It’s taken me many years to figure out that the right tools really do make applying makeup a snap. For the longest time I thought that any sort of brush will do to apply liquid or gel eyeliner. So I’d use the brush that came with the product, and it would be very difficult to apply eyeliner so that it looked flattering. In fact, I’d often give up on the product and write it off, when it wasn’t really the product that was bad, it was my application method and tools.

Well, one day, I found the Sonia Kashuk bent eyeliner brush. This thing is my HOLY GRAIL of eyeliner brushes. It makes applying an eyeliner easy! It doesn’t matter if it’s gel eyeliner, wet or dry eye shadows or minerals, liquid eyeliner, etc. it will help you apply a nice thin line that you can keep thin and subtle or thicken for a more dramatic look.

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Here is something beyond fabulous from Urban Decay, and this week Mythbuster Beauty is giving away two of them!  Urban Essentials contains three Urban Decay must-haves. . . . an exclusive, oversized bottle of the coveted Eyeshadow Primer Potion (60% more!) and TWO full sized Eyeshadows—Midnight Cowboy and Goddess.

Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion is a cult-favorite product that gives you vibrant eye shadow color that lasts all day – without creasing!   It’s brilliant and I couldn’t wear my eyeshadow any other way.  UD’s Primer Potion was a top ten favorite at MBB for 2007:  Top Ten of 2007: Urban Decay’s Eye Primer Potion.

The two full-size eyeshadows are in Goddess (midnight blue w/ lots of electric blue microglitter), and Midnight Cowboy (subtle golden-beige w/ gold glitter).  They look beautiful paired up together and even better when using UD’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion.  The Urban Essentials Set retails for $39.00. 

Official Rules:  To enter this giveaway enter your name and email address in the contest machine box below, and subscribe to Mythbuster Beauty at the sidebar Feedburner link.  One entry per person and the deadline is at 1 am (EST) Thursday, November 27th, 2008.  TWO winners will be chosen at random and will be announced on Mythbuster Beauty, PRIZEY.Fetch, and contacted via email.  MBB will not share your email address with anyone, and only uses your email address to contact you if you are a winner.  This giveaway is open to residents of the USA and Canada only.

Top 10 at Mythbuster Beauty

• Deep Conditioning: How to Feed your Hair
• Bare Escentuals VS. Drug Store brand Mineral Makeup
• Drug Store Mineral Makeup: Maybe Not So Good
• Wonderful Facial mask recipes: Kitchen Cupboard Beauty
• Unwanted Facial Hair: What’s a gal to do?
• Mythbuster Beauty Reviews Baby Quasar and Baby Blue
• Week 3 of Naturally Curly Hair: No Blow Frying
• Does your makeup make you look older?
• All About Retinoids: Considering Retin-A
• The 3 Week Curly Girl Challenge: 1st Commandment

What do you think? These are the 10 top statistical posts at Mythbuster Beauty. Do you have any favorites? Let me know and I can run yours in a reader’s choice favorite list!

BIG NEWS FLASH!  All fans or wanna-be fans of Urban Decay, now is your time to save 30%!

Now through 11.18.08 enter “FFH30″ at checkout to receive 30% off your entire order at Urban Decay!!!

Why did I not know this when I purchased “The Travel Set of FIVE - VIP” Urban Decay Glide-on 24/7 Eye pencils last week for $29 at Ulta!?  WHY!!!  This set would have cost me a mere $21.30 (significant savings) if I could only have waited.

And although my Sunday School teacher may disagree, “LUST” (an electric purple eyeliner) is sooooo worth it! 

If you need any Urban Decay advice or suggestions, we’d be happy to help.

Urban Decay Loves Purple, Do YOU? - some fantastic ways to go purple

FGW: Urban Decay has new stuff!! - the new Urban Decay that Mo is gushing about

How I love the smell and feel of handmade soaps, but from what I am learning, not all handmade soaps are created the same.  Soaps that add synthetic colors and fragrances might appeal to your senses, but can dry and irritate your skin.

But you don’t need to worry about those harsh additives with the products from Heirloom Soapworks.  Becky makes sure of it! 

Our all natural handmade soap is fragranced with only pure essential oils and herbs, and never colored. Their earthy, natural shades come from the same oils, unrefined butters and nutrients that soften and moisturize your skin.

I was fortunate enough to sample three of Heirloom soaps:  Lavender-Oatmeal, and two seasonal soaps Goat Milk - Fruitcake and Christmas Tree Soap.   I love the naturally scents of these soaps!  They lather and feel absolutely luscious on your skin.  Becky’s use of olive and saponified oils, shea butter and goat milk leave your skin feeling wonderfully clean and soft. 

All of these soaps are priced at $5.00 a bar.  Becky’s current promotion is “Buy 3 -get a terry-cloth Soap Saver FREE”  (that’s what she has been offering at craft fairs).  Customers can put their tiny “slivers” of soap into the pouch and use them up completely! 

