Smooth as a baby's....

Lips! Smooth as a baby's lips people. Take your minds off bottoms. This is a beauty blog and I'm not in the business of showing off derrieres. However, like all of us my lips are on show daily and sometimes especially during the cooler months they can look less than stellar. Once the dry, arctic temps roll in so do dry, cracked lips. Not cute.

Luckily, I happened upon Maybelline's newest lippie, Baby Lips. Once I got past the cutesy name I realized this balm is jam-packed full of good-for-your-lips ingredients. All of which are aimed at helping restore lip's moisture along with repairing fine lines and coloration resulting in lips as smooth as a, er, baby.

I picked one up in Quench (a clear balm). It smells faintly of Fruity Pebbles and tastes nice as well. The slick balm comes in another clear choice with a peppermint flavor, and four colors. I wouldn't say the moisturizing power is a full 8 hours as it states but it did last significantly longer than other balms I've used and it hydrates immediately.

I don't typically like a lot of color from balms, so I'll probably only try the other clear one, but these are definitely worth checking out. Check out how Maybelline makeup artist Charlotte Willer used Baby Lips on the runway here.

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

As you know from my last post, I love the sleek look of straight hair. Let's be honest, we all love it. But even with straightened strands I need to have volume and texture. I don't want my hair to look flat and limp. I also like to get several days out of my straight style. So what's a girl to do? Second-day-hair is great for adding texture but tends to make my hair flat on top and without washing it can get a little icky.

Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray is perhaps the best styling product I've come across in a while. It's like dry shampoo and hair spray had a perfect styling baby. This hybrid is not really a dry shampoo or a hair spray but has all the benefits of both and none of the drawbacks. The polymers take away any oil like a dry shampoo would but this is not powdery at all, leaving no tell-tale white patches. And it adds texture and volume like a hair spray would but without stickiness or crunchiness. And it gives a bit of hold and tons of movement.

How could this possibly get any better? The smell is ridiculously good and lasts well into the next day so it's perfect for after-work cocktails. It's a little pricey but just a small amount of this fine mist goes a loooong way.

Living Proof helps you play it straight

It's been well over a decade that I've been fighting my natural curls and waves. With the years, my methods have grown with the technology offered. Gone are my days of dragging a clamped curling iron over my hair to flatten it, as are the days of using an actual iron (hello fire hazard). Now I have sleek flat irons and a multitude of creams, lotions and potions to transform me from curly to straight.

Admittedly, I should not be so hell-bent on forcing my curls into pin-straight perfection but the grass is always greener, right? And when a shiny, new product is sitting right in the display as I enter the store, what am I going to do? I have to at least check it out.

I enjoy the Living Proof line. I have used their wave/curl shaping cream-which is awesome and doesn't make your hair crunchy. Recently, they introduced their Straight Spray. It called out to me instantly. I wasn't ready to commit to the gigantic bottle, so luckily they have a mini (not so mini price though) that I could try out. I wanted to love this spray but I'm only in like with it.

It for sure protects from heat damage which is a mega-bonus for someone like me that tortures my poor strands with volcanic temperatures. It also does help to extend your heat styling, and works on both wet and dry hair. But is it just me, or should straight spray help to, um, straighten your hair? This is did not do. At least not for me. To be fair, I have really high, almost unattainable expectations when it comes to straightening products. I want something that does all the work for me and unfortunately outside of getting all formaldehyde-y, technology is not there yet.

Application is crazy easy but I highly recommend spraying in a well-ventilated area to avoid tasting the spray for the next 10 minutes. The smell is amazing and even better the next day when it's reactivated with heat tools. Overall, I really like this so I will continue to use it until someone makes a spray that's quite simply straight hair in a can.

Fashion Week LIVE

This season, Maybelline and Youtube are bringing NY Fashion Week to the masses- live.

No matter where you are, you can watch the runways by going to http://www.youtube.com/user/LiveRunway.

I'll be watching for the latest in hair and makeup....okay, the clothes too.

They're Real!

Oh yeah, those babies are real! My lashes are looking super-fab lately due to Benefit's They're Real! Mascara. I have pretty long, full lashes but they lack definition and curl without mascara. I'm always looking for something that can enhance what I've got but also provide some assistance in the areas my natural lashes are lagging.

The brush is key, it's longer than most mascara wands. And the bristles, wow! The short, stiff spikes grab and evenly distribute color to every single lash- even those little teeny-tiny ones on the inner corners. I noticed immediate definition of my lashes. I have long lashes, but this mascara curled them to perfection.

I used two coats here and I think that was more than enough for me, but if you want you can layer more without getting spider lashes. And it lasts FOREVER; when I washed my face after work I had to scrub to get it off. I would recommend a gentle eye makeup remover unless you want mascara bags under your eyes the next morning. Trust me, it's not pretty. I'm really happy with this mascara. And yes: you will definitely get asked if "They're Real."

Dr. Jart's Water Fuse Beauty Balm

I have heard quite a few things about BB (Beauty Balm) Creams. And only just recently. I, in no way, claim to be an expert on this particular product. These are incredibly popular in Asia and have just reached stateside.

On my trips to Sephora I ignored these. I simply was not interested. I try to be very careful about what I put on my face as of late. I tend to break out using anything new, especially heavy face creams, foundations, etc. But on an excursion a couple of weeks ago, I picked up a tube of the Dr. Jart's Water Fuse BB cream. I was intrigued. I put some on my hand and was treated to a delightful cooling sensation. I thought about it for a moment and decided it would be a good summertime experiment.

I tried it out before reading the reviews online, much like I would prefer to read a book before seeing the movie. I want to decide for myself. And there is a mixed basket of reviews out there. There are some who say this is not like a BB Cream at all and you'll likely be disappointed, and others who rave they won't use anything else. So which side do I fall on? I have to say- so far- I like it.

I think, overall, this product is pretty amazing. It's incredibly hydrating and gives me a dewy glow I haven't had in years. You can see water droplets form on your skin as you apply it. It has sunscreen built in, which is great for my forgetfulness. Honestly, without built-in SPF, I'm walking out the door without sun protection a majority of the time (cue the collective gasp). I know. The color, while great for me, I doubt is universal. I'm pretty pasty, I'm not copy-paper white, but I am pale. This works for me, so I do not see it working for (lucky) olive-skinned ladies. My main complaint is the lack of coverage. I would say this is, at best, medium coverage. I even want to say it's on the low-end of medium coverage. I do have a few lingering spots that this cream does not cover. I still need concealer. Bear in mind, I typically use concealer with a regular foundation. And after a full day, my forehead was slightly shiny, not dewy and glowing. Easily remedied with a blotting paper.

Having never used a BB Cream, Dr. Jart's Water Fuse was just shy of perfection. Had I used something with better coverage providing similar benefits, I may have been a bit let down. So should you buy this one? I can't say it's for everyone. If you need minor coverage and just want something to even skin tone and provide you with a gorgeous glow, go for it. If you need heavy coverage, maybe skip this one unless it's summer and you're looking for something lighter.