Fridays with Felicia: An intimate look behind the curtain as I share my favorite style/ beauty discoveries and ThisThatBeauty shenanigans from previous week.

********************

During a recent breakout that was on the mend, I pondered the necessary balance of “treatment” and “healing”. Many times with pimples we aggressively work to “treat” and eradicate the pimple…this usually involves drying the sucker out by zapping it with concentrated amounts of drying ingredients like salicylic acid, sulfur, benzoyl peroxide, etc. However, once the pimple begins to subside, it is very important to transition from “treating” the skin to “healing” the skin…or you will be left with a dried out, hyper-pigmented area of skin.

While I like to think I know it all when it comes to skincare, I do recognize when it’s time to turn to the real pro’s for advice. For today’s “Fridays with Felicia” post, I interview Nicole Darmanin, Head of Public Relations and Communications for Mario Badescu. The focus of our interview is the proper balance of treating AND healing pimples.

FELICIA:

Nicole, thank you for agreeing to this interview. As my ThisThatBeuty readers know, I am a huge fan of Mario Badescu. I have written countless glowing reviews…in short, I’ve never met a Mario Badescu product I didn’t like!

Let’s chat about breakouts and skin discoloration. Why do breakouts cause discoloration and how can blemish treatments help us to avoid this?

NICOLE:

Post pimple discoloration, also known as Post Inflammatory Hyper-pigmentation, is the skin’s natural response to inflammation.  When inflamed, the skin will sometimes over produce melanin.  The color of the mark is determined by your skin tone (it can range from pink to red to brown) and the severity of the inflammation.  The absolute best thing you can do is to find a skin care regimen that is appropriate for your skin type. This will help prevent breakouts in the first place.  If you are dealing with a current breakout treat pimples right at the onset.  This will help to disinfect and heal the blemish so that you have less inflammation than if you did not treat it at all.

FELICIA:

When should you transition from a “drying” pimple product to a “healing” pimple product? Which Mario Badescu products do you recommend for both stages of pimple recovery, and why?

NICOLE:

I generally tell people to switch from a drying product to a healing product when you feel like the pimple has turned a corner and is on its way out.  You will know that the pimple is ready for healing products when you start to visibly see it shrink in size and it ceases to hurt when you touch it. If there was a pustule (whitehead) that should be gone before switching to healing products. Try Mario Badescu’s Healing Cream.

FELICIA:

Once you’ve dried and healed the pimple, what routine steps do you recommend to keep pimples at bay and continue to maintain skin’s smooth complexion?

NICOLE:
The easiest thing you can do for breakout prevention is to use a daily treatment like Mario Badescu’s Anti Acne Serum which contains the pore clearing ingredient salicylic acid.

For the best results, you really want to make sure you are using skin care that is appropriate for your skin.  A common mistake I see, especially for those fighting acne along with the signs of aging, is that they will want to use anti aging products that are too rich for their skin type and will eventually clog their pores and cause breakouts.  There are so many options and formulations to choose from that with just a little research you can find the products that are right for you.

Mario Badescu has great skin care specialists on staff that can recommend a regimen and even send samples to try.  You can call 800 BADESCU or do an online skin consultation at www.mariobadescu.com.

FELICIA:

Nicole, thank you for sharing your skin care expertise with ThisThatBeauty. I also highly recommend that readers check out mariobadescu.com’s online Acne Resource Center to learn about causes and different types of acne, product recommendations and more!   http://www.mariobadescu.com/acne

Have a good weekend everyone!

xoFelicia

The good folks at Schick Intuition want to keep you moving and grooving this holiday season with two free music downloads from emusic.com.

It’s really easy. All you have to do is go to www.facebook.com/schickintuition, “Like” the page and click on the K.I.S.S. & Jam tab to receive the exclusive code. And you’re all set to download your fave tunes and drop it like it’s hot!

ENJOY!

Who wouldn’t want to look as cool as these two?

Well here’s a deal that I know you will appreciate. TheLuxurySpot.com/deals is currently running a limited time offer on SPEX (SpexClub.com) eyeglasses. Most of SPEX’s hipster inspired, modern styles start at $78 for frames WITH prescription lenses. Yes, I said WITH lenses. However, by going through TheLuxurySpot.com/deals, you will receive an additional ridonculous savings of 50%. So to further break this down for those of us yet to have our morning java – A pair of current, on-trend frames with prescription lenses can be yours for the how-low-can-you-go price of $39.

