Beauty | vmac+cheese

Fire Engine Red

Posted on February 14, 2012 by vmacandcheese

No matter who you are or your relationship status, there’s no better day to sport a fiery red lipstick than Valentine’s Day. I’m often timid when it comes to sultry red lips, because, let’s be honest, they can be a bit of an attention grabber, and sometimes, they remind me of my childhood dance recital days. But V Day? Totally. Anyone can pull them off! I think I’ll even wear some around the house today, just because. (And as an aside: I also find it fascinating to examine lipstick packaging. Don’t you?)

Do you have a red lipstick shade you swear by?

Filed under: Beauty | Tagged: beauty, lipstick, red | 18 Comments »

They’re real, bombshell

Posted on February 13, 2012 by vmacandcheese

One of the most fun things about sharing a room with Chelsea and Molly last month was getting to see what products everyone obsesses over. A new find I brought with me to the conference was Benefit’s They’re Real mascara. I’d heard lots of hype about this stuff, and after using it for a few weeks, I’m really loving it! At first, I wasn’t sure if I would, because to be honest, the wand bristles are so thick, you have to be careful or otherwise the formula will clump on your lashes. However, after playing around with how I apply it, I’m clump free and notice a huge difference before I apply the mascara versus after. They’re Real is great if you’re looking for thick, voluminous lashes. I like it better than CoverGirl’s Lash Blast, which is what I was using before. $12 more? Well, good point. Ask me in another month or two.

The biggest hit with us girls was Molly’s Bombshell curling iron. You might’ve seen me mention it last week on Liz’s Blogger Crushes post, but let me reiterate: this thing is amazing. I’d only ever used a regular curling iron to add waves to my hair, but after seeing how the Bombshell worked its magic on all of us, I’m saving my pennies for one! I don’t know how it does it — is it the high heat? the fact that it’s ceramic? — but this sucker will give you UNBELIEVABLE curls that will last even after sleeping on them. I curled my hair with it Wednesday night, and even by Thursday evening, still had great waves. Chelsea and Molly both did too! Chelsea and I each looked at our hair and were like, “Wow.” Molly, knowingly, just said, “You’ve been Bombshelled.”

{Image Credits: Cosmopolitan Greece; Gisele Bundchen for Vogue Mexico, 2010. Shot by Nino Muñoz, styled by Sarah Gore-Reeves. Via They Envy}

Filed under: Beauty | Tagged: beauty, curling iron, hair, makeup, mascara, Sephora | 27 Comments »

Andalou Naturals Skincare Giveaway!!

Posted on January 5, 2012 by vmacandcheese

Of course I love doing giveaways for you guys, but today I’m DOUBLY excited because these products are something I use on the regular (like, everyday), and I’m stoked to be able to share them with you!

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you may remember that since last spring, I’ve slowly converted nearly all of my beauty products to those that are formulated without the use of parabens, pthlates, and other unnecessary chemical junk. I’ve seen such an amazing difference in my skin, so much so that I no longer wear foundation or powder! That’s right. Only a dab of concealer (a natural one, of course), and I’m good to go.

Part of the secret of course is a great skin care program. And lately, Andalou Naturals has played a huge role in that. I use their Probiotic +C Renewal Cream, which uses apple and grape fruit stem cell cultures and hyaluronic acid to deliver smooth, perfectly moisturized skin. It soaks in SUPER fast, with no gross greasy, oily feeling. Plus, I like that it’s easy to find at my local Whole Foods.

Once they heard about how much I was digging their stuff, Andalou Naturals was kind enough to send me their Luminous Eye Serum. It’s been a lifesaver given some long nights and the fact that I’m in my late 20s and my skin just isn’t what it used to be. The extra bit of under eye moisture has really helped with lines! I also got to sample their brand new Grapefruit +C exfoliating peel, which had me a little nervous at first. Mention the word ‘peel’ to me, and I somehow always envision that episode of Sex and the City where Samantha has a chemical peel gone awry. I had zero reason to worry though. The peel soaks into your skin, and after 10 minutes and a rinse, you’re left with soft skin that for me, seems to make moisturizer work better! It’s gentle enough that you can use it up to 3 times per week.

