Beauty and Fashion Tech

Schwarzkopf Bonacure Smooth Express Conditioner

When I purchased my Beauty Buyble, it contained a sample of Schwarzkopf Bonacure Smooth Express Conditioner. This is a product recommended by the Beauty Buyble and I had heard good things about Bonacure products, so I was excited to try it.This stuff rocks! I can’t say enough good things about it. The product is sold in individual packets and meant for use as a treatment instead of everyday use. I like the individual packet. This makes it easy to grab one for use when traveling or after something particularly hair drying and damaging, like a day at the pool or the beach.

The directions say to use the product on towel dried hair and that it can be rinsed out right away. But I left it in for several minutes. It rinsed out well, and left my hair feeling softer than ever. My hair was also particularly shiny after using it. It leaves a light neutral scent that I really can’t place well. I liked it though.

It is advertised as something that targets the damaged areas, while not weighing down the rest of the hair. I’m not sure I believe that there is really the technology to do that, but my hair certainly was not weighed down at the roots after using it, something that I sometimes have a problem with when using deep conditioners.

The only downside of this wonderful product is the price. It tends to run around $30-$40 for 10 packets. It certainly makes for a nice treat though. I plan to purchase more. I have not tried other items in the Bonacure line and liked this so much that although I am quite happy using KMS, I might also give a daily Bonacure shampoo and conditioner a try.

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By Carleenp Posted in Hair Care, Uncategorized | No Comments

Two Revlon Mascaras: Fabulash and Luxurious Lengths

I like to compare products, so it was a convenient coincidence that I have been trying two different Revlon mascaras for the past few weeks, Fabulash and Luxurious Lengths. I like the Fabulash quite a bit, while I have mixed feelings about Luxurious Lengths.

So many people seem to rave about Maybelline Great Lash, but I have never really liked the stuff. No matter how carefully I wipe off the excess, it clumps and smears on me. I also generally have better luck with smaller brushes. So when I first opened the Fabulash, I was a bit nervous. It has a large brush with unusually large gaps between the bristles. I immediately assumed that I would hate it. But I was pleasantly surprised. The mascara did not clump, and it defined and lengthened better than anything I have used yet. It stays on all day and removes well. This is a definite keeper for me.

The Luxurious Lengths also surprised me, but in a less fortunate manner. The brush is more like what I prefer, with smaller and closely spaced bristles, but it is also a bit odd. It is curved, with bristles on one side, and flat on the other. The idea is to use the bristle side to lengthen the lashes and the flat side to add additional color. The first problem could be unique to me. I really dislike curved brushes. When I switch to holding it in my left hand, I struggle not to turn it upside down or crooked. Others of course might be more coordinated than I am. I admit that I am a klutz! However, beyond the problem of the curved brush, I didn’t find that the flat side added much. The bristle side worked fine. It lengthened appropriately, although not as much as the Fabulash, without clumping or smearing. When I tried the flat side though, it either added little or clumped some. So in the end, I don’t think the brush design really works. It seems more like an advertising gimmick to me.

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By Carleenp Posted in Mascara | 2 Comments

Cosmetic Foot Surgery: High Heel Injections and (gulp) Amputations.

The Chicago Fox News ran a report the other night about “high heel injections,” which involves injecting collagen into the balls of the feet in order to make wearing thin soled, high heel shoes more comfortable. The video came complete with graphic shots of needles entering feet, which I really don’t recommend watching while suffering from a migraine. It also drew some “ewwws” and “icks” from my boyfriend.

I became curious about it and checked into it more today. I was rather surprised at what I found. Not only are some women injecting their feet, but some are amputating parts of their toes in order to wear, or improve the toe cleavage on, pointy toe shoes such as those from Manolo Blahnik or Jimmy Choo. The New York Times initially reported on it and I found some in depth commentary on both procedures at an interesting web site devoted to the wearing of high heels: 2heels.com.

Now I am fairly vain, and I am willing to bet that cosmetic procedures are in my future. But cosmetic foot surgery involving partial amputations???? I’m just not seeing that! The injection idea, while not for me, is somewhat interesting, but I cannot imagine amputating body parts just to be able to wear a certain shoe. Do people who have had this done admit to it? It seems outside of the realm of general social (and likely medical) acceptance to me, but perhaps I am just naive?

By Carleenp Posted in Cosmetic Surgery, Fashion Tech, Shoes | No Comments

Tokidoki for Fornarina

Tokidoki will be releasing a line of shoes for Fornarina this spring to be sold in the United States and Europe. Locations and release date have not yet been announced.

The line includes the shoe pictured here in 5 different colors and a tennis shoe in five colors. See the Tokidoki link above for pictures.

I don’t know that these are something I would wear much. But I will get a pair of pink ones simply because they are Tokidoki, they are pink, and they will make a certain (wonderful) guy I know roll his eyes. That alone seems like a good reason to buy a pair!

