Clinique Celebrates Fashion’s Night Out

WHO: Clinique and Milly designer Michelle Smith.

WHEN: Fashion’s Night Out: Thursday, September 10, 2009; 5pm – 7pm.

WHERE: The Clinique Counter on the main cosmetic floor at Bloomingdale’s 59th Street in New York City.

WHAT: To celebrate Milly for Clinique, a chic, one-of-a-kind, makeup bag exclusively at Bloomingdale’s, and in honor of Fashion’s Night Out, Clinique and designer Michelle Smith will co-host an exclusive cocktail party for fashionistas, Fashion Week adorers and VIPs.

Attendees can sip champagne while Clinique Consultants pamper them with “Milly for Clinique” makeovers featuring the must-have items found in the Milly for Clinique bag, admire Milly’s newest fall looks on models, chat one-on-one with Michelle Smith and have the designer autograph their very own Milly for Clinique bag.

Accented in signature “Milly Pink,” the Milly for Clinique makeup bag houses Clinique’s Fall Beauty Essentials and is available at Bloomingdale’s counters nationwide and at Bloomingdales.com with any purchase of $25 or more from September 2nd through September 20th.*

WHY: In an effort to promote retail, restore consumer confidence and celebrate fashion, Vogue, CFDA, NYC & Company and the City of New York, have teamed up with retailers and brands across New York City to extend their hours and provide customers with unique shopping experiences on Fashion’s Night Out, September 10th.

To learn more about Fashion’s Night Out, including a FULL listing of all the amazing fashion and beauty events happening, check out www.fashionsnightout.com.

Steamy Summer Beauty: Clinique

Gals, it’s Skin Cancer Awareness Month, so I simply must do my beauty blogging duty and remind you to always wear SPF.  That said, I love a nice bronze glow as much as the next girl so let me introduce you to the perfect solution: Clinique’s new Almost Bronzer SPF 15 ($28.50)

Available in two shades: Light/Medium and Medium/Deep, each compact packs two shades of subtle bronzer that can be blended or used separately. These babies also do double duty as eye shadows in a pinch, so don’t be afraid to multi-task.

And of course, with a product like this that incorporates SPF, you get the benefit of a beautiful sunkissed look without the danger of skin damage or worse, melanoma.

Snag your very own Almost Bronzer at www.clinique.com.

Makeup Minute How To:Natural Looking Makeup

While bright shades come in and out of style, celebrity makeup artist Elke Von Freudenberg says, “The trend is all about skin this year- and making it look as flawless as possible with the least amount of makeup.” Easier said than done, right? Not if you work from these simple steps!

1. “Use a tinted moisturizer to even out the skin tone. Put concealer on any areas that need extra coverage and under the eye. Sweep just a little bit of loose powder over the face, ” says Jody Cohen, makeup artist and founder of Cosmoholic Cosmetics.
2. Curl your lashes and apply 1-2 coats of brown or black mascara (I like Clinique Naturally Glossy for relaxed day looks.)
3. “Pick your eye/lip/cheek colors to be in the same family range, but with a lighter/medium/darker version of the same shade,” says Elke.  She recommends putting the darkest of the three on your favorite feature (for me, that would be my eyes) and then working your way down to cheeks and lips. For shades that might work, think peach, sand and caramel.

Voila – polished and pretty but without a hint of high-maintenance. Share your natural makeup tips in the comments below!

Go, Go Lash Power!

If you’re still building a makeup wardrobe or looking to freshen up your essentials, Clinique’s new Lash Power Set may be for you.

Packed into one neat and tidy clear makeup bag is All About Eyes (Clinique’s classic eye cream, super light in texture but moisturizing), Lash Power Mascara in Black and a dual-ended Cream Shaper for Eyes in Chocolate Luster and Cocoa Shimmer. In short, all of the essentials that you need for a clean and classic eye look.

Best of all, the Lash Power Set is just $18.50! To snag your own, visit www.sephora.com.

Image via Sephora.

