Bit By the Beauty Bug

Within the span of about 2 short weeks, several new mascaras have hit beauty counters and shelves. These new innovative, fluttering wands are causing quite the buzz and vibration in the beauty world…literally. Here’s the breakdown:

Givenchy’s Phenomen’ Eyes Mascara - Even though it’s not polite to stare, in some cases you just have to. This new Sephora exclusive is one of those cases. Looking a bit like a mascara inspired by Pinhead from Hellraiser, it’s giving mascara a new face and starting from scratch. Those little spike/Koosh ball type things are designed to grip lashes at the root. The Beauty Bug hasn’t had the opportunity to try this mascara out yet, but Cavewoman from Blogdorf Goodman has. The entire review is a must read - she says “In less than one minute I saw every lash on my eye beautifully and evenly coated with mascara, bottom lashes too, invisible lashes I did not know I had, all coated and glossy and thickened and lengthened and even curled!”

Givenchy’s Phenomen’ Eyes Mascara is available exclusively at Sephora for $27.

Estee Lauder’s TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara - This brand-spanking new “performance mascara” is now available Saks Fith Avenue as of today. It talks a big game too, promising a “lash revolution.” The advantage of the micropulsing wand? It claims to combs through lashes quickly and more effecitvely. Housed in a flashy blue and gold striped tube, the vibrating LashSonic brush is automatically activated when the cap is unscrewed, releasing the gel formula. The Beauty Bug will have Her hands on one of these very soon. The anticipation is killing Her!

TurboLash is available now at Saks Fifth Avenue Estee Lauder counter and online for $30.

Ôscillation by Lancome - One day only! Get it while you can! Limited Edition! While supplies last! Be the first! Yes ladies, Lancome is pulling out all the one-liners to call attention to their new vibrating mascara that offers 7,000 micro-oscillations per minute. Do the math and that’s 116.67 micro-oscillations per second. Ridic. Famed Beauty Editor Jean Godfrey-June predicts that women everywhere will be throwing away their lash curlers after they try this, and Andrea, beauty colunmist from Glamour agrees. That’s a pretty bold statement.

If you want this, you really do have to act fast. This new power mascara will only be available on Lancome.com, Sephora.com, and at several Lancome counters. To see if your city is ones, click here. Once again, Boston gets no love. If your city isn’t one of the lucky ones, get those mice clicking at 9AM sharp - it’s ok if you’re a little late to work.

Ôscillation by Lancome retails for $34.

So, are you buying into the vibration frenzy, or have you mastered your own battery-free application technique?

On another note, who wants to bet that The Beauty Bug pokes Herself in the eye one of the first times She uses it?

The Beauty Bug left for Saint Maarten with China Glaze’s Flying Dragon on Her toes - toes that The Beauty Bug Fiancee said “Prince would like”. Yes, The Beauty Bug is a big Prince fan, but no, She wasn’t trying to channel him.

She wanted to love the color, but instead She really just loved the idea of it - a deep purple with red and blue glitter. It didn’t wear particularly well, and after just a few days, was very lackluster and worn looking - almost as if there was no top coat applied at all. That combined with Her ragged beach feet, and She was in dire need of all pedicure.

So, let the beauty rehabilitation begin!

Barely off the plane and still in vacation mode, She chose Essie’s Bermuda Shorts for Her toes. Described as a high voltage violet, the polish is part of Essie Neons Collection - a collection that The Beauty Bug was already familiar with.

In an attempt to keep her toes on an extended vacation, She had her manicurist add a small tropical flower as a finishing touch. Now, every time The Beauty Bug looks down at Her feet, smiles and thinks of drinking piña coladas poolside.

While both the flower and the color are not the typical The Beauty Bug style, She must admit that it’s quite charming and perfect for the summer.

…back from vacation, and is ready for Her beauty rehabilitation to begin.

Vacations make us all lazy and cause us to change our normal routines - beauty regimens included. During Her vacation in Saint Maarten, The Beauty Bug occasionally went to bed with Her makeup on (shudder) because She was just so lazy, went to bed without any moisturizer on even though She could see that Her poor over-sunscreened face was parched, and washed and dried Her hair several times a day (never a good idea) after going to the beach or pool. Not to mention, Her manicure was severely chipping, and Her feet were offensively ragged even though She had just had a pedicure.

In the coming week, She’ll chronicle Her rehabilitation and review a new Aveda Hair Masque that She hopes will repair Her hair, try Bioelements Kerafole Deep Exfoliating Mask, and get a much needed manicure and pedicure with a new summer color.

All the Beauty Bug can say ladies is, beware! Don’t let a vacation beauty relapse happen to you!

In the meantime, enjoy these lovely photos from The Beauty Bug’s vacation!

The Beauty Bug should have told you this before, but it just crept up on Her. She’s currently on vacation in St. Maarten. She hoped to get some posts up for you while She was here, but the beach and the piña coladas have distracted Her. Her apologies - She’ll be back up and running soon!

