I wrote the featured article…so now aren’t you intrigued to go check it out? :)

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My uber talented friend, Billy B , is currently traveling the states doing his American Beauty Tour; I’ve watched his blog as he appeals for people to apply to be a model at each of his tour stops (which people happily clammer for). So imagine his surprise when he gets a call at midnight from the Production Assistant from American Idol claiming that Paula Abdul wants to be his model for his Atlanta event. Was he speechless…yes–and I think he still is (and my gawd, I would be too–I love Paula!)

Paula Abdul flew into Atlanta for auditions for American Idol when she picked up the Atlanta Peach and read a blurb about Billy being in Atlanta at the same time for The American Beauty Tour. She has long been a fan of his and has always wanted to work with him, so she decided …this was her in.

With everything squared away, Paula snuck in while everyone was seated and Billy gave the opening piece of his presentation. He then introduced his model to the group of attendees and when Paula appeared, “Everyone’s mouthes hit the floor.” When I asked him what kind of model Paula was Billy told me, “She was great! She asked questions, engaged the audience; she even posed for photos.”

Billy has a really important stop on his tour coming up. On November 4th he and Ruth Roche will be teaming up to do both makeup and hair at his New Orleans stop of his tour. Both the seminar itself and the cocktail party that evening will benefit Hairdressers Unlocking Hope a Vidal Sassoon and BehindtheChair.com initiative with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Habitat For Humanity. The money being raised that day will be put towards rebuilding an entire neighborhood in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Billy’s & Ruth’s seminar is from 1:30-4:30pm; the cost is $145. The cocktail party (and seminar) will take place at the W French Quarter. The cocktail party cost is $145 and dress is…”fabulously casual or casually fabulous” as The Powder Group’s Michael DeVellis told me today. The Powder Group is the organization producing and organizing The American Beauty Tour, as well as this fabulous charity event. The Powder Group artists are also the creatives behind the artwork done on the bodies of the people in the photographs on the Hairdressers Unlocking Hope website.

While Billy and Ruth are Pro’s, the event is open to absolutely everyone–and believe me, Billy is so super fab, you will want to meet him in person. (I know I can’t wait for the day when I finally do!) At the event you’ll also be able to purchase the entire set of Billy B Paintbrushes I have raved about at a great discount!

Please head over to The Powder Group’s website to see complete details about this event. Can’t make it to the event itself? Consider making a direct donation to Hairdressers Unlocking Hope.

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I’ve written up my adventures on A Girl’s Gotta Spa:

My Jay Manuel sighting

I met Phillip Bloch & Robert Verdi

The gang’s all here–big meet up with my fellow beauty bloggers

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The Splendicity contest for today, September 4th:

To enter to win an official Splendicity T-Shirt, a one year subscription to VOGUE Magazine, and a $25 Gift Card to shopbop.com, you must do the following:

*Visit 5 Splendid Member blogs, post a comment saying hello. You can also view the Splendicity member list right at the homepage: Splendicity.com
*Go back to Splendicity.com and report the Splendid Member blogs that you commented on in today’s Splendicity blog contest post.

All readers that complete the process are entered into the drawing to win today’s prize.

Be sure to check back here each and every day for the rest of September to enter to win some splendid prizes – over $2000 worth!

*Contest only open to US and Canadian residents.

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For me, the best part of being a member of Splendicity, is the fact that I have been a reader of most of the member blogs for a long while prior to them joining Splendicity–but now I get to interact with them behind the scenes, and I’ve got to tell you–these girls are the bees knees!

So I hope you’ll stop by for the launch and I sure hope you participate in the contests and win some pretty cool products! (But I can’t tell you what–you have to find out for yourself! :) )

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I cannot tell you how excited I was to receive the full set of billy b’s Paint Brushes in the mail yesterday—sooooo excited! Not just because they came from the grand master of all things beauty, but because I am a big pathetic loser when it comes to makeup brushes and I have never splurged on really good ones. Why? Honestly, I thought all makeup brushes were the same. Obviously (since yesterday) I have realized how absolutely wrong I was.

For makeup brushes I had only been using a blush brush, foundation brush, one eyeshadow brush and another to put on mineral powder as eyeliner. It’s sad but true…I’ve had the same brushes for years and years and they probably cost me less than $10 (ie. cheap and cheesy).

Let me first say that I gently laid them all out on my bathroom countertop. My 5 year old was watching me and asked, and I’m not kidding, “Mommy? Are those paint brushes?” I then realized how aptly named these brushes were.

What I loved about them:

* Professional looking
* High quality
* Lightweight
* The hairs are soft as silk
* Deposited foundation powder, mineral concealer and blush on my skin uniformly

I have to say that the way these brushes laid out the powder on my skin was what made all the difference in the world in the way my makeup looked. With the brush I had used before, it would always deposit more powder in some places than others, even if I tapped the brush upside down to avoid this. billy’s brushes held onto the powder, yet dispersed it evenly as I swirled the brush across my skin. My old brush also “clogged” up its hairs with powder, so that when you felt the brush hairs, they felt thick and coarse. billy’s didn’t do this at all, in fact, you can’t even tell that I have been using them for two days–as there is no trace of powder foundation, concealer, blush or eyeshadow.

I feel so spoiled having so many brushes to use now, but if there is one must-have brush in the bunch it is “three,” which is a powder/blush paint brush. I’m telling you, when your powder falls on your face the right way–it makes such a huge difference in your appearance.

There are 13 brushes in the collection for $249 or you can buy them individually–but I promise you, once you buy one, you really will want to buy them all.

Have you splurged and bought any of them yet? If you have, let me know what you think of them!

billybbeauty.com

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For me, primers are the least understood makeup product from my side of the mirror. So I decided to reach out to my friend (can I say that?) billy b and find out his theory on primers. I thought, if everyone is doing it–what am I doing wrong?

I was surprised to find out that billy doesn’t understand the fuss over primers either and doesn’t use them! Since many liquid foundations contain silicone (which are what primers are), he wonders why go through the trouble of putting anything extra on your face? (That’s what I thought too!) Billy uses liquid foundation as his primer, especially on the eyes to help the eyeshadow adhere and go on smooth.

I just about smacked myself in the forehead because this is how I have been doing my makeup all along.

I know there are many staunch supports for using primers and I’m sure there has to be many feeling the way I do. So I want to hear from you–are you for using primers (and which do you use) or do you only use foundation like billy (and myself) do?

Ps. If you are new here–make sure to check out my fab interview with billy b by clicking here.

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She also just launched a new blog on b5 called Style It Less, so go check her out!

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The Harbor Beauty Bar carries many brands we beauty addicts know and love like Clinique, Clarins, Bliss, Fekkai, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Dior, Gucci and several others. Gail also told me they are in the process of adding products from Aramis, Donna Karna, DKNY, Michael Kors, Lab Series and many others.

Can’t make it to Maine (which has some awesome skiing at Sunday River and the wonderful CAT to Nova Scotia)? You can shop the Harbor Beauty Bar online.

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