Andalou is a fantastic company that uses all fair-trade ingredients, with a minimum of 70% organic content. Additionally, for every single sale of their products or newsletter subscriptions, Andalou donates $1 to one of four charitable organizations! And of course, none of their products are ever tested on animals. Beauty you can actually feel good about? I’m so down.

So today, I’m sharing the love with you guys. Andalou has been kind enough to offer one reader a full-size Probiotic +C Renewal Cream and the Grapefruit +C exfoliating peel to try — probably before the latter even hits stores! These two are sure to help perk up your winter skin routine.

Want in on the free beauty goodies? Here’s how to enter (up to six times!)

1. Leave a comment below. Whatever you want to say!
2. Like Andalou Naturals on Facebook and comment telling me you did so (or do already)
3. Like vmac+cheese on Facebook and comment telling me you did so (or do already)
4. Follow Andalou Naturals on Twitter and comment telling me you did so (or do already)
5. Follow me on Twitter and comment telling me you did so (or do already)
6. Sign up for Andalou Natural’s exclusive newsletter on their website or via Facebook. Remember, for every sign up, they donate $1 to one of four amazing organizations!

And that’s it. Enter once, enter six times, it’s up to you! The giveaway will stay open through next Friday, January 13, and a winner will be announced the following week. Good luck!!

The full disclosure part: all opinions are my own. Samples and prize provided gratis by a very generous Andalou Naturals. Yes, I really like and use their products.

Filed under: Beauty, Blogging, Giveaway | 117 Comments »

I fell in love…

Posted on January 2, 2012 by vmacandcheese

…with an eyelash curler.

Prior to NYE, I popped into Sephora to pick up a few little false lashes (as I mentioned in this guest post on Viviana’s blog Fashion Truffles last week (I can’t believe I forgot to mention it!), NYE has historically been the only day I will bust out the falsies). I’d been in desperate need of a new eyelash curler too, and decided to check out Molly and Sally’s recommendation of the Tarte version.

I was so surprised to find that this baby was only $15, AND it came with a deluxe sample of Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara. Score!

I’ve been using it for the last few days and while it took a minute to get used to the handle design, I love that you only have to press on your lashes once to get a nice curl — no need to press along the length of the hairs! The only other lash curlers I’ve ever used were from drug stores (I’ve never gotten my hands on one of the famed Shu Uemura’s), so I don’t have much to compare it to…but I like it! No, scratch that, I love it. Because my other curler was in sad, sad disrepair. Slash, kept pinching my lids. Ouch!

What do you swear by to get your lashes looking lovely?

Filed under: Beauty | 11 Comments »

New obsession: Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum

Posted on November 3, 2011 by vmacandcheese

New favorite product alert! Last week, a sweet reader named Aeshna recommended that I try a moisturizer from the Juice Beauty collection. I’ve been wanting to try Juice products forever — I’ve heard all kinds of amazing things, and have eyed them a few times at Sephora, but never bit the bullet.

Then, last weekend, I spotted a big collection of Juice goodies at my local Whole Foods. While I wasn’t looking for a moisturizer, one thing did catch my eye — the antioxidant serum. I am such a sucker for “in-between” products like this (that is, you typically use them in between cleansing and moisturizing) because they can add that extra little jolt to get your skin looking super good.

I’ve been using the serum since Sunday, both in the morning and in the evening and I’m in LOVE. The product smells fruity and well, juicy, but without being too sweet and cloying, and it has no added fragrances. It has hyaluronic acid in it (which I’ve talked about over here), along with lots of organic oils and extracts to give your skin a huge dose of antioxidants. The texture is thin, but not so thin that it runs everywhere. While it feels a bit sticky going on, the serum soaks in almost immediately. I’d say it’s less than a minute between application and being ready to add moisturizer.

And the results? Smooth, firm skin that glows. I’ve noticed my skin has held moisture better throughout the day too. Each bottle will set you back about $45, but quite honestly, you only need a couple drops to cover your entire face, so it should last a while. Double that if you decide to only use it once a day.

You can get it here or here, or at Whole Foods, too. Juice also makes a soothing serum for sensitive skin, and a blemish clearing serum for troubled skin. Check them out — maybe they’ll be just the thing for you.