*signing off now to prevent being trampled in the stampede* 

Fridays with Felicia: An intimate look behind the curtain as I share my favorite style/ beauty discoveries and ThisThatBeauty shenanigans from previous week.

**********

TGIF…Happy Friday….”Fridays with Felicia”…yea, yea, yea…let’s cut to the quick, ladies!

Today marks the grand opening of last call studio by Neiman Marcus in Paramus, New Jersey. Yesterday I had the opportunity to do a pre-grand opening press tour of the store and today I am back to share the “NEED TO KNOW”.

Unlike traditional last call by Neiman Marcus outlet stores (I have shopped the one at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, NJ for years), which offer high end fashions from previous seasons, last call studio by Neiman Marcus is unique in that the offerings are all current merchandise and perfectly on trend.

For example, during yesterday’s press tour I spied this gorgeous of-the-moment Alice+Olivia fur trend inspired cropped jacket on sale. Earlier this season I spotted the same jacket at Bloomingdale’s Short Hills and Bergdorf Goodman at full price.

At last call studio by Neiman Marcus, designer steals like the aforementioned are ripe for the picking. And speaking of “ripe picking” here are my tops “picks” from yesterday’s press tour:

BCBG Max Azria dress. $89, minus an additional 30% off = $62.30

BCBG Max Azria dress. $109, minus an additional 30% off = $76.30

I’m still deciding if this is going to be a dress or a top. For now, I just know that I lover her

A top I didn’t buy but truly adored. It’s a cropped number with shirt tail in the back. I am so all about the green/military influence this season!

While I’ll admit I did some serious damage all up and through last call studio, there’s still plenty left for YOU. In my opinion, the strength of the store is clearly the shoe department, which is huge and boasts brands like Charles Jourdan, Frye, Badgley Mischka, DianeVon Furstenberg, and more…

There is a modest children’s department. The sunglasses wall is fully stocked with brands like Ray Ban and Gucci. The jewelry counter has baubles galore. The men’s section includes the usual suspects, however I am most impressed with the well edited collection of smart, finely tailored jackets/blazers.  And how can we forget about handbags?…Ladies, you will go hog wild over the variety…fringe, texture, hardware - oh my!

Since this particular last call studio is in Paramus, NJ, this post is obviously geared to my NY/ NJ Frugalistas. The ride from NY is less than 30 minutes…and once you arrive at Bergen Town Center, you will find additional upscale outlet shops such as Nordstrom Rack, Century21 and Saks Off Fifth…so I say that to say - last call studio is definitely worth the trip!

For all of my Tweety Pies out there, for additional information, insight and twitpics from other bloggers who have taken the last call studio tour, check out the event hashtag. It’s #lastcallStudio. You will find a timeline filled with colorful pics, expert style tips, and more.

With the holiday season pretty much upon us, now is the perfect time to high tail it to last call studio by Neiman Marcus and take advantage of some pretty spectacular deals.

PS: For those of you not near a last call studio in NJ, MD, or TX..there’s always the website. www.lastcall.com

I love you all!

xoxoFelicia

Because I know you love the thrill of the sample sale as much as I do….

Who:               Rebecca Minkoff
What:              Fall 2010 Sample Sale
When:             Wednesday 11/17 thru Saturday 11/20 10am-7pm and Sunday 11/21 11am-5pm 
                     

Where:            93 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10012
Phone:            212-677-7829
Payment:        All major credit cards, cash, no checks and all sales are FINAL

New York Color (NYC) aims to take the guesswork out of flawless makeup application. Products like IndividualEyes shadow palettes are designed for specific eye colors and include a primer, illuminator and four expertly coordinated colors to intensify eye color. There are three shades available, Union Square for brown eyes, Bryant Park for blue eyes and Central Park for green eyes.

On a recent outing I decided to wear Union Square 9the palette for brown eyes). As I picked up the palette for my brown eyes, I remembered Miss ThisThatBeauty herself, Felicia, telling me that  NYC Moody Blue waterproof eyeliner pencil also works well for brown eyes, so, I decided to throw it in the mix.  I finished up the eye look with Maximum Boost Volumizing Mascara . The hardest part of the whole process was figuring out a way to get a good close up shot of my eye.  The complete look is shown below.

The pigment in IndividualEyes shadow is good, though not the creamiest powder shadow that I have used.  The primer does make the shadow more true to the color seen in the palette, so, I suggest you use it.  Shadows contain vitamin A & E and green tea extract to help nourish the delicate eye area.

