Bit By the Beauty Bug

The Beauty Bug knows how to get The Beauty Bug Fiance’s attention…She just mentions Cherry Cola. To The Beauty Bug, it tastes like gag-enducing Robitussin Cough Syrup, but to Her Fiance, it’s one of the most craveable drinks. Because of this difference in taste, the 2 can never share a drink at the movies…you get the point. Philosophy’s the soda fountain 3-in-1 shampoo, bubble bath and shower gel trio is where the 2 compromise.

The set contains three 3-in-1 scents - cherry cola, fruit punch and The Beauty Bug’s favorite, root beer. As She was taking the bottles out of the box, The Beauty Bug’s Fiances eyes grew wide because 1) he never imagined that he’d be using something cherry cola scented in the shower - the only thing better that that would probably be something beer scented and 2) never had He seen a product that did so much (3-in-1 - shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath) - as I’m sure every woman knows, when it comes to products and men, everything must be very basic for them.

The cherry coke scent is sweet and tart, and somehow incorporates the fizziness and the “pop” that soda has. The new bottle is already about half gone. The root beer scent is just as addictive as those little root beer barrels. The Beauty Bug Fiance just tried to drink it. The fruit punch scent is just waiting to be spiked and ladled out in cups - it smells that real.

Never once did The Beauty Bug think that showering would make Her thirsty…

Philosophy’s the soda fountain 3-in-1 shampoo, bubble bath and shower gel trio is available at philosophy.com for $30.

This eyeliner is in a category of its own.

The Beauty Bug has been using this eyeliner for some time now, thoroughly enjoying the color and the sheen, the staying power, and how easily it comes off.

COLOR: The color has a sharp, unique sheen that adds sparkle to the eyes . The Beauty Bug has dubbed it the “patent leather eyeliner”. She’s been using the limited edition black liner, and it’s probably the darkest, boldest black liner that She’s used.

STAYING POWER: This liner does not budge unless you want it to - not even in the dog days summer. In most cases makeup can not be sweat-proof, however, out of all of products The Beauty Bug has tried, this product has come the closest. Then again, who has sweaty eyelids?

PRODUCT REMOVAL: Similar to “tubular” mascara that washes off in “tubes” (Clinque’s Lashpower and Blinc’s Kiss Me mascara), this liner practically peels right off like a string once it’s wet. This process reminded The Beauty Bug of elementary school when She used put a dab of Elmer’s Glue on Her skin and wait until it was almost dry and peel it off. The liner has that same stretchy consistency. The other huge benefit about the formula? It leaves absolutely NO residue behind on the lash line.

Now, some application tips. The eyeliner is housed in a in a pen-like tube. To activate the eyeliner, twist the bottom of the “pen” until the eyeliner loads into the brush applicator. The Beauty Bug likes to apply the liner to Her hand first to ensure that there’s not too much product on the tip. It’s a tip that Shu makeup artist Dani Wagener taught Her. It allows for more control, a smoother application and helps to achieve a thinner line on top of the lid.

Above all, the best tip that The Beauty Bug can give you is to be patient with this product. The first couple times She used it, the line on Her lid was thicker than usual just because it took a bit getting used to. It really has amazing staying power, and brings out the crafty first grader in Her who still secretly wishes She was making macaroni hats at school.

The Shu Uemura Limited Edition Shimmer Liquid Eyeliner is available at ShuUemura.com for $33.

Vacationing in the islands is all about the tax-free shopping, agreed? The last 2 times The Beauty Bug visited Saint Maarten She had 2 things on her mind - David Yurman jewelry and perfume. Can you blame Her? She’s always been a woman that knows what She wants.

Last month, She almost made it through Her weeks vacation without buying any perfume or beauty products whatsoever, that is, until Her nose led her to the L’Occitane store in the Saint Maarten Airport. She really hadn’t planned on buying anything - She just wanted to waste time before her flight - until Her nose was lured to a bottle resembling honeycomb. It was L’Occitane’s Honey & Lemon Eau de Toilette. The sweet smell was similar to other fragrances that The Beauty Bug had, yet very different at the same time.

As The Beauty Bug continued to smell the citrus-y vanilla fragrance, the sales girl also began to sniff a perspective sale, putting on the full court press; something that’s much too common in the islands - too common, and extremely overwhelming. Doing Her best to ignore the pushy sales girl who had told Her that the island price was 20% lower than the price in the States, The Beauty Bug just kept smelling and smiling. The sweet yet spicy fragrance fit into The Beauty Bug’s fragrance repertoire because of it’s sweet, vanilla base, but what really drew Her in was the sparkling dash of citrus and hint warm cinnamon. The combination of the musk, sweet caramel, bergamot orange, patchouli and jasmine was delicious, and The Beauty Bug just couldn’t resist. Sold! Into the suitcase it went, packed between clothes so the bottle wouldn’t break.

