Beauty Trends

When I taught English in Korea in 2008/2009, one of my favorite parts about the culture was, naturally, the beauty world. I discovered all sorts of weird and never-before-used products, such as essence masks and yes, the now popular BB cream. I didn’t know what a BB cream was at the time and the language barrier made my attempts at finding out futile. And, since they hadn’t become all the rage yet over in the USA, I had poor luck finding any information online.

Anyway, within the past year or so, I started hearing the newest beauty buzz word, BB cream, and my eyes lit up. Turns out, BB creams (beauty, or blemish, balm) are kind of awesome.

	What are BB Creams?BB creams are, essentially, a primer-meets-foundation-meets-anti-aging-meets acne treatment. Many are slightly tinted and provide sheer coverage, but they can also go on underneath your makeup if you want additional coverage. At their core BB creams are tinted moisturizers, but they’re much more than that. In addition to evening out skin tone, you’ll find that BB creams help clear up acne, reduce pore size and give you that glowy, youthful sheen.
	How to Apply BB CreamsApply BB creams just like you would a primer or tinted moisturizer. Squeeze a small amount onto fingertips and then massage evenly into skin. Alternatively, use a makeup sponge.
	Where to Buy BB CreamsGood news, ladies. The BB cream craze has made them far easier to find these days. While they used to be sold almost exclusively by Korean beauty brands, you can now find them in most department and drugstores. That’s right, BB creams at drug store prices.

Have you already tried a BB cream? If so, what was the product and would you recommend it again? Share your reviews and thoughts in the comment section below.
By Wendy Rose Gould

Every woman wants to look glamorous and the center of attention. This Spring why not try some of these fabulous beauty tips to take your look up a notch? Before you know it you’ll not only be turning heads but breaking necks!

Glam Beauty Secret #1 False Lashes Beautiful lush lashes are essential to achieving a glamorous look but unfortunately not all of us have been blessed with them. however, thanks to false lashes we can all get the doe eyed look for less than five dollars. Choose Ardelle brand lashes and Duo surgical grade glue as they are top of the line brands that makeup artists swear by. If you want more semi-permanent results try eyelash extensions, they are basically single lashes placed on by a very strong glue. And if you’d like to go all the way try a prescription lash growth serum such as Revitalash or Latisse, both stimulate your natural lashes and make them grow longer naturally.

Glam Beauty Secret #2 Colored Contacts Colored contacts have been a favorite of actresses and they are a tiny way to change your look dramatically. If you ever dreamed of having bright blue eyes, sultry brown eyes, or any other color for that matter then contacts are a really fun way to totally change your look fast and easily. Go with Freshlooks Color Blends as they look super natural and are ultra comfortable. Most colored contacts are disposable and shouldn’t be worn for more than one month.

Glam Beauty Secret # 3 Hair Extensions Everyone is getting hair extensions now as it is the latest craze in Hollywood. Not only is long hair feminine but it is also slimming. There are many hair extension options out there depending on how much you would like to shell out for long luscious locks and also how permanent you’d like them to be. If you are looking for something basic that you can just clip on for special events then you should definitely try Jessica Simpson’s line of clip-in hair extensions. They are extremely affordable and look very realistic. If you’d like something more permanent then go with Platinum Seamless extensions which are the Rolls Royce of extensions. Platinum seamless extensions are applied directly to your aural hair and are virtual unnoticeable. Most high end salons are trained int his new procedure so call your stylist.

Glam beauty Secret # 4 The Manicure that lasts and lasts Perfectly groomed nails are a must for every glamour girl but it’s so hard to keep a perfectly polished manicure due to chips form everyday life. Now OPI has solved that problem for us with their cool new UV gel manicures that let for two weeks onwards and for pedicures the results are even longer, sometimes lasting a full month. Instead of applying nail polish a colored gel is applied to your nails and then heated by a UV lamp adhering the color to your nails safely. These gel manicures are a great option if you are extremely busy and can’t get to the salon every week or even if you’re just going on vacation where there last thing you’d like to focus on is you wrecked manicure. Most salons have this service and it can cost anywhere from $25-50.00 for a UV gel manicure and $35-65 for a UV gel pedicure.