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By Carleenp Posted in Fashion Tech, Shoes | 1 Comment

(almost) Everybody (except me) Loves Proenza Pink

OK, so I keep seeing blog after blog raving about the limited edition Le Rouge Absolu, Proenza Pink from Lancome. The shade was designed for the Proenza Schouler spring runway and created by Gucci Westman Neville in consultation with the two men behind the Proenza Schouler name.

It is limited edition, it is exclusive to Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and four Lancome boutiques. It will likely be wildly popular, sold out, impossible to find, and cost a small fortune on eBay.

Why? Is it the fancy name(s), the limited edition, or both? Will people rave about it without ever actually trying it simply because it exists? I predict they will. But I have to say, I just don’t get this one. I like pink and I like pink cosmetics, but this shade is just too pale, and too whitish pink. To be fair, I did see one blog where the author did indeed wear it and liked it, but admitted that it might not be for everyone. She also described it as a zinc or milky pink: See blogdorfgoodman.

Anyway, I definitely agree with one of the few blogs that I saw questioning it: The Non-Blonde: Two Notes to the Good People at Lancome. She questioned how a person could wear the shade and still look alive. I like experimenting and I like fun colors, but with expensive limited edition stuff, why can’t they be more universally attractive????

Just a little rant for today…..

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By Carleenp Posted in Lip Products, Makeup | 4 Comments

Cheap v. Expensive: Comparing Two Moisturizing and "Lifting" Foundations: Estee Lauder and Revlon

It is winter, it is dry, and I am dry! So I have have developed a bit of an obsession about moisturizing products. I was using a Prescriptives foundation and experimenting with another from Loreal, but I was not completely satisfied with either, and once the air dried out both failed me completely. Suddenly my makeup turned flaky by mid-day. So it was time for something new.

After reading some good reviews of each, I picked up both a drugstore foundation, Revlon Age Defying with Botafirm , and a fairly new department store product, Estee Lauder Resilience Lift Extreme Foundation. Both claim to provide lifting and moisture, and both provide sunscreen protection. The Expensive item wins the comparison battle between these two, although I was also satisfied with the Revlon foundation.

Revlon’s foundation comes in two formulas, One formula for normal/combination skin and another for dry skin. Interestingly, and something I have seen pointed out by other reviewers, the dry skin formula lists talc higher on its ingredient list than does the dry skin formula. Since I was already having problems with my makeup caking up, I really didn’t want a bunch of talc in my foundation. So I purchased the normal skin product in fresh ivory for around $10 at a local drug store. The shade I picked was generally about right for me, although it seemed perhaps a tad too pale. I like the feel of this foundation. It feels moisturizing, although not overly so, and blends well. It has pretty good staying power and I did not have problems with it getting flaky or accentuating my lines and pores. But I found the coverage on it to be just so-so. Because I have some minor discoloration, I generally want fairly good coverage. This stuff, although it is labeled as a medium coverage product, and also generally feels like one, didn’t quite do it for me in that department. People needing less coverage might be happy with it though. As for the lifting claims, I can’t say that I noticed anything. In the end, the Revlon foundation was OK, and definitely an improvement over what I had been using. It also has a budget friendly price. For the low cost, I think it provides a fairly good value. But I likely won’t buy it again, because I am hooked on the new Estee Lauder foundation.

I really love the new Estee Lauder product, which I purchased at Macy’s for around $35 in the shade linen. It has just the right balance of moisture and coverage for my skin. It smooths on feeling almost like a tinted moisturizer and blends well. But unlike a tinted moisturizer, it has decent coverage. It stays on fairly well, and I have had no problems with it drying out or getting flaky. The stuff feels wonderful. One warning is to use small amounts, the foundation is quite creamy and spreads well, so there is no need to use a lot of it. The shade is good for me too. I also like that it comes in a pump dispenser. But whether I will later decide that I hate the dispenser when it is almost empty and I feel like product is going to be wasted, I don’t know. I have been annoyed over that with other products in the past, especially products like this one that do not give the option of screwing off the pump dispenser top. Is putting a threaded top on a product really all that difficult? Regardless, for the time being I like it because it is easy to use.

As for the extreme lifting claims, like with the Revlon foundation, I can’t say that I have noticed much. So I tend to think that the lifting claims are a bit out there. But I didn’t purchase either product for those claims. The only real downside of the Estee Lauder product for me is the price, but I have always been willing to spend quite a bit on foundation, so I am OK with it. Obviously others might feel differently.

Overall, both are products that provide some moisture, while feeling and looking good on the skin. I feel comfortable recommending both for people with normal to dry skin. I don’t think the Estee Lauder product would work well at all on oily skin. The Revlon product might. I plan to stick with the Estee Lauder foundation through winter and then find something different for the summer, when I tend to get a bit oily at times.

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