MY OBSESSION! BeautyTicket.com

I've discovered an incredible new discount website for purchasing everything you need to keep you looking beautiful. And what makes it truly amazing is that Beautyticket.com brings you premium beauty brands at unbelievably low prices -- up to 85% off retail prices every day! Curious how they can do this? It's simple, when beauty companies need to clear space for new promotions, seasonal items, new packaging, etc. BeautyTicket.com purchases the surplus and passes the savings along to it's clients. And let's face it in these challenging economic times "nothing is better than department store brands at drugstore prices!" But don't be slow because at these prices their brand name products sell out quickly. Check it out for yourself and you'll become a fan too!

Here's some of my favorite products from this week's newest arrivals:

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Baume D'Ete - Tinted Lip Balm in "Love Apple"
$12.99 (reg. price $23)

Yves Saint Laurent Eclat de Givre Eye Shadow in "Bronze Frost"
$14.99 (reg. price $28.50)

Yves Saint Laurent Palette Couleurs D'Afrique for Eyes
$23.99 (reg. price $60.00)

Yves Saint Laurent Poudre de Soliel - Sun Powder in "Copper Sun" (No. 3)
$23.99 (reg. price $50.00)

Pop Beauty Bronze Belle Palette
$14.99 (reg. price $28.00)

Smashbox Hybrid 2-in-1 Lip Gloss in "Marigold"
$6.99 (reg. price $18.00)

So what are you going to buy this week? Don't forget to sign up for their weekly email updates.

NARS Fall 2009 Collection

"Romantic and feminine with a distince edge"

The Nars website states "as inspiration for his artistic vision, François Nars referenced both the coquettish innocence of Lolita, and the sophisticated sensuality of Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour to conjure a beauty formula that is "very sexy, but at the same time ultra-elegant."



All I can say is that the beauty look for this collection is Hot-To-Death!!!! I've seen previews of several cosmetics lines for Fall but this collection just made me gasp. I don't know what I covet most, the bold yet sexy lip color or the gorgeous smoky eye makeup. I'm in love! And that nail polish...words just fail!!! Purple is one of my favorite colors and its been re-done in a new and edgy way that is so François Nars. If you've seen his photography and beauty book "Makeup Your Mind" you know what an incredibly creative genius he is.

DUO EYESHADOW ($32)

SINGLE EYESHADOW ($22)

LIPSTICK ($24)

NAIL POLISH ($16)

My favorites from the NARS collection that I'll be purchasing are "Brumes Duo Eyeshadow", "Tokaïdo Express" Nail Polish and "Fast Ride" Lipstick...maybe "Mekong" Single Eyeshadow too. I'm so excited just thinking about getting my hot hands on these great products. I'll create a follow-up posting with makeup looks once I get my cosmetics so stay tuned!!!!

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara

This is now one of my favorite mascaras...as a Makeup Artist and Beauty Blogger I've tried tons of mascaras and I really like how this products goes on, wears and the inexpensive price doesn't hurt either. I just featured it in a recent Beauty post "Be A Beach Babe".


Have you tried this product? Do you love or could you leave it? Let me know what you think.

PRODUCT REVIEW- O.C.C. LIP TARS

I'm sure that most makeup fans have heard about Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (better known as O.C.C.) new incredible product called Lip Tars. They were all the rage at Fashion Week and The Makeup Show in New York. They were sold out on the O.C.C. website for weeks but I was able to get my hands on most of them and can finally post my own review.
I have to say the first time I used the O.C.C. Lip Tar I was stunned. The color is super concentrated and alittle of the product really goes a long way. It's best to use it without any lip pencil or balm on the lip as it interferes with the wearability of this product. I find it best to put a tiny amount of color on a small, firm lip brush so you can apply very precisely. Lip Tars go on moist like lipgloss but dries down to a matte satiny finish that lasts a really long time yet doesn't feel heavy. I used it on set for Biography's new show "Celebrity Ghost Stories" and I didn't have to touch up the actress even after she was drinking. The O.C.C. Lip Tars come in a wide range of colors and can be mixed to create customized shades. As I mentioned in my "Be A Beach Babe" post you can also use the Lip Tars as a stain or blush color on the cheeks that lasts all day!!!