Millissa Mathai

New York Fashion week was spectacular and filled with fabulous fashion but what really stood out the most were the amazing makeup looks. We’ve picked our favorite beauty looks form the New York catwalks and have included insider tips on how to create them yourself. Here are our three favorite Fall 2011 beauty trends. (Photos Courtesy Of Beauty Press)

60’s Mod Inspired Hair and Makeup Sixties hair and makeup is making a huge comeback. New York based Designer, Anna Sui complimented her bohemian inspired Fall 2011 collection with gorgeous mod makeup and big, fabulous hair. To get this look makeup artist Pat McGrath for Covergirl traced a bold dark line into the crease of the eye and applied white liner to the nine bottom lids for a wide-awake look. She kept the lips nude and glossy while splashing the cheeks with a soft touch of blush. Hair stylist Garren for Rene Furterer created sexy big hair by teasing the back of the crown for added volume. The overall look played homage to the sex-kittens of the sixties. This look is easy to achieve and great for everyday wear.

Old Hollywood Glamour The 40’s Hollywood glamour look will never go out of style and it has been reinvented for Fall 2011. Design house Badgley Mischka showcased stunning hair and makeup inspired by the screen sirens. Tom Pecheux for MAC cosmetics used black and silver metallic shades on the eyes and defined the eyebrows on the models. He then contoured their cheeks with a bronzer and topped it all off with a light red lipstick. Instead of applying red lipstick directly from the tube simply pat it on gently for a flushed look that is wearable for everyday. Hairstylist Peter Gray For Moroccanoil recreated the old Hollywood feel with beautiful french twists and chignons with deep-side parts. This look is great for holiday parties and dinner dates.

Au Natural Neutral makeup is hot for Spring and will still be trendy come fall. Stick to a natural color palate of gold, nudes, and corals. Jenny Packham’s runway show featured models with beautiful romantic and neutral makeup. Talia Shobrook for Temptu frosted the eyelids in metallic gold eyeshadow and swept the cheeks with a warm peachy blush. She completed the look by applying a gorgeous coral lip-color. Hair stylist Leonardo Mannetti of Community NYC for L’Oreal created long flowy waves to complete the goddess-like look. Try this makeup look for the weekend and brunch with the girls.

Millissa Mathai

At the end of the year, there are all kind of round-ups and lists. This is based on an article published in WWD under the title “Breakthrough Product of the Year”, that lists the most meaningful innovations in the realm of beauty. As always, WWD breaks down the results in two major categories – Prestige and Mass. And we will do the same, starting this week with the first category. Side note, we strongly believe that the line between these two categories is getting increasingly blurry, as there are no significant differentiations in price, benefit and presentation between the two.

PRESTIGE

Makeup
Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colour
The full-coverage formula, available in 30 shades (each named after a part of Coco Chanel’s life) delivered as both hydration and long wear. Chanel is expecting the Rouge Coco to become an “iconic new makeup pillar”. And the sales so far seem to confirm their expectations.

Skin Care
Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector
Powered by three patented repair enzymes encapsulated in a liposome-delivery system, Repairwear Laser Focus ties into a growing trend of products providing similar results to dermatologist procedures – an area that Clinique began pursuing last year with its best-selling “Even Better Skin Tone Corrector”.

Hair Care
L’Oréal Professionnel Inoa
No Ammonia professional hair color? L’Oreal is celebrating their anniversary with another technological break-through: the first professional ammonia-free hair color that lightens up to three levels, covers gray and has true-to-tone color results.

Fragrance
Womanity by Thierry Mugler
The scent juxtaposes sweet (think fruit) and savory (caviar). In a recurring theme, structure is provided by the woodsy elements. The linchpin of Womanity, according to Clarins executives, is the evolving quest of women to express themselves and their ideas.