It’s always a good day when The Beauty Bug gets to visit Boston’s best makeup artist, Dani Wagener. Everyone remembers the first time The Beauty Bug met with her to learn about The Rebirth Collection - The Beauty Bug’s lashes and eye makeup were out of control gorgeous. On the agenda this time around was the new limited edition Boutique Birthday Collection that marks the 25th anniversary of the first Shu Uemura Beauty Boutique in Tokyo.

Dani chose the Fleur De Rose palette and got to work on The Beauty Bug’s eyes. This is the most natural, yet sophisticated palette from the collection. The creamy shadows are a blender’s dream! She first applied the dark brown shadow up to the crease, followed by the lightest (almost white color) on the brow bone as a highlighter. Next, Dani used the new limited edition shimmer liquid eyeliner under The Beauty Bug’s lash line. A bit about this product; simply put - it’s amazing! It’s so smooth and sheen. Dani worked out the thick formula on her hand before applying, and it glided on beautifully.

Back to the eyeshadow, Dani chose the shimmery purple/gray color applied it to the crease, expanding a bit across the lid, and blended it out. For all those hazel-eyed ladies, this will bring out the green in your eyes. With this, she created the perfect summer smoky eye - not too heavy, but still very alluring with a lot of depth and color. Lastly, she applied the golden color on the brow bone, and brought it down a bit into the crease to polish the eye.

While the photos below don’t even come close to capturing the intense color, you get an idea of Dani’s look.

Moving on to the face, Dani used one of The Beauty Bug’s favorite products for the summer, the UV Under Base SPF 10. It’s a lightweight mousse primer that keeps skin and pores nice and smooth, and provides and instant cooling effect when applied. Next was the Face Architect Foundation - another lightweight product that’s great for the summer. After a touch of bronzing powder (in light of course), and the Rouge Unlimited Gloss Shine (which The Beauty Bug already gushed over) in 755, She was ready for Her close-up. Before leaving the boutique, Dani even gave Her a preview on Shu’s fall collection which is jaw-droppingly stunning.

Get the Boutique Birthday Collection palettes and shimmer liquid liner at any Shu Uemura Boutique or counter before they’re sold out!

The Beauty Bug already told you about Her yellow toenails.

She knew they were different, but it’s just nail polish, right? It’s not like a bad hair cut that has to grow out - it’s just nail polish. But, She didn’t think that She’d be getting so many obvious stares on the train, on elevators, etc. Just today she got in the elevator only to have a gentleman remark to Her, “Weren’t we in the elevator yesterday together? I remember your toes.” The Beauty Bug flashed a half smile, and noted that they are hard to forget. The man added that he liked the color for summer and that he only changes his polish in the fall. The Beauty Bug, again, half smiled and said, “At least you’re consistent.” Longest. Elevator. Ride. Ever.

The Beauty Bug’s day job and Her site/obsession for beauty products rarely ever intersect - most of the time, it’s just better that way.

Well, there’s a first time for everything…

Yesterday, while enjoying a leisurely Sunday afternoon with The Beauty Bug Fiance, She received an email from Her boss. The subject line read: “Do you remember?”

The email read:

“…the name of the hotel we stayed at in LA recently, or even better, did you happen to grab the shampoo/conditioner/hair finisher foil package that was in amenities basket??”

The Beauty Bug’s boss then went on to explain that she finally used the hair finisher yesterday en route to the beach and it “REALLY worked” on her hair, which she admits that she sometimes refers to as “her straw.” She confesses that she “LOVED” the product, but couldn’t remember the name. She did remember that it had “weatherized” in the name, and was ready to call the hotel to inquire if The Beauty Bug didn’t know.

The Beauty Bug loves a good challenge - but She read the email and scratched Her head for a few reasons. One, because the bathroom is the first place She heads in a hotel room to check out the goodies, and She didn’t remember any foil packages or a finisher product. Moreover, She remembers using the shampoo and conditioner left in the bathroom, and they were nothing special. And two, because She had no idea Her boss was into products! For this hard-to-impress woman to be willing to call the hotel to ask what the product was, it must have worked hair miracles.

After a few more emails back and forth and two phone calls to the hotel, The Beauty Bug’s boss determined that her savior product was John Frieda’s Weather Works Weather-Proofing Style Sealant Creme - she apparently had gotten her hotels mixed up. Never having tried the product Herself, The Beauty Bug was curious, but almost already sold because her boss is a tough critic.

The Beauty Bug’s boss arrived at their weekly meeting with a bottle for The Beauty Bug to try. She then went on to gush to the entire department about this special “goop” that she used while at the beach; explaining that she applied the sealant, put her hair in a pony tail and hit the beach. Right before bed time, she took her hair out the pony time, and it was “as smooth as silk” and unaffected by the salty beach hair or humidity.

The Beauty Bug will be hitting the beach Herself next week in St. Maarten, so She will gladly put the sealant to the test and report back.

Remember, as The Beauty Bug’s boss told her, “It’s all about the amenities!”

John Frieda’s Weather Works Weather-Proofing Style Sealant Creme is available at drugstores nationwide for $5.99.

