Beauty of a Site Blog

Searching for the perfect flat iron? Who isn't. I bought my mother-in-law the Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Flat Iron for Christmas last year, and I don't think I'll ever hear the end of it. She loves it! Most of the time she spends fighting to get it back from her daughters, who have abandoned their own favorite flat irons in favor of this jewel! Incredibly light, this professional quality flat iron features extra long high quality titanium plates which reach 450 degrees, 40% faster than any other leading brand. Allowing you to treat more of your hair at once, at higher temperatures, a smooth, flat style is achievable in minutes! Repeatedly scraping cooler, smaller plates over your hair leads to damage and breakage, while a quicker, hotter iron allows for fewer passes and better results! The Babyliss Pro Titanium Flat Iron, normally $210, is on sale for $160 for the month of April.  Our supplies are limited, so order yours today!  Click here to read more and order yours!

OPI's introduces four new Soft Shades for Spring 2011: OPI Femme de Cirque.  This mini collection includes the follow colors: (pictured from left to right) OPI I Juggle ... Men, OPI So Many Clowns So Little Time, OPI In the Spot-Light Pink, and OPI Step Right Up! As with many of the OPI Soft Shades, the Cirque colors are very translucent, providing a subtle wash of color.  OPI Step Right Up! is by far the most opaque, achieving a nearly opaque finish within a couple of coats.  OPI I Juggle... Men is definitely the most sheer, as its designed to be an iridescent top coat over other pastel polishes, to add depth of color and the just the slightest bit of sparkle.  Over other polish, its truly magical! Click here to order your own OPI Femme de Cirque Soft shades today!

Leonor Greyl's Orchid Mask (Masque a L'Orchidee) is an intensely nourishing mask for frizzy hair, designed to soften, moisturize and condition unruly locks.  This weekly treatment has been known to make daily styling SO much easier, and our customers are boasting incredible results.  And apparently, they're not the only ones!  Check out what celebrity stylist Chis McMillan has to say about how the mask transformed Jennifer Aniston's look!

Jen's hair has undergone a major change, but we're not talking about the obvious one: "Leonor Greyl orchid mask transformed Jen's hair," says her steady stylist, Chris McMillan. The weekly treatment works wonders on frizz.

We're totally stoked to be able to make this mask available to you, so you can enjoy the same dramatic results. Click here to learn more about the product and purchase it for yourself!

That's right ladies - OPI Pirates of the Caribbean collection is right around the corner.  Due to start shipping mid to late April, this new collection features revamped spring pastels with edgier undertones, sophisticated opaque formulas and irresistibly unique shades. From previews of the collection, these are my favorites:

	OPI Silver Shatter: Most highly anticipated from the collection is OPI's Silver Shatter, a crackle top coat in a glittering, shimmering silver. Beautiful over spring-y pastels or dark vampy colors for contrast, Silver Shatter is even more wearable than Black Shatter, with the added bonus of sparkle and the same cool broken effect! Pre-order now.
	OPI Mermaid Tears: Truly, a "magical" green.  More subdued than the usual mint-y pastel green, OPI Mermaid Tears features a grey undertone and a soft sophistication.  Combined with a classic cream formula, this color is truly wearable - and unique! Pre-order now.
	OPI Stranger Tides: My personal favorite, OPI Stranger Tides is a blissfully neutral sage, adding the slightest tinge of green to a creamy, cool beige.  A fresh twist on a faithful neutral that is utterly distinct. Pre-order now.

All of these colors ARE available for pre-order NOW. Order today to reserve your polish when they arrive in April - be the first to have them! Click here to pre-order!

