Welcome back to my series on recession-proof beauty. I've already written about how to keep your beauty spending under control, but if you want to get beauty products for free, there's another way: swap them. I know some of you are skeeved out by this idea, but if you follow a few guidelines, it's a great way to purge unused products from your stash and pick up a few goodies at the same time. The biggest community for doing so is Makeupalley, which has 236,830 items up for swap today. As you can imagine, you can find just about anything there, so I'll show you how to make the most of its enormous swapping opportunities.
The concept is pretty simple. After signing up for an account, you can list your unwanted beauty items for swap. Then you can browse the up-for-grabs swap lists of other members. When you see something you're interested in, contact the member to see if she's game for a swap. If it's a fit, you'll both ship out the goods and leave a "token" — similar to eBay's feedback forum — for each other.
Of course, there are a few etiquette and sanitation guidelines you should follow. To find out what they are, read more
Reader missy k is obsessed with finding a microdermabrasion treatment that will make skin, as she puts it, "as smooth as a shiny new egg." I was excited to hear about her experience with Kiehl's Re-Texturizing Microdermabrasion ($40). I'll turn it over to her for the full scoop:
Formulated with "diatomatious earth," which is apparently made from "crushed microshells derived from ocean sand," as well as aluminum oxide crystals (the stuff used by dermatologists to perform real microdermabrasion treatments). Over time, it tells me, it will reduce lines, refine texture, diminish pores, and instantly impart miraculous softness. Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before.
To see what missy k thought of the product, read more
It's official: bright, crazy nail colors are all the rage this season. While I'm having a lot of fun playing with these new shades, there is something to be said for the old standbys. And if any nail color is classic for this time of year, it's pink.
This week I want to know what you love for a beautiful pink nail polish. Do you go for pale, sheer, matte, bright flamingo pink, or all of the above? I love an electric pink shade, like this MAC Nail Lacquer ($10) in Steamy.
Share your choices by bookmarking items from around the web and tagging them with the phrase pink polish. I'll feature your favorites here next Tuesday.
To learn about Beauty Mark It challenges and how to add your picks, check out this how-to. To see some of my favorite online beauty stores, read more
I think it's high time that the men in our lives joined us on the organic and natural product bandwagon. That means I'd like to see less Gillette and more brands such as Herban Cowboy in guy's bathrooms.
The founders of Herban Cowboy started out a few years back with $1,000. Working out of a log cabin down a rural dirt road, they concocted their products from scratch. That salt-of-the-earth attitude resulted in an eco-friendly collection of grooming goods. The vegan line is certified organic, and their products are packaged in 100% recyclable materials.
Their carrot, cucumber, and shea butter After Shave Balm ($7.99) sounds positively heavenly, and I am thinking of picking up some of their aloe, lavender and peppermint Shaving Cream ($8.99) for myself. So whether it's for you or your man, I think we could all use a little cowboy in our lives.
Some perfume bottles are so graceful, so well-designed, that they're like tiny pieces of sculpture to display at your home. And then others, well, aren't. I've rounded up 33 of the ugliest, the silliest, and the all-around bad perfume containers. Be warned — Michael Jackson's holographic bottle is hardly the worst of the bunch.
Here's a little beauty news for today: Aussie supermodel Elle Macpherson will be the next global brand ambassador (a.k.a. spokeswoman) of Revlon. She'll be featured in advertising campaigns and will take part in Revlon-sponsored philanthropic women’s health events.
Elle will join the ranks of other famous Revlon faces, including Halle Berry, Jessica Alba and Kate Bosworth.
It seems like Elle is excited to be part of the company, at least in the press-release quote. To read what she has to say about her new gig, read more
The next time you're in Los Angeles and you're looking for a cute cropped cut, make an appointment with Christine Symonds. She's a stylist at the Warren-Tricomi salon, and she's a big proponent of short hair this season.
What's more, this up-and-coming stylist just finished two shows at Los Angeles Fashion Week: Maggie Barry and Lauren Conrad. (Check out the looks below.) This busy lass took a few moments to talk with me about hair trends and her work on America's Next Top Model makeovers, so read on!
What are some of the spring trends this year?
I'm seeing a lot of cropped pixie cuts — really short cuts. We saw it entering the style world in 2007 with the funky Agyness Deyn cut. I get at least one a day of someone wanting to chop their hair off. With longer hair, I'm seeing a lot heavy fringes, and something that's a little more daring is a short baby fringe. It takes a little more confidence to work, but it definitely makes for a stunning outcome.
For the full interview, read more
Robe Di Firenze
Issa
French Connection