky your hair is.

I hope that this helps, Lisa. If you try these products, let us all know how it works out!

How To Create an Easy, Natural Bronze Eyeshadow Look

I think that bronzes are some of the most versatile and fabulous eyeshadow colors. Also, they are among the easiest to apply because they blend together so well!

Today, I decided to put in a little effort and do a full eye look. Surprisingly, my entire face took about 10 minutes to do, but the results lasted all day! This look is a great option when you want to look really nice on the go, without overdoing it. Here's what you need, along with instructions on how to achieve this look.

Products
Face: MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer in NW30 & NARS Blush in Orgasm

Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brows in Bloom, in Brunette

Eyes: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, MAC Eyeshadow in Romp, NARS The Multiple in South Beach, NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Isolde, Diorshow Blackout Mascara & MAC Eye Khol in Smolder

Get the Look

1. The first thing you need to do is create a base for your look. Start with your face and dot concealer lightly, where you need it. Blend it in well so you need minimal foundation. I used the concealer under my eyes to make me look more awake.


2. Prime your eyelids by using a small amount of Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion or whichever primer you have. Blend this by dabbing it with your ring finger. A good primer makes a huge difference and keeps your eyes looking fresh all day - literally.


3. Fill in your brows with Anastasia Brows in Bloom or another brow powder/pencil. Everyone has different preferences. However, your brows frame your face and it's extremely important that they look decent. I'm growing my brows out to get them waxed again, so you can see how much difference a good brow kit makes because my brows look decent for the grown out stage (mine get extra unruly).


4. Dab on NARS The Multiple on your lids and browbone.
   
5. Take a small eyeshadow brush and use the NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Isolde. First, take the lighter color (light gold-ish bronze) and carefully place the shadow in the shape of a little oval, tracing the shape of your lid and leaving a space in the center. Make sure to get the light color into the inner corner of the eye as a highlight.



6. Next, use the darker color (classic bronze) of the duo to fill in the little "hole" on your eyelid. The shadow should be placed in the center of the lid.


7. Almost done! Now, you need to grab a brown shade for your crease. I used MAC Eyeshadow in Romp because it has a nice, satiny finish that complements the NARS shadows. Take a crease brush and carefully place the shadow in the outer edge of the crease. Be careful not to go to close to the center of the crease. This effect elongates the eye and helps to give you an almond, cat-eye look.


8. Blend! Be careful not to blend away all of the colors. Blend lightly where the colors meet, focusing on the crease. You can blend more or less depending on how natural you want the look to be.


9. Take the Eyeliner pencil and carefully line your lid, extremely close to the lashline in thin, short strokes for a natural look.


10. Apply two coats of Diorshow Blackout Mascara, and you're done!

The Final Look