Lip Tar colors from Top to Bottom: Grandma, Melange, Safety Orange, NSFW, Pageant, Katricia, Plum
* There are 7 additional colors (Uber, Vintage, Traffic, RX, Tarred, Feathered, and Clear) in the Lip Tar line but the ones listed above are those I like and use the most.

GRANDMA - ALWAYS CLASSIC, COOL, CLEAN CORAL

MELANGE - A WEARABLE, WARM MIDTONE NEUTRAL

SAFETY ORANGE - VIVID, INTENSE BLOOD ORANGE

NSFW - VIVID, PRIMARY SCARLET - THE ULTIMATE RED LACQUER

PAGEANT - INTENSELY BRIGHT FUSCHIA

 

KATRICIA - INTENSELY BRIGHT, CREAMY VIOLET

PLUM - DEEP, INTENSE TRUE PLUM

It's hard to pick a favorite color since there are so many shades that are beautiful but I have to say my top 4 Lip Tar colors are: Pageant, Safety Orange, Melange and surprisingly NSFW. I usually don't like to wear red color on my lips but I've slowly been brought over to the "Red" side after hanging out with Felicia Walker Benson of ThisThatBeauty.com. She's a gorgeous brown girl who rocks a fierce red lip and I now see that the right red can be stunning.

I definitely love my Lip Tars but O.C.C. always has fabulous and innovative products that you can't live without. I highly recommend Lip Tars but don't just take my word for it...try it for yourself.

BE A BEACH BABE

Ok, I will admit it. I'm one of those women that wears makeup at the beach. I definitely don't think that you should wear your normal makeup to the beach...it looks a bit ridiculous if you're sporting a fully made-up face. However I feel naked without wearing some products. I've discovered the perfect mix of products to give me a soft, natural look that doesn't scream MAKEUP.

• Ocean Potion Clear Zinc Oxide Face Potion - SPF 45
  
• Banana Boat Sport Sunblock Stick - SPF 30 (used on lips as lip balm)
• Bodyography - Veil Foundation Primer
• Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics - Mineral Rice Setting Powder in "Dark"
• Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics - Natural Mineral Foundation in "Hazelnut" and "Coffee" (I use equal amounts of each color to get my perfect shade).
• aDesign "Angled Kabuki" Brush (This is one of my favorite brushes! aDesign carries amazing products that I use in my professional makeup kit as well as my personal makeup bag).
• MAC Fix+ (I spray this over my mineral foundation to set it and take away the powdery look).
  
• OCC - Lip Tars in "Melange" and "Safety Orange" (I use "Safety Orange" on my cheeks as blush and alittle of both colors on my lips instead of lipstick or gloss. This product is extremely concentrated so very little goes along way and I blend it with my fingers).
• CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara in "Very Black"
  

These products give my skin protection from the sun while making me look gorgeous but not too "made up" for the beach. The zinc sunscreen dries clear without leaving a white cast to my brown skin unlike some other sunscreens I've tried. The mineral powder foundation provides additional coverage from the sun while allowing my skin to breathe. I love how the Lip Tars gives my lips and cheeks a flush of color that lasts. The mascara just finishes off the look - my eyes just disappear without mascara. Even though this isn't a waterproof formula mascara I had no smudging or running but I have to admit I didn't go swimming.

Me lounging in my beach chair at Long Beach in Long Island wearing my "natural" makeup look.

At home, 6 hours post-beach and my makeup is still looking pretty good. Only reapplied my lip color after drinking water and eating ices from Ralphs.

I'm curious to know if there are other women out there who also wear makeup to the beach...what are your favorite products?