And for some jinxy-bizarre reason, both Bionic Beauty and I both wrote up our reviews about Heirloom Soapworks on the same day!!!

In response to the post on the upcoming Sephora Friends and Family Event (Nov. 6-10th), Tracy wants to make sure we have our facts right.   Enter FF2008 for 20% off your entire purchase!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I went to the Westfield Valley Fair Sephora this morning, and the gals there told me the in-store promo is on the 17th only. They had no idea about the online promo. Anyone have any more info on this??”

Believe me, if someone has the facts correctly, it would be Tasha (a top reviewer at Megsmakeup.com)!  Tasha just sent this ad as well.  Seeing is believing!

“I did leave with only one lipstick, but two pages of stuff written down to order online for friends and family!!  (Which lipstick did you end up with?)  Any info on the following, Jen: (more…)

A sweet little bird (named Tasha) just informed me that the Sephora’s Friends and Family Discount offer starts this coming Thursday November 6th.  Now is your chance to purchase those items that you have been lusting after all year!

nov 6 till nov 10th
Enter code ff2008 @ checkout

The Friends and Family code at Sephora runs November 6th through the 10th, but possibly could be extended a few more days.  As Tasha put it, “I mean 4 days can’t possibly be enough…lol.”  No kidding Tasha, and thank you so much for both enabling the beauty addicts and stimulating the economy at the same time, LOL!  You are awesome.

This week we will be sure to post reminders of some of our favorite Sephora Exclusives that you might want to add to your list, like that Lash Stash Sampler, or the Scent Sampler, or that Laura Mercier Flawless Face Kit, or the Korres Sugar Plum Kit, or possibly some Caudalie skincare… I better stop right now!

Here is a list of some great beauty reads to start your November right: 

Monday’s Cut: David Beckham Shows His “Stuff” For Armani - A Girl’s Gotta Spy knows, who doesn’t appreciate a little eye candy?

THE BRAND SCENT SAMPLER! SATURDAYS AT SEPHORA! - Katie at Megsmakeup.com tells about Sephora’s compilation of fabulous scents in this year’s Scent Sampler for Her!  GO RED RAIDERS!

Jen Rocks Her “OBAMA mama” T-shirt in Sandy, UT! - Shameless self and Obama promotion here.  No matter who you support, VOTE this November 4th!!!

Julia Roberts has Pink Hair - A Mom in Red High Heels asks, “Would you color your hair at your child’s request?”

The Secrets to Aging Backwards - Bionic Beauty posts about Jackie Silver’s new book on what we can do to preserve our beauty as we age.

Aromaleigh’s New Collection: Bete Noire - DecoDiva writes about some completely cool, mult-faceted eye shadow shades from Aromaleigh.

Beauty Product Review: The Body Shop’s Nature’s Minerals - Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains gives the thumbs up for The Body Shop’s newly released mineral makeup line (and I agree)!

Moroccan Oil Daily Hair Treatment Review and Giveaway! - Daily Dose of Coffee is giving away the most incredible hair treatment and she claims that “MoroccanOil has managed to truly tame my frizz, make my coarse hair easier to work with, and get this: reduce the drying time on my hair.”  Enter asap!

Many thanks to all who supported and participated in the Total Beauty - Total Cure Campaign for BCA this month.  What an incredible group of people to work with.  We all can make a difference!

I idolize Ginger Rogers.  So this year I am attempting a Starlet look for Halloween.  I think I still need to kick it up a notch and possibly run to the store for some false eyelashes and a feather boa! 

Classic Starlet Features:  Precisely defined eye brows, flawless skin, dark matte lipstick, black mascara with dark top eyeliner, and beautiful cheekbones.  Its all about Glamour!

My Starlet Look:  Laura Mercier’s Bleu Marine Eye liner applied with a flat eyeliner brush, L’Oreal’s Telescopic Mascara in Black, Cargo’s blu-ray Pressed Powder (all over face and on eyelids), ECO Nvey Lipstick in Dark Ruby,  Anastasia’s All About Brows Kit, Sugar’s Blush and Bronzer duo (used extra bronzer in hollows of cheeks to emphasize cheekbones). (more…)

Is the No. 1 wash from Clinique? Neutrogena? Nope!  I am feeling some Mythbuster Beauty validation because several of my favorite picks for cleansers are on the Total Beauty reader’s best list such as, Suki’s *Lemongrass Cleanser, Caudalie’s Foaming Cleanser, and *Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple! 

(*Click on the links to read Mythbuster Beauty reviews!)

A cleanser is a cleanser, right? Don’t they all do the same job? Hardly. Our readers gave us their two cents about which cleansers made their faces squeaky clean — without leaving their skin feeling like the Sahara. What product was ranked No. 1 by TotalBeauty.com members? Read on to find out.

See cleansers