Best Unknown Makeup Finds That Won’t Kill Your Budget

Have you heard the word Recessionista? It’s being bandied about these days as so many of us try to keep up with our beauty habits without breaking the bank.

Recessionistas are those resourceful ladies who refuse to let the failing economy interfere with their fabulous looks. They’re bargain hunters, they’re repurposers and they’re all-around smart cookies who keep themselves looking hotter than hot, even on a budget.

Thankfully there are plenty of great cosmetics companies offering fantastic beauty finds to all of us Recessionistas, and I’m thrilled to share some of them with you here. Take a look at where you can get the most bang for your beauty buck:

e.l.f. cosmetics – This generation’s answer to the 1980’s Wet ‘n Wild phenomenon, e.l.f. (which stands for Eyes, Lips, Face), is a bargain hunters dream. Here you can find entire collections for a fraction of the cost of a traditional makeup counter’s offerings. The e.l.f. site often features comparisons of their collection versus lines like Clinique at huge savings. It’s fun just to hop on and see what is available and how happy your pocketbook will be with the savings!

Furthermore, many of e.l.f.’s choices (single products, not kits) run around a buck a piece – seriously, that’s it. They often run lots of sales (be sure to get on their email list) and offer free shipping with orders over $75. Fantastic!

Drugstore.com – If you don’t visit Drugstore.com on a regular basis, you are definitely missing out.

Chock full of beauty bargains, Drugstore.com has everything from the latest and greatest offerings to the oldies and goodies. You’ll find greatly reduced prices on the very things you’ll find at online sites as well as big box retailers like Target and Wal-Mart. They also have shipping specials and other assorted offers here and there.

Mineral Makeup – Looking to save some cash, yet score quality products? Of course you are! In that case, I urge you to look no further than mineral makeup, the hottest trend in cosmetics. Nearly every single line offers some type of mineral choices, including bronzers, foundations, powders, eye and cheek colors and more.

The benefits of mineral makeup are endless. They’re naturally great for your skin and provide just the right amount coverage without a plastered-on feel.

Perhaps the greatest benefit, however, is that mineral makeup is generally found in loose form and very little of it is needed in order to deliver the results you’re looking for. Once you become used to applying minerals, you’ll soon find how much money (and time!) you can save by using these awesome products. And as I said, nearly every single cosmetics line on the planet now offers some mineral products, so finding what you need in any price range should definitely not leave you hard-pressed.

These are just a few ways to get your beauty fix without breaking the bank. Do you have any other ideas? If so, please share. And be assured, any time I come across a product I think will make your wallet sing, I’ll be sure to share it. Until then, give these tips a try.

Happy Budget Hunting!

This post brought to you by redtagcrazy.com where you’ll find one sought-after fashion label at a time up to 80% off. Get an instant $5 to spend on anything you want courtesy of Makeup Minute.

Macy’s Friends & Family Discount

I was just in Macy’s tonight browsing the various cosmetics counters…and while I was there I picked up an awesome blouse on sale for 50% off!

Macy’s is having a great Friend’s and Family Discount of 20% off December 10th-15th–just in time for the Holidays. :)

 If you click on the image, it will come up as a coupon you can print out for the store or use the code for shopping online.

Macy’s carries some great cosmetics lines like: MAC, Origins, Dior, Clinique, Elizabeth Arden, Chanel, Benefit, Shiseido and Prescriptives.

Happy saving!

5 Wedding Day Makeup Mistakes

We’ve all been there, either as the bride ourselves or attending the wedding of someone we know—the makeup the bride wears on her wedding day is something that has great importance and needs to be considered with caution. I can’t begin to tell you how many weddings I have gone to where the bride thought she was going to the club rather than getting ready to recite her vows. Do you know what I mean?

So here are a few things to stay away from lest you consider them wedding day makeup mistakes:

1: Stay away from bold eye shadows. Now is not the time to experiment. Maybe you’re having a holiday wedding and think silver and gold may be appropriate, but let’s leave that to holiday ornaments. Or those trendy new colors from your favorite cosmetics company are all the rage, but save them for another day. Keep your eye shadow simple, clean and neutral toned.