The Moody Blue waterproof pencil will definitely be used again because it glides on effortlessly and the color is very vibrant. There are seven shades of waterproof eye pencils, I’m looking forward to trying the teal. The mascara did add a bit of volume to my lashes but didn’t experience the “maximum boost” as advertised. The Mascara is available in Black and Blackest Black and contains Pro-Vitamin B5, which is said to moisturize the lashes.

IndividualEyes is retail priced at $4.99. The waterproof eyeliners and Maximum Boost Volumizing Mascara retail for $3.99 each.

New York Color has a full line of cosmetics for face, eyes and lips.  They also have nail polishes and a line of beauty tools that include sponges, applicators and makeup brushes.  To learn more about the brand, their products and to get tips from their resident makeup artist, please visit New York Color website.

********************

This post is written by ThisThatBeauty Contributor, Christene Carr. For more: @CNicholaC,  www.christenecarr.com, and www.hairandskinjunc.com

I remember when I first saw E.L.F. Cosmetics on the shelf in Target. The price point of $1 (also known as one hundred brown pennies) led me to walk away from said product. One dollar makeup cannot be, as Martha would say, “a good thing”.

ThisThatBeauty Editor In Chief, Felicia, assigned me to cover ELF’s Fall 2010 and holiday collection launch. Recalling my earlier exposure to the one dollar brand at my local Tarjay, I eagerly (read sarcasm in “eagerly”) accepted the assignment. Thanks Felicia! However, my sarcasm regarding ELF pretty much ends here! At a recent press event I had the opportunity to go beyond the price tag (and beyond my personal snooty thoughts about one dollar makeup)….and boy was I surprised!

The holiday themed event was decked out with a white Christmas tree and the frozen hot chocolate flowed freely.

Andrea Dunaway, creative director at E.L.F., started off by giving a little background information on the company and the brand. E.L.F. was started by Joseph Shamah, who had the “belief that innovative technology, quality ingredients and superb delivery systems should not be limited to prestige retailers and every woman should have the opportunity to experience luxury cosmetics without sacrificing her budget.” This mantra, if you will, led to the one dollar price point. E.L.F. has a full line of cosmetics for eyes, lips face and more recently — a line of products for bath, body and nails.

Declaring that products are one dollar but then delivering a lackluster product would not be a very good business plan, so, I set out to test some of E.L.F’s signature one dollar products, as well as some of the other moderately priced cosmetics included in their 2010 Holiday and Fall collections.

Shimmer Pencil

My favorite thing about this pencil, apart from the $1 price tag, is that the sharpener is in the cap – a genius move. The pencil glided on effortlessly and added just the right amount of shimmer to make my eyes pop. After about two hours I had a bit of eyeliner migration, which led me to use a primer on my upper lid the next time I used the pencil. On my second application with the primer, the liner held up well and I even got a few compliments. Woot woot!

Natural Matte Shadow

The shadow comes as loose powder and has richer pigments than I expected for $3. I generally add primer to my lid before I apply loose eye shadow, I think that’s because when I first started using loose pigment shadows I got it everywhere. I used E.L.F’s eyeshadow brush for application and it worked really well. More details on the brushes below.

Holiday Collection Eyeshadow Palette

If you are a newbie to make-up and want to experiment without going broke, you can go bananas with E.L.F’s shadow palettes from their holiday collection. I tried several shades and I loved them, a few of my favorites are shown here.

Not all the colors are highly pigmented. Some will definitely require the use of primer and you may have to do some layering to get the desired result. The palettes come in three sizes:

• 100 piece ($10)
• 32 piece ($5)
• 6 piece ($3)

The best value is the 100 piece because you get each color for ten cents. How can you beat that?

Brushes

E.L.F’s brushes are made from synthetic fiber but they are extremely soft. They were designed and tested by professional makeup artists. While I have been into makeup for a long time, I never really got into using brushes (Editor butting in: Christene, how is this possible? You’re into makeup, but not brushes? Girl, we have to talk). I had one brush that I wiped and used for everything, except eyeshadow (Felicia again: I’m breaking out in hives editing this!). With E.L.F’s $30 holiday brush set, I get 11 brushes, one for every stage of my makeup application. The brushes come in a nifty waterproof case. My favorite so far is the powder brush. The set also includes a fan brush, angled foundation brush, and small smudge brush.

Nail Polish

The holiday nail polish collection is all about shimmer. The six shades, Metal Madness, Party Purple, Golden Goddess, Twinkle and Glitter Glam, all have glitter in them. I tried Twinkle on my bare nail as well as over another color. I liked it better when applied over another color. All nail polishes are $1.

