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!

It’s pretty well established that Marini Lash lives up to the hype. Just a few weeks to fuller, longer lashes the likes of which you never thought possible.  I’d love to show you pictures, but an annoying case of pinkeye (thanks to my children and their friends) has left my eyes in a sad state.  Suffice it to say, if you have the $125 and a few weeks, you’ll be very happy.

Now you can get the same thick, full Marini Lash results for your hair from Marini Hair revitalizing conditioner. After shampooing and conditioning as usual you spray sparingly to your roots and massage over your scalp. The initial result is immediate, tons of body and volume. I had a second bottle in my possession, so I did what any loving beauty blogger would do: I gave it to my awesome hairstylist so she could pass it on to her most worthy customer.  She chose a woman who is experiencing early thinning of her hair and who is desperately seeking help.  4 weeks later I returned for the verdict.  It was an overwhelming success!  My stylist was amazed with the results, honest to goodness thicker, healthier hair. According to my stylist, who is VERY good at what she does, the immediate results along with the long term benefits make this unlike any other hair rejuvenation product out there.

Such exclusivity and results come with a price.  That price happens to be $170.  Obviously it’s not just for your average Jane’s hair issues.  But for any woman, or man, experiencing problems with thinning or chemically damaged hair, it’s worth every penny.  Think of all the money you spend on specialized shampoos, conditioners, treatments, and styling products.  Once you add up the cost of all those items I think you’ll find that Marini Hair isn’t much more of an investment, while being much more effective. (more…)

Last week I received an email and in the subject line it read, “PLEASE HELP ME!”:

Hi Jen,

I really need some help and I was wondering if you could help me out. I have really REALLY thick curly hair. It’s longer than shoulder length (about half way down my chest). I am so sick of looking at my hair this way. I was never taught how to manage my hair properly because my mother has the exact opposite of what I have (so I blame my father for my torture. haha.) I’m so sick of looking at it that I want to cut….I want it all done. I want to do a short hair style but is there one that you would recommend? (pictures would be helpful so I can take it to a salon) Thanks so much for your time. - S

My first reaction is empathy, deep, sincere empathy.

Dear “S” you are not alone,

I just got your message and would love to help you.  Have you spent any time on the naturallycurly.com website?  If not, if you could go to the http://www.naturallycurly.com/hair-types page and tell me what kind of specific hair type you have.

I am a 3A, and it sounds like you might be a 3C or possibly a 4A.  There are a lot of wonderful techniques and products that I would love you to try.   If you can, visit your library and check out the book, “Curly Girl,” by Lorraine Massey, the curly girls BIBLE! (more…)

Now that title is a mouthful!  A weekend isn’t complete without mentioning some fabulous beauty reads from around the Internet:

• Products That Work For Every Woman! - Jami from Bionic Beauty shares her list of basic beauty items that are universally great for all women.
• Fall 2008 Trends: The Color Purple - Raging Rouge delves into several ways to go purple this season.
• Carnivore & Creme de Violet FOTD - Decorative Diva puts together another fabulous look using violet and wine red eye shadows.
• Apparently, Spoiled Pretty is a Snoozefest - I had to laugh reading this post.  Yeah Daneen, your totally rocking and wonderful beauty blog is a real snoozer! ;)
• Lash Stash is Back - Makeup Moxie reports that while the original Lash Stash had only seven mascaras, the new version now comes with ten mini mascaras for you to test out.  How awesome, I want!
• JESSICURL TOO SHEA CONDITIONER! HUMP DAY HAIR DAY! - My favorite group of beauty mavens at Megsmakeup.com test out Jessicurl, and guess what?  They love it!
• HOLIDAYS ARE HERE! SATURDAYS AT SEPHORA! - Kate at Megsamakeup.com talks about some amazing traincases filled with cosmetics that are being auctioned for charity.  Go check them out, and bid away.  
• Fitness Friday:  Don’t Skimp on Stretching - My favorite beauty gals from Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog discuss the benefits of stretching!   
• Comments for a Cure:  This weekend Only - Face Candy gives a touching tribute to her parents and supports BCA by contributing $4 for every comment made at this post!
• lancome oscillation mascara launches today! - Jenn and Christine at Beauty in Real Life review Lancome’s newly released vibrating mascara applicator.  Does it work and tips on how to use it.

Here are some new promotions just announced at my favorite naturally curly hair line, Jessicurl.  Because one of the curly hair commandments is to avoid blow-drying, her microfiber towels help speed up your air-drying and help style your hair as well (via plunking and scrunching).   For great curly hair styling tips be sure to watch Jess’ demonstration videos at the Jessicurl website!

• $3 off liters, all products and all scents
• $3 off the “towel combo,” a small microfiber towel for scrunching and a larger one for plunking (be sure to watch Jess’ demonstration videos if you don’t know what that means or if you just want to learn the best techniques for using Jessicurl products)
• 10% off full size collections (Rich, Light, and Try It All), and all body care products too!!

