Change of Address

Hello!

To make things less confusing & more search-able,

we are COMBINING our blogs!

Now just go to brainybeautyblogs.com for all product reviews!

Perfume reviews still available on perfume fiend.

Menfolk-- Gifted Guys Groom is still up & running for you.

Dr. Brandt UV SPF 30 Face

Claim:

Formulated to provide advanced broad spectrum UVA (PA+++) protection against UVB rays (SPF 30). Dr. Brandt advanced sun care helps decrease pigmentation induced by UV exposure; preventing photo-aging. Designed with dry-touch technology to absorb quickly, leaving the skin smooth and soft with a shine-free finish.

Truth:

Totally works! No greasy or kabuki face, no sunblock shards, no melt-offs!

My problem:

The container, with its convenient pump dispenser, is too small. While great for traveling, I want a honking giant bottle at home to last the whole summer.

All the other sunblocks should take notice.

Calling all brides & bridesmaids

Hey Brides & entourage!

Sephora wants to help you look your best for the big day:

Sephora says “I Do” with the new limited edition Sephora Favorites Beauty & The Bride kit. This set contains all a bride needs to look beautiful while walking down the aisle, posing for picture-perfect moments, and beyond. From Gucci's romantic Flora fragrance to Boscia's green tea blotting linens, this kit helps beautiful brides on their big day, and also makes a great gift for the bridal party too!

The Sephora Favorites Beauty & The Bride kit includes 11 must-have wedding-day beauty essentials complete in a keepsake box. This beauty filled box is the gift that keeps on giving, also including a voucher for a complimentary Special Occasion Makeover at the Sephora Beauty Studio*. Schedule a time in advance of your big day to learn how to create your most blushing bridal look with the help of a Sephora beauty expert at a Sephora store near you. This exclusive, personalized service will give you all the tips and techniques needed to achieve the look of your dreams on your big day and ever after.

Appointments are required, so please call the store to book your Special Occasion Makeover. For more information on services at the Beauty Studio, visit sephora.com/go/beautystudio.

The limited edition Sephora Favorites Beauty & The Bride, $50, ($108 value) includes:

• bareMinerals Prime Time Eyelid Primer
• Benefit The Porefessional
• Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens
• Buxom Big & Healthy Lipstick in Brooklyn
• Flora by Gucci Eau Fraîche
• Josie Maran Argan Oil Color Stick in Rosy
• Lancôme Juicy Tubes in Spring Fling
• Sephora by OPI. Nail Colour in True Romantic
• Sephora Collection Flashy Liner Waterproof in Flashy Black
• Stila Eye Shadow in Kitten
• Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes! Mascara in black

Tips + BeautyBlender = Perfect face

Seen a funny looking pink tear-dropped shaped sponge in the magazines, on TV, in your friend's makeup bag? It's a Beautyblender! Learn the myriad uses and get your own:

Celebrity makeup artist and Beautyblender founder Rea Ann Silva provides her blending tips and tricks that will leave you looking flawless!

Cover Up Dark Circles and Blemishes

Apply your favorite concealer to Beautyblender. Use the pointed side and the “stipple and twist” technique to work makeup into depressed areas of the face. The stippling and twisting actions feathers out the makeup’s edges, blending it with

out creating changes in the texture or tone of your skin, leaving a perfect finish. The pointed side is particularly great for hard-to-reach spots like around the nose and mouth, and under the eyes.

Ditch the Cakey Foundation Look

Use the round base for foundation on the larger areas of your face such as your forehead, cheeks and chin. It leaves just the right amount on the skin and will leave an airbrushed finish. Be sure to blend makeup all over, including the eye area, starting in the middle and working your way out.

Add Some Color to Get Your Glow On

Instantly brighten your skin with bronzer and blush. Use the round base and apply bronzer to the apples of your cheeks followed by blush. A fast way to find the apples of your cheeks is to smile. Be sure to blend the color up toward your temples. You can even add a highlighter to your cheek bones to really accentuate them and give a glow. Start at the inner corner of the eye, blend it over the brow bone and onto your cheekbone – then do the other side. Finish by blending a little down the bridge of your nose, chin and above the middle of your lips.

Make Your Eyes Pop

Using the pointed side of Beautyblender, apply eyeshadow in your creases and blend it down over the lids avoiding the brow bones. By using the Beautyblender, there won’t be any harsh lines or stripes of color. Instead, it will look blended and effortless. For more definition, rim your upper lashes with a liner pencil and smudge it upward with the pointed side. To get an extra bright-eyed effect, use the tip of the pointed end and dot shimmery eyeshadow onto the inner corners of your eyes. Celebs use this trick on the red carpet all the time!

Add Some Strategic Shimmer

Blend some shimmer on the top of your decolletage in a capital T shape. For an even bigger boost, blend bronzer with the round base of Beautyblender around the inside of each breast to enhance your cleavage. This little beauty magic trick works wonders!

Get your own Beautyblender at major retailers nationwide including Duane Reade, Look Boutique, CO Bigelow, Henri Bendel, Beauty.com and online at www.beautyblender.net

Jan Marini FB celebration & contest

In celebrating 17 years of great skin, Jan Marini wants you to share YOUR most memorable anniversary stories on Facebook!

Whether it’s the anniversary of your wedding day, first date, or big move to a new city, anything at all that celebrates anniversaries, we want to hear it! “Like” the Jan Marini Facebook page and share your story! The top 3 best anniversary stories will be the lucky winners of Jan Marini’s Clean Zyme and Skin Zyme duo, valued at $72! After all, anniversaries are meant to be shared with those who mean the most to you, and Jan Marini couldn’t think of anyone better than their fans to celebrate with! Click here to get started: http://www.facebook.com/#!/JanMariniSkinResearch

EOS S.O.S. (Saves Our Skin)

Fact: Approximately 1 in 32 (8.4 million) people in the USA suffer from dry skin.

Thankfully, the eos Everyday Hand Lotion is infused with moisturizing shea butter, oat extract, and a generous helping of antioxidants and vitamins C and E. These handy lotions leave skin feeling soft, supple and healthy long after you apply it. So say goodbye to dry, chapped hands forever and smooth on eos’ non-greasy, super-soothing hand lotion and make your skin smile!

Dermatologist tested. Hypoallergenic. Paraben-free. Not tested on animals

Key Ingredients:

• Aloe– soothes, moisturizes and heals

•Oat – protects delicate, dry, sensitive and irritated skin

• Shea butter – softens and nourishes

• Vitamin E & C – rejuvenates and hydrates for healthy looking, radiant skin

I like the cucumber (green). It's a great, fresh summer scent without being too smelly! The cool pod fits into your purse or pocket really well. And it works!

Deborah Lipmann, nail genius

As much as I hate to think about impending fall (back to school= back to work), Deborah Lipmann has given us a Fall Collection that is, simply put, AWESOME!

• Billionaire: moody hunter green (creme)
• Brick House: shimmering rust (shimmer)
• Single Ladies: flirtatious red (creme)

She has also teamed up with designer Narciso Rodriguez for Stormy Weather. I think Lena Horne would have totally rocked it.