Beauty of a Site Blog

With your vacation planned, your clothes picked out and a beach in Hawaii awaiting your arrival, only one obstacle remains: packing.  Like all of us, you just don't know how you're going to get everything you need for your trip in one suitcase.  Especially with airline regulations about number of bags, size of bags and size of toiletries, packing is truly becoming an art! Because you want to look good on your vacation, investing in quality toiletries in airline and travel ready sizes is essential.  The week that you plan on taking two hundred pictures is NOT the week to be depending upon some hotel travel shampoo, nor is it the week to pack less clothes just to fit in your full-sized salon products. So, to help a sista out, here are a couple of excellent travel sets to make your travel plans WAY easier: For Your Hair: The Blow to Go Travel Kit.  Including four products specifically designed for heat styling, of the highest salon quality, this convenient kit is packaged in 2 oz airplane ready bottles, even packed in a small, clear plastic bag.  Did we mention how CUTE this thing is!? ($28) For Your Skin: Juara Glow on the Go Travel Kit. Also in travel sizes (all under 2 oz), and packaged in a clear plastic bag, the Glow to Go Kit addresses all of your toiletry needs, including facial cleanser, facial mask, hydrating toner, moisturizer and body balm.  In lovely packaging and suitcase-friendly sizes.($36) Cosmetics: Bella Il Fiore Face Palettes.  MakeUp doesn't travel well, but vacation is not the time to be skimping on quality cosmetics.  Take care of the space and travel issues with a multi-use color palette, including beautiful colors and a range of texture and formulas to accommodate eyes, lips and cheeks in one small palette.  Beautifully packaged and expertly coordinated. ($20)

Does this happen to you? Do the warm summer months wreak havoc on your makeup? Fight off humidity with Model in a Bottle, a cosmetic finishing spray designed to keep your makeup looking fresh, in spite of tears, smudges, water and humidity, and anything else the day has in store for you.  Simply spray this matte finisher over your makeup in the morning and avoid the need for touch ups all day long. Model in a Bottle's specially designed formula absorbs access oil (keeping you from looking "shiny") without clogging pores! Model in a Bottle has been featured on Oprah and the Tyra Banks Show, as a product used by celebrity makeup artists to keep perfect makeup application fresh for hours on end. Don't let humidity get the best of your day.  Choose Model in a Bottle to look your best all day long!  Click here to browse all Model in a Bottle products.

Essie makes a splash with their vibrant new collection, featuring bold colors from both a bright and neutral palette. Truly, a little something for everyone. Each hue in its bottle, listed from left to right: Essie Absolutely Shore: A soft sea foam green Essie Too Too Hot: A sizzling rich red coral Essie Braziliant: A hot orange with a touch of shimmer Last three colors listed from left to right, pictured above: Essie Super Bossa Nova: An upbeat bright fuchsia Essie Meet Me at Sunset: A vibrant deep orange Essie Smooth Sailing: A breezy lavender blue with a reflection of pearl We're super excited for these colors - let us know what you think!

Zoya's Color Lock System includes five essential nail care products, designed to provide a very beautiful, flawless manicure.  Two of the most popular treatments in that system are Zoya's Armor Topcoat and Anchor Basecoat. The Armor Topcoat uses UV protection to not only protect your polish from chipping, but from fading.  With a glossy finish and impenetrable seal, the Zoya's Armor Topcoat dramatically extends the wear of your manicure. Zoya's Anchor Basecoat uses a revolutionary polymer basecoat designed to tightly bond polish to your nail, to prevent peeling and chipping while caring for and strengthening your nails. For the month of June, Zoya's Anchor and Armor Color Lock System components are on sale! Save a dollar on each formula, and try out these incredibly popular products for less!

So here we are, the week after Memorial Day, enjoying the first warm days of summer (at least that's what's happening here in the Midwest!).  We all flocked to the lake or to barbecues on Monday, stayed out all day, and now are suffering from our very first sunburn of the summer.  Here's a refresher on sun care for your skin and hair during the summer months ahead: 1.  PREVENTION:  As your mother and health professionals everywhere can tell you, the best way to care for a sunburn is to prevent it from happening in the first place.  Especially with the prevalence of skin cancer among our generation, we must be careful to protect ourselves from the damaging sun.  Here are some of our favorite protective sun products: Coola (SPF 45) is one of our favorite classic sunscreens, providing powerful protection, custom made for those leading an active outdoor life.  Endorsed by the American Lifeguard Association, this sweat-proof formula is the best we've got! If you're looking for a mineral alternative to classic sunscreen, Alba Botanica's Natural Mineral Sunscreen (SPF 30) uses a chemical-free formula that provides excellent protection from the sun without compromise. Orly's Sunscreen for Nails is a must-have.  As you beach-babes know, after long hours in the sun, your manicure can become discolored and faded.  Sunscreen for Nails is a high-shine topcoat that protects the colors beneath it with its UV absorbent formula. Rene Furterer's Protective Summer Oil (KPF 90) uses sesame and castor oils with UV sunscreen to ensure protection for exposed hair while swimming and sunbathing.  It's waterproof formula is a must for any beach bag. 2.  TREATMENT:  We know that there will be days that we didn't plan ahead and didn't apply the sunscreen as much as we should have.  Here are some treatments to refresh skin and hair after long hours in the sun: The absolute best in the business, Hempz After Sun Gel soothes heat and pain from sun-burnt skin, prevents peeling and uses the nurturing qualities of hemp seed oil and tea tree oil to start repairing skin damage and even minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles! Bed Head Some Like It Hot Heat & Humidity Resistant Serum is not only treatment oriented, but also for prevention.  It, along with the Some Like it Hot Shampoo and Conditioner provide a shield to help hair that will be in the sun and water constantly.  This product in particular, though, is essential after sun, taming frizz and re-moisturizing burnt-out hair. Rene Furterer Repairing After Sun Shampoo is specifically designed to combat the drying effects of sun, salt water and even chlorine, enriched with palm butter to restore shine and softness to your hair! Awesome. So, enjoy the sun, ladies, but care for yourself while you're doing it! Check out these products and more at www.beautyofasite.com to help you enjoy the summer in style!