Finally back in the States, The Beauty Bug arrived to Her apartment one suitcase short. The airline had lost Her suitcase containing Her perfume. It was somewhere in Bermuda Triangle of suitcases. All The Beauty Bug could think of was that in an airport somewhere, someone smelled of deliciously fresh Valensole lemons and honey and She was never getting it back.

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Like a good piece of gossip, The Beauty Bug just can’t stop talking about Philosophy’s new Foaming Purity Made Simple Cleanser. Yes, She knows that She already gushed about it, but it deserves some more attention because it could very well be one of the years best new launches. This is the cleanser that puts all others in the foaming category to shame because its lather is just so thicke and fresh, unlike any The Beauty Bug’s ever tried before.

It’s as if someone dared Philosophy to market and sell “refreshing in a bottle” and this was their answer. What a comeback.

Philosophy’s Foaming Purity Made Simple Cleanser is available at Sephora for $21.50.

(A note to readers - this post is a guest spot for the last person you would expect to hear from, the Beauty Bug’s very product-phobic fiance. Outside of secretly being a huge fan of Jonathan Antin’s “Dirt” hair product, Mr. Bug is something of a moron when it comes to products of beautious nature.)

In general, for the type of person I am, you would never find one of “me” writing for a beauty product blog. For purposes of full disclosure, I’m about as low maintenance and utilitarian as it gets! Bar of soap, shampoo, conditioner - that’s about it for the likes of this every-man. As a matter of fact - if it weren’t for the Beauty Bug’s alluring little dance (very easily) pulling me into her little colony I would be using the same brands of shampoo, conditioner and soap for what would be the 2nd decade of product loyalty. Why? I’ll speak for my gender - we just don’t know any better.

That is, until we were stuck with a wafer-thin piece of what used to be a bar of soap, and I had to reach for the first thing that looked like it could do the job. Such a scenario is exactly how *this* dope got adventuresome and tried some of the CO Bigelow Lemon Mentha Body Wash. What was a man to do? Standing there trying to figure something out fast before running off to a client’s office? Rule #1 of client services - do not smell like a sewer. (The Beauty Bug interjects - GROSS! He does not smell like a sewer - not even close. If he did, he never would have become The Beauty Bug fiance.) The break in my normal routine jarred me into the realization that I had to pick something out of the mountain of body washes, shampoos, conditioners, face washes - an overwhelming task. I reached for the bright yellow tube, thinking “Lemon … I can deal with that”. Anything a little too fruity and I’m just not comfortable. They all smell nice, I admit, but it just doesn’t quite *fit* with this big oaf.

The Mentha Body Wash, however, immediately fit the bill perfectly and has been in daily use by said oaf. Not too overpowering a scent, in conjunction with the quite enjoyable menthol affects on my skin … it literally felt like a winner. Now, as silly as this may sound, please bear with me - I must give some credit for the vehicle used to administer the body wash. Loofah’s just do not do. They’re unweildy, hard to get a hold of and always feel as if the gel/body wash is lost almost immediately after being placed on. The loofah, in my book, gets the “Epic Fail” stamp of disapproval. The best bet? Something like this textured sponge - all the way!

So for the old school gentlemen out there who are more for function over form or scent - point them here to this convert’s tale for some new perspective …

… or just steal their bar(s) of soap.

(A note from The Beauty Bug: It looks like it’s about time for his and her bath sponges. That and another bottle of this body wash - someone who swore they would never like it, has almost used it all up! Oh, and one more thing The Beauty Bug Fiance forgot to mention - the body wash contains deeply nourishes with Vitamins A, C and E. Next task - trying to get him to use the bottle of Kiehl’s face wash that The Beauty Bug bought for him 2 Christmases ago!)

CO Bigelow’s Mentha Vitamin Body Washes are available at Bath and Body Works and CO Bigelow stores for $12.

Lilan from The Daily Cookie shows you how to use the TRIA At-Home Laser Hair Removal System and get rid of pesky hairs with an easy video tutorial!

Beauty Anonymous reviews Flower By Kenzo Summer Fragrance 2008!

A Touch of Blusher talks about Paul & Joe’s lilac eyeshadow.

The Makeup Divas reviews Mac’s Mineralize Skin Finish.

Got wimpy lashes? Head over to Beauty Junkie in SF to enter to win a Marini Lash Eyelash Conditioner and grow those babies into full, voluminous lashes!

Want perfect brows? Roselyn from Makeup Makes Me Happy is RAVING about the latest goodies from Anastasia Beverly Hills. Check out this fun video she has put together of all her favorite must-haves!

Beauty Banter reviews the amazing Thi Cosmetics color line from makeup artist Taylor Pham. If simple, basic and elegant is what you want, this is the makeup for YOU!

Makeup Moxie reviews the new Benefit Powderflage.