It should be noted that The Beauty Bug’s boss knows nothing about Her site, Her love for beauty products, or even that The Beauty Bug exists.

That’s what The Beauty Bug will be doing this Sunday -care to join Her?

This Sunday, June 13th, from 10AM-4PM at the SoWa Market on 540 Harrison Ave in Boston’s South End, Physician’s Formula will be there sampling coupons and products from their new Organic Wear line. Organic Wear is the first brand - prestige or mass - to bring certified organic makeup to consumers.

So essentially, Physician’s Formula is the Amelia Earhart or the Susan B Anthony of the beauty industry. This is huge ladies! The certification is actually EcoCert - a certification out of France - and Physicians Formula is the first US brand to attain it. The products are 100% free of parabens, GMO’s (genetically modified organism), synthetic fragrances, preservatives and synthetic colors.

To celebrate this landmark launch, the brand is teaming up with well-known organic farmer’s markets across the country to educate consumers about this good-for-you makeup.

The Beauty Bug is excited to organify Her makeup and learn more about this line and the concept behind it.

Remember, if you get lost…look for the model in the head-to-toe leaf suit!

The cardinal rule when it comes to summer makeup - put the powder away until at least September. Don’t even be tempted to apply a light dusting because you’ll just sweat it off. Not even for touch-ups! But… trust The Beauty Bug when She tells you that once you try The SPF 18 Fluid Tint by La Mer, you’ll forget about powder all together.

The Beauty Bug best describes the glow that you get from using this product as something She likes to call “I just walked off the set of magazine shoot in South Beach ON the beach.” You know what She means - that healthy, sun-kissed sheen that’s synonymous with summer. It’s just perfectly dewy and smooth.

The formula is a combination of La Mer’s famous moisturizing Crème de la Mer with sunscreen and a subtle tint. Available in three natural shades - light, medium, and dark - the tint is very lightweight, yet provides nice coverage. The unique radiant finish that makes this product a stand-out one results from the light-reflecting tourmaline (a crystal mineral) and Brazilian Malachite.

The Beauty Bug pairs The Tint with MAC’s Spaced Out Sheertone Shimmer Blush - it gives Her face that perfect amount of color without looking artificially tan or bronzed.

The final word - this tinted moisturizer borders on perfection. The Beauty Bug says borders because The SPF Fluid Tint retails for $65. Yes, it’s a splurge, but one that’s well worth it. The Beauty Bug plans to repurchase The Tint once Her stash is depleted - $65 isn’t going to stop Her from that fresh, natural glow.

The SPF 18 Fluid Tint 1.7oz is available at select Saks Fifth Avenue stores, Neiman Marcus stores, Bergdorf Goodman stores, and at www.lamer.com.

SPF 18 Fluid Tint not in your budget? The Beauty Bug recommends Jane Iredale Dream Tint SPF 15 that retails for $36.

It’s often said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Well…if that’s true, then DazzleGlass, meet Lipnotic Gem Gloss.

If the expression rings true then DazzleGlass should be blushing from the compliments.

Let us look at the facts - DazzleGlass hit MAC counters first, and it really was the first product of its kind. Beauty addicts everywhere, including The Beauty Bug, could hardly wait to get their hands on the shiny tubes of gloss that promised glitter AND glamor - often a tough combination to pull off. Offered in 16 colors, these babies warned wearers to “smile with caution.” And then, just like all of the other sought after limited edition MAC products, DazzleGlass was sold out in the blink of an eye, and MAC evangelists scooped up as many tubes as possible, before mourning the loss of a never to be forgotten gloss.

Sally Hansen’s Lipnotic Gem Gloss is new to drugstore shelves this month and has been introduced as the clear, yet sparkley, underdog. And by clear, the Beauty Bug means both evident, AND see-thru. Available in 10 shades, it too promises multi-dimensional shine. The language surrounding the product is the same, (”gleaming”, “semi-precious shine”) the tube is nearly identical, and the feel of the products in your hands is the same - but unfortunately, that’s as far as the similarities go.

The Beauty Bug has worn each one of the five Lipnotic Gem Glosses that She’s received - Lavish, Bling Bling, Bejeweled, Treasure, and Pleasure - and was unable to distinguish which color was which once She applied them to Her lips. Each wore like a clear, sparkley gloss with little to no pigment or color. She even tried applying several coats, hoping to achieve the vibrant color that DazzleGlass offers, but it just wasn’t happening. The consistency wasn’t as big of a miss as the color was - Lipnotic is just a little less thick and a little less sticky.

So, imitation? No, not really. But it was a good, solid try. If you’re looking for a new gloss with a hint of sparkle and a half a hint of color, Lipnotic is an affordable choice. It does deliver on the shine factor, but not the make-your-lips-twinkle-like-stars-factor, like DazzleGlass does - that indescribable oomph, that certain je ne sais quoi. As of now, DazzleGlass remains untouched.

Salley Hansen Lipnotic Gem Gloss is available at drugstores for $6.95.

MAC Dazzle Glass is currently sold out.