Hurry on over to Beauty of a Site to save 15% on ANYTHING in the store!  Apply your discount at checkout by using the coupon code "MEMDAY11."  This code expires at midnight on June 1, so shop now! Click here to start shopping!

No matter how nice I look, how fancy the party is or how expensive my wardrobe, I manage to ruin the most beautiful of nights with a careless spill, a spot of baby powder or makeup on my lovely dress.  But - never fear - Miss Oops Rescue Sponges are for girls just like me, who need something to help them when they're on the run! Miss Oops dry sponges are made of polyurethane (polyether to be specific). This sponge is designed specifically to remove deodorant, baby powder and makeup powder from clothing without needing water. Each red sponge is 3" x 3" with scalloped edges. These edges allow for greater use in hard-to-reach areas, such as in between buttons. They're a life-saver, and on sale for $8.50 for the rest of this month!  Click here to shop!

Here are swatches from the new OPI Serena Glam Slam Spark de Triomphe and White Shatter Duos, for your viewing pleasure. They are literally flying off the shelves (we're already sold out of Rally Pretty Pink & Red Shatter combos), so make sure and order yours today! These are only available for a limited time, and when they're gone, they're gone! And even though we don't have Serena's Rally Pretty Pink in stock, here are our swatches, so you can see how lovely they are! Click here to pre-order yours today!!

Why yes, we DID say free. Cake Beauty's glosses are creamy and delectably flavored, nourishing and hydrating lips with a hint of color and TONS of shine! Apply for smooth, shimmery lips that look deliciously kissable and taste faintly of sweet vanilla cream. Like a quaint dessert after a great meal, a touch of Cake lip gloss brings a smile to anyone's lips! For the month of May only, Beauty of a Site is giving away FREE Cake lip gloss to anyone who orders $30 worth of Cake product. Especially for those of you already hooked on Cake, this is the perfect time to put in your usual order, and score a lovely lip gloss on us! Click here to start shopping Cake today! Want to know more about our specials? Click here to see them all!

Just a little recap of our very favorite part of the Royal Wedding: the CRAZY hats.  What do you think? Brilliant fashion statement or serious faux-pas?

Princess Eugenie of York & Princess Beatrice of York

Kitty Spencer & Guests (I need to admit that though I'm not into any of the other hats on this page, these are actually a little bit cute. Call me crazy... but I like them.)

Sophie Winkleman, Lady Frederick Windsor

Justine Thornton

Victoria Beckham

Let us know what you think! There's some serious fashion courage on this page!

Best part of my job: getting to try out new products.  When a bag of goodies arrived on my doorstep this month, it included this gem: a sample of Tropical Mist Eau de Parfum from Nouveau Paris. One of the "Les Fleurs" perfumes now available for purchase at Beauty of a Site, Tropical Mist has become my perfume of choice.  I'm a huge fan of Kai perfume, and have enjoyed the Hawaiian-inspired formula for years, but the additional layer of citrus in Tropical Mist has totally captured my attention. Fresh florals layered with luscious tropical fruit provides a unique feminine fragrance, comfortably subtle yet breathtakingly seductive.  A floral note of fresh violets is accented with a gorgeous layer of intoxicating fruit, including sweet guava, bergamot orange and aromatic yuzu. Intoxicating and mysterious, I highly recommend Tropical Mist. Click here to browse all of the Nouveau Paris perfumes, or to purchase Tropical Mist for yourself!

With Easter just days away, its time to snatch up some great gifts to stuff those baskets! The perfect gifts are fun but useful, small but precious and not always covered in chocolate.  Move aside Peeps; here are some of the most sought after easter basket stuffers:

	OPI Mini Nail Lacquer collections are an adorable addition to any basket. Including 4 1/8 oz bottles, these collections are both affordable and fun! Choose from OPI Femme de Cirque, OPI lil' Shooters (Texas Collection) and OPI Swiss Collection minis.
	An affordable luxury, high quality lip balm brightens any basket. Useful for anyone, packaged beautifully and intensely moisturizing, Balsamo Italian Argan Oil Lip Balms deeply nourish lips in three delectable flavors.
	A Beauty of a Site favorite, Leila Lou Perfume Oil, by Rosie Jane, is a light and airy spring fragrance. In a precious little bottle (that's so affordable!), this beautiful oil will be cherished by any woman who receives it.
	New from Kala style, these fun Statement Soaps make for great gifts, and say something, too! With words like "Faith," "Hope," "Joy," and even funnier phrases like, "Save Water... Shower with a Friend," these bright, high quality suds are perfect basket stuffers!

Here's to a happy spring holiday to all of our customers!