With each purchase, Jessicurl includes a very fun Jessicurl bumper sticker stating, “You have the right to remain curly!”  So Jess is asking her customers (like you Tracy) to participate by sending her a photo of your Jessicurl bumper sticker on your car, your school locker, or any other (legal!) place and in return she will send you back a discount code for 10% off a future order!   Not only that but in the next few weeks the Jessicurl site will unveil a new photo gallery page to show these pictures off.   She asks us to please only send pictures that you would be OK having publicly posted (and they will blur or black out license plate numbers).  Send your photo to customerservice@jessicurl.com with “Bumper Sticker Photo” in the subject line.

You do have the right to remain curly!

Today is not only the first official day of the fall season; today is International Curly Day!
[You Tube]

Watch this International Curly Day video and head on over to the Naturally Curly website for great ways to celebrate our curls today and everyday!

One nice way to celebrate is by getting 10% off CurlMart purchases now through September 25th! Use coupon code ICD08.

To use a highly abused political term, I’ve been flip-flopping on my curly hair products lately.   I am a big fan of the DevaCare line and just had a curly cut a few weeks ago.   But the other day, I noticed that my hair just wasn’t performing well and I decided to revert back to my good ol’ Jessicurl line.  In response to some Rockin’ Ringlets and Confident Coils Styling Solution, my hair behaved beautifully yesterday.  My waves felt soft, not weighed down and without frizz, even on a windy September afternoon.  Oh Jessicurl, how I love thee!

FYI, Jess released some new specials today on the Jessicurl site:

10% off on both products when purchasing 8oz, Liters, or Gallons of Gentle Lather Shampoo and Aloeba Daily Conditioner together here.  You don’t even have to get the same size or scent for both products, just a few extra clicks in the shopping cart “configurator” to pick the details and make your combo.

For the big spenders, $5 flat rate shipping for orders of $100 or more or free shipping for orders of $200 or more.  Discount applies to product purchase amount only, and excludes tax and shipping.

Trial Collections, Rich and Light, both still 10% off. Each pack contains six trial size products, a great gift for the curlies in your life, and also a great way to travel with your favorite Jessicurl products.

And many good hair wishes to you!

Prompted by a Bionic Beauty post last week called, “What makeup are you wearing today?”  I was also inspired by DecoDiva’s great going out post and pics last week on her blogsite.  I wanted to ask MBB readers a similar question.  When you go out for the evening, how do you “kick it up a notch?”

Evening makeup deserves a more intense lip color, a richly pigmented black mascara, and some fabulous glow.   On a recent evening out with my hubby, I went with a bolder berry look, inspired by two of Urban Decay’s new lip products, their 24/7 Lip Pencil and Lipstick. 

• Hair:  Jessicurl’s Aloeba Daily Conditioner, Rockin’ Ringlets Styling Potion, and Confident Coils Styling Solution, set with hair clips, scrunched with a microfiber towel and allowed to air dry.
• Skin prep:  SK1N Probiotics Daily Moisturizing Cream
• Anastasia’s All About Brows Kit:  Defines and tames my brows
• Prescriptives Flawless Skin Foundation in Rose, applied with a foundation brush and fingers
• Laura Mercier Eyeliner in Bleu Marine, appliled with flat eyeliner brush
• Profaces mineral eyeshadow in a rosy gold glimmer
• Sugar’s Bronzer/Blush Duo, blush on apples of cheeks and bronzer around face and jawline
• Alison Raffaele’s True Concealer
• Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in Wicked, creamy and lasts, truly lives up to its glide on name.
• Urban Decay’s Lipstick in Hotpants, luxuriously creamy and beautiful medium pink shade.
• Napoleon Perdis, Long Black Mascara, one coat
• Light dusting of Aromaleigh’s Illuminator Finishing Powder, a translucent, sheer loose mineral cosmetic powder, that contains reflective minerals to give your skin a radiant appearance.  Apply on brow bones, above cheeks and lightly around forehead, chin, and decollete.
• Finish by lightly tapping around face with soft clean towel to set in makeup (tip from Alyson Hoag, makeup artist at Authentic Beauty).

Guest Review: Marco Pelusi Anti-Frizz Leave-In Conditioner Rated 9.5 by TotalBeauty.com Editor Charli Schuler It’s easy to see why Marco Color Anti-Frizz Leave-In Conditioner with Collagen Color Guard is hairstylist Marco Pelusi’s signature product. Just one or two pumps miraculously detangle knots and tame frizz on all hair types. …More

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17 Hairstyles That Take Less Than 10 Minutes Up ‘dos mere mortals like us can actually replicate at home With a few (and only a few) key products and styling tools, you can quickly give yourself a salon-worthy ‘do. And hey, if you hate it, try a different one — at least you haven’t blown 60 bucks and a hour of precious time on it. …More

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