Mini Palette

So, I saved the best from the holiday collection for last. If you have never tried E.L.F and you are curious about how far you can stretch your beauty buck and the quality of the products you can get for that dollar, the holiday Mini Palette is perfect for you. It includes eye shadows, blush, bronzer, lip gloss, brow powder, eyeshadow applicator, face brush and lip brush. This is also a great gift idea for someone who wants their “pretty” in sleek ultra-portable packaging. The palette retails for $15….a mere bag of shells (RIP Jackie Gleason)

Other Product Favorites

In the past I have tried a several drugstore mineral powders but that always seem to leave me looking a bit ashen or gray. I used E.L.F’s mineral booster and was in awe of the results. Coverage is minimal so it is perfect for application over my tinted moisturizer. It retails for $5 and is available at E.L.F. The lip glosses are great and they provide high gloss without being too heavy on the lips. I have oily skin and the shine eraser blotting sheets work well. According to the manufacturer they are also supposed to minimize pores, I did not notice any change in the size of my pores. Blotting sheets retail for $1.

Overall, I give E.L.F a passing grade. They offer a wide range of products and tools that are of good quality. If you try something and you don’t like it, chances are you will be out no more than a buck, plus tax.

**********

This post is written by ThisThatBeauty Contributor, Christene Carr. For more from Christene visit her blog www.christenecarr.com or her business website www.hairandskinjunc.com

Fridays with Felicia: An intimate look behind the curtain as I share my favorite style/ beauty discoveries and ThisThatBeauty shenanigans from previous week.

Happy Friday everyone! Do y’all mind if I kick off Fridays with Felicia with a little self-promotion? It’s all good?..well alrighty!

I would love to have your support in a really cool initiative that I’ve been asked to take part in. It’s called the Bright Young Things Style Challenge. I mentioned it earlier in the week (here’s the detailed post if you missed it) but wanted to make one final plea before the weekend

Along with several fashion bloggers, I was asked to style the same Little Black Dress using my own pieces as well as pieces from Cobblestones — a wonderful little vintage boutique in the East Village. While the Style Council will vote on their favorite take on the Little Black Dress, you “the people” get to vote on your favorite…sort of like the People’s Choice Award.

I think it’s pretty darn cool to see how we each brought our unique flair and inspiration to the same LBD. To vote for your favorite look (not saying it has to be my look but read between the lines…LOL)

Go to Bright Young Thing’s Facebook page

• “Like” the Bright Young Things Facebook page
• Then “Like” the post that features the Little Black Dress Style Challenger that you like the best….I’m hoping you’ll vote/”like” my look but the ladies all do an amazing job. You may vote/”like” more than one lady!
• The best part is that your vote/”like” earns you an entry into the contest to win your own LBD…How cool is that?

Well here’s the LBD, my looks, and a quick video that was shot while I played dress-up at Cobblestones Boutique in the East Village.

For the last week I’ve been testing out an eye liner that you all NEED to know about. If you like the look of liquid but hate the mess…or if you’re tired of your eye liner running all over the place, listen up because ThisThatBeauty’s got you covered.

Meet Pixie Endless Silky Eye Pen. The liner is actually a pencil so I’m not sure why it’s called “pen”…but let’s not lose sleep over that one girls! What matters most is that this hypo allergenic and paraben free eye liner lives up to its claim of long wear and budge proof perfection. I went so far as to sleep in the liner (a cardinal sin for moi…oh the things I do for TTB:)) and the liner was still in tact in the morning. I kid you not.

Finally, the intensity of a liquid in the form of a sharpen-able (did I just make up a word?) pencil. I did my trial run of Pixie Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black Noir, but I hear the liner also comes in stunning shades of teal, purple, and blue.

I did a couple of swatches. Check out the intensity of Black Noir.

Ladies, aren’t we always on the hunt for THE perfect rich black liner? Well my search stops at Pixie Endless Silky Pen.

********************

In recent years, salon quality treatments at-home have gained lots of momentum. More and more women are forgoing office visits for “similar” results at home. I for one haven’t been in for my usual silk peel in quite some time because I feel I am achieving comparable results at home with the use of various peels, exfoliants, lotions, and potions.

While office peels and special treatments can easily run $200+, similar at-home do-it-yourself options are usually a fraction of the price. Now at-home alternatives aren’t always as effective as the office service but most times (in my experience) the results are “similar”…and if you’re minding your P’s and Q’s (like me) you don’t really mind “similar” results. With regular continued use, I find that many at-home treatments deliver results that very closely mirror professional results.