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The Beauty bug swears, this site is not turning into a mascara blog! However, since it’s been a hot topic lately, She figured, why stop now? If you’re looking for a new mascara, but still aren’t sold on the recent vibrating trend, pick up Sephora’s Lash Stash. At $25, it’s reasonably priced and allows you to try deluxe sample sizes of some of the top-selling mascaras. The kit includes:

• Benefit A Little Bit BADGal Lash
• Blinc Kiss Me Mascara
• LORAC Publicity Stunt Lashes
• Smashbox Bionic Mascara
• Stila Multi-Effect Mascara
• Sephora Brand Lash Plumper
• Two Faced Lash Injection

The best thing about these mini mascaras? The size of the brush head on these samples is the same size as the brush head on a full sized tube. Too many times The Beauty Bug has been given mascara samples where the brush head was resized to fit in the small sample tube, making the sample worthless.

In other mascara news, MAC is set to release Dazzle Lash, which is said to “create voluptuous curve” and reach “entrancing new lengths”. The Beauty Bug hasn’t been able to sneak a peak at the brush yet, but early rumblings say that the innerspring head is innovative and grabs and texturizes individual lashes. Details and an on-counter date are not confirmed yet.

And so they meet again - The Beauty Bug and the mysterious woman who applies her mascara during her entire T ride to work. You may remember their first encounter - The Beauty Bug witnessed a scene which She will never forget.

This time wasn’t much different, except there wasn’t an old lady there warning her about the dangers of applying mascara on a moving train car. To a certain degree, The Beauty Bug has to agree with this wise elder - the T makes abrupt stops and dramatic swivels. But, The Beauty Bug’s concern for this woman only goes so far, because it’s truly amazing to watch her go through her entire makeup routine on a train car and watch (and take photos) while everyone around her also stares. Someone just needs to break it to her - the T is not a bathroom or a vanity table.

This time her products of choice included a light dusting of MAC bronzing powder, dark Revlon eyeshadow, L’Oreal’s Voluminous Mascara, clear Maybelline Brow Gel, and Neutrogena Lip Gloss.

A few things that The Beauty Bug continues to wonder…does she travel with Qtips in case of she has an accident or her hand slips? Or more importantly, does she travel with sanitizer in case one of her products drops on the icky T floor? How on earth does she apply all of her makeup using just a little tiny compact mirror? And lastly, how does she not notice The Beauty Bug snapping photos……!?!

Lashes everywhere are reaching new lengths thanks to the now sold-out Lancome Ôscillation Mascara. The new vibrating product is accumulating waiting lists across the US that are longer than the latest issue of Vogue, and is causing even the most recognized beauty editors to toss their falsies away.

The Beauty Bug’s mascara arrived on Saturday, and sat in its box until this afternoon. She already admitted that She was a little intimidated by it - putting motorized objects by ones eyes just isn’t normal. But Lancome is making it easy… and normal. Today She had the chance to talk one-on-one with Erin and Elizabeth from the Lancome team - watch the demo and you’ll see, there’s really no need to worry about poking or splattering or clumps at all.

Watch the video and remember:

• No more applying your mascara with a zig-zag motion - just let the brush do all the work!
• Start at the base and apply root to tip, slowly!
• It’s a buildable mascara, so apply that extra coat!
• While applying, make sure you hold the button down. You control the vibrations.
• Again, applying it slowly and evenly is the key.
• Don’t be scared - you’re no more likely to poke yourself in the eye with this mascara than you are with others.

Lancome Ôscillation Mascara Demo from The Beauty Bug on Vimeo.

A special thanks to The Daily Obsession and The Beauty Bug Fiance for their help with editing and uploading this!

The Beauty Bug was a little late in reading Her new Allure this month. It had come in the mail when She was away on vacation, and for the past week sat in the mail pile, still in its plastic mailing bag. Finally, tonight, after watching Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood (how precious is Liam?), She reached for the magazine. She very quickly flipped through the first 50 pages which were mostly ads and was somewhat uninterested - until She saw it. How did She not know about this? Does it smell as good as it looks? Where can She get one…tomorrow?!

She threw down the magazine and ran to Her computer and began furiously typing. She discovered that the David Yurman Fragrance had just launched in July - She calmed down a bit after realizing it was still in fact very new.

Allure describes the scent as “a blend of patchouli, exotic woods, natural rose oil, and fresh green petals”, but with a bottle that looks like that, does it really matter how it smells? In true Yurman style, the cap is carved with cables - so striking, yet classic. The body of the bottle has more of a feminine touch, and is reminiscent of Yurman’s gemstone rings. And as if The Beauty Bug wasn’t sold yet, the bottle neck is created in a form of Yurman wedding band. Since The Beauty Bug and The Beauty Bug Fiancee just bought Yurman weddings bands in St. Maarten, how can She resist? A fragrance to match Her wedding band…

For all you fragrance fanatics, the nose behind this Yurman scent is Harry Fremont. Now Smell This describes this as a “love it or hate it” fragrance.

David Yurman by David Yurman is available at Saks Fifth Avenue and David Yurman boutiques for $120.