2. Avoid shimmery blushes. Sure they’re pretty, but you want the focus to be on your dress that you mortgaged your left leg for not the glistening at the apples of your cheeks. Keep your blush more natural looking and matte.

3. Don’t try to match your foundation yourself. There is nothing worse than watching a Morticia look a like walk down the aisle or even worse, someone looking like a Sunkist with that foundation line at their neck. Find a local makeup artist at a trusted salon or department store counter (Prescriptives, Clinique, MAC, Benefit, etc.) weeks in advance and have them match the correct foundation to your skin tone. Take them up on that free makeover to make sure you are comfortable with how it looks.

4. Avoid trendy lip colors. Sure that MAC Dazzle Glass in Comet Blue looks amazing any other day of the week, but your wedding is not the time to make the statement that you are indeed the trendsetter that you are. Stick with a simple lip color, matte or dewy, that is a complement to your eyeshadow and blush to complete your overall look.

5. Do not wear mascara that is not waterproof. This should be common sense and the most obvious, but how many brides have you seen with that black trail of mascara tears? I know it’s difficult to part with your Elizabeth Arden Double Density Mascara, as amazing as it is, but opt for waterproof mascara to avoid the biggest makeup mistake of all.

Do you have another wedding day makeup tip? Share them along with any wedding day makeup disasters you have witnessed yourself in the comments!

*Photo Credit: Sephora

Clinique’s Modern Matte Look For Fall

The matte look is a dream come true for girls like me with super shiny skin. Clinique’s look for fall is titled, “Modern Matte,” and the look couldn’t be more retro classic beauty.

Not only is the skin matte with this look, but it spans eyes, cheeks and lips as well.

Products used for this model include:

Colour Surge Eye Shadow Stay Matte in Stone Violet and Slate
High Impact Mascara in Black
Blushwear Cream Stick in Shy Blush
Defining Lip Liner in Sugared Fig
High Impact Lip Colour SPF 15 in Plum Nude

This makeup look is one that would fit into the fall fashion trend of American Classic. In fact, this look will definitely fall in line with the Belted Dress in Spanish Brown that I bought from Isaac Mizrahi at Target the other day. Classic beauty always wins in my book.

*Photo Credit: Clinique

Best of the Web Weekly Links

A Girl’s Gotta Spa! continues with over $5300 of giveaways this month!
Check out upcoming giveaways from Prescriptives, Clinique, Redken and Victoria’s Secret Beauty!

Couture in the City: Surprising Scent: Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Lotus
Looking for a surprising and fresh scent for this summer? Then look no further…Elizabeth Arden recently introduced their new fragrance, Green Tea Lotus, a light and airy scent that is perfect for warm weather.

LA Sports Club is Kid Friendly!
Now you can work out and let your toddler play, worry free! Even sign them up for music, crafts of the tot gym —-while you get your work out.

Stylenotes: What’s in Our Wardrobe this Summer
The stylenotes staff dishes on what we’re wearing this season, while offering up several affordable options for each trend.

Who Do You Aspire to Be?
Discover how to become the person you wish to be.

Over $5300 in Giveaways in July

Ladies, I’m so excited because my other beauty blog, A Girl’s Gotta Spa! just launched on its own domain with a kick butt new look thanks to Leslie at Swank Web Style.

So to celebrate I am having a giveaway a day this month and the total value of the prizes combined are over $5300! So today I gave away 5 Sanctuary Spa Weekend Pamper Bags and on July 2nd will be the complete makeup brush collection from Urban Apothecary.

Other fab makeup brands giving away prizes this month are: Prescriptives, Clinique, Elizabeth Arden, Mineralistic, Sexy Cosmetics and Jelly Pong Pong. The month is filled with great products to pamper yourself with the grand giveaway being a 5 day 4 night stay at the magnificient Spa Uno located in the rain forest of Costa Rica.

So what are you waiting for? Pop on over to A Girl’s Gotta Spa!, check in everyday to enter to win and have a fantastic July!

(And yes international readers, there are even a few giveaways that you can enter for too!)

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