If you are looking for an alternative to spending hundreds of dollars a month on professional micro dermabrasion treatments, consider Personal Microderm. The home microdermabrasion kit targets rough texture, sun damage, general skin buildup, etc. As someone who really invests in high quality serums and such, I am a firm believer that proper exfoliation is the key to your products working effectively and deeply penetrating your skin. If you frequently receive professional micro dermabrasion treatments, Personal Microderm can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the long run!

I like that the system is affordably priced under $200 and is easy to use. I constantly advocate for stepping up your anti-aging routine at an early age. I’ve been doing peels and regular exfoliation since I was 21. Now my advice is not to get overly aggressiveve, but gentle exfoliation, starting at maybe once a week is imperativeve for healthy glowing skin. Personal Microderm can help you get there!

********************

Let’s talk drugstore beauty. While I’ve never been able to resist the intoxicating call of the drugstore cosmetics aisle (I guess this sort of explains why I am a beauty writer and makeup artist) as of late, the drugstore is really putting it down and offering products that until recently mainly existed in high end department stores. While recently trolling cosmetics in my local WalMart, I spied lots and lots of products that are certainly taking their cues from high-end prestige lines. Naturally, with iPhone in hand, I thought this beauty observation would be perfect for Fridays with Felicia. So shall we?:

L’OREAL offers DE-CREASE, a priming base to be applied prior to eye shadow to help prevent shadow from creasing. Wow, remember when Urban Decay Primer Potion was the top dog in the eye shadow primer game? I wonder how DE-CREASE compares. Have any of you tried DE-CREASE? Leave a comment!

For reals???…Black Radiance makes a self adjusting lip gloss? I hope the folks at Smashbox aint mad. Black Radiance Perfect Tone is a dead wringer for Smashbox O-Gloss. *insert “wow” bob* Wow wOw Wow…

Is Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector the poor man’s YSL Touche eclat? Hmmm…

Almay offers a mascara that allows you to adjust and “dial up” the coverage. #FancyHuh

L’OREAL’s True Match Naturale line offers “expert” brushes to accompany their powders. I imagine that your every day consumer who’s clueless about brushes must really appreciate the added bonus.

For about $5, REVLON gives you the “Beyond Natural” lash collection with three different lashes to choose from and a lash glue with applicator.

The pigment on the new eye palettes from Physician’s Formula is quite intense. I think these are great for makeup newbies who want to experiment with color!

Lastly, since we’re on the topic of bargain shopping for makeup, I’ve got a special offer to share with you. Now through August 10 LORAC’s current “Sweet Steal” is the Perfectly Lit Luminizing Powder in SPOTLIGHT. Normally priced at $32 the “Sweet Steal” price is only $9 and is available exclusively at Sephora stores and Sephora.com. The luminizing powder gives the radiant lit from within look that we all desire. By optimizing the effect of the light to diminish imperfections, Perfectly Lit Luminizing Powder blurs imperfections and brightens complexion. I know you all love a great deal so I figured I would share!

xo, Felicia

Ever come across a product or idea that’s so brilliant you kick yourself for not thinking of it first? Well my thoughts exactly when I met the Yadi Moth, President and CEO of “Slip N Toss“.

Slip N Toss is a 100% biodegradable emergency sandal. Yadi came up with the idea to create Slip N Toss after a grueling night out with the girls:

“One night my girlfriend and I decided to go out dancing. As the night progressed, my girlfriend’s feet began to hurt so she decided to go barefoot…..that’s when I realized we needed something compact and disposable that we could carry for emergency situations. That’s how Slip N Toss was born”.

Thank you Yadi for creating Slip N Toss. My only gripe is that you did not create this effective sole saving solution sooner!

The compact sandals are tri-folded and shrink wrapped to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. You can toss Slip N Toss in your purse or makeup bag for easy access in the event of a shoe emergency situation. The clever little emergency sandal is made of nearly 75% organic matter, is available in men’s/women’s sizes, and comes in your choice of black, white, or brown.

Retail priced at just $3.99 a pair, Slip N Toss is a smart eco-friendly choice for bridal party favors. It’s also a thoughtful gift for jet-setting travelers because the sandal is compact and toss-able. For all of my fellow fashion and beauty bloggers out there, how perfect is Slip N Toss for running around the city all day from press event to press event?

Save your sole with Slip N Toss!