Before you go out tonight, give your brows a shape up.  Here are some pro tips for beautiful, quick brows: 1. Comb your eyebrows upward before you start, so that you're working with a uniform brow. 2. While a set of quality tweezers will help you get all of the stray hairs under your natural brow line, an at home waxing kit will help you control the downy extras between your brows and around the outside of your eyes.  We suggest Tweezerman's Speedy Tweeze for normal plucking and the Moom Face Kit (only $7!) for waxing. 3. Identify where your eyebrows should begin by placing a brush or pencil alongside the edge of your nose, vertically.  Anything on the other side of the brush needs to be plucked.  Place the same tool at the corner of your nose diagonally toward the outside of your eye.  Where the pencil hits the brow marks the natural end.  Pluck anything outside of this area. 4.  After plucking, dab milk (oh yes, you totally heard me right) over the plucked area to reduce swelling and calm your skin.  This will help to quickly reduce redness. 5.  To get a more uniform brow, * carefully * pluck out any hair that refuses to be shaped, is an off color or is longer than those in the surrounding area.  Do this only when completely necessary. Then, fill in any gaps with an eyebrow pencil, or an eyebrow mousse (like this one).

We have some updates about OPI's limited edition colors: 1. Late this week, we're receiving our very last shipment of Black Shatter from OPI, until it is re-released with the full OPI Shatter Collection in May.  That means as soon as this last shipment sells out, it will be temporarily unavailable. 2. Also in this week's shipment are additional Katy Perry (including the mini!) and more Serena.  Both of these have been flying off the shelves, so we're sad to say that this will be our very last shipment of them.  These are limited edition colors, so once they're gone, they're gone for good!  Remember that the mini Katy Perrys are going oh-so-fast, so if you want to snag one, make sure and order it right away! Click here to shop Serena Click here to shop Katy Perry Click here to shop Black Shatter

Just like a piece of chocolate cake after a long day, a surprise cupcake with your lunch, or even a delicious bit of cheesecake after a delicious dinner out, treating yourself to a little pampering is good for the soul. Cake Beauty is all about that - helping you partake in affordable, everyday indulgence.  Like a little slice heavenly cheesecake or a fudge swamped browny, Cake products help you take care of you, in a way that's fun! This month, we're celebrating Cake Beauty by offering a free full sized hand cream (in assorted fragrances) with any $35 Cake Beauty purchase.  Whether with a scrub and pedicure, super moisturizing lotion, or even a deliciously scented bath, help yourself unwind with a little sass and a lot of fun. Like a guiltless but delicious low fat dessert, Cake Beauty products are amazingly healthy for your skin! Each formula is 100% paraben free and composed of 90-95% natural ingredients, of the highest quality. Click here to learn more!

Delightfully elegant, ultra-light and extremely hydrating, Cuccio Naturale Lyte Ultra-Sheer Body Butter is a regenerating moisturizer that deeply nourishes dry skin.  However, Cuccio's newest body butter is set apart from all the others by its rejuvenating power: it's designed to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on your hands and feet.  Perfect for a routine manicure, continued use of Cuccio's Ultra-Sheer Body Butter formula will totally help your skin appear more vibrant, youthful and featuring a healthy glow.  Check out each fragrance and its specific benefits below:

Honey and Soy Milk: Honey's natural humectants gently soften and condition the skin while soy lipids deliver Vitamin E to regenerate damaged skin cells and tissue.

Guava and Mangosteen: A revitalizing and healing anti-oxidant and vitamin combination. Renews and deeply hydrates for soft, smooth and silky skin.

Pomegranate and Acai: The most potent blend of anti-oxidants in one ultra sheer body butter! Reduces fine lines and wrinkles, promoting healthier and younger looking skin.

Tuscan Citrus and White Tea: Boost and brighten your skin tone with the blend of white tea and Tuscan citrus. White tea contains polyphenols to help increase the skin’s elasticity.

Featuring our favorite new Crackle Glaze shades, along with some classic China Glaze shades, try out these fun manicures for Valentine's Day!  Check out the descriptions before for instructions on achieving the look! 1. For a simple, classic and empowering magenta tinted red, choose China Glaze Red Pearl. 2. For a sheer pink glitter, apply three coats of China Glaze Mrs. Clause. 3.  Capture the romance of the holiday by layering 1 coat China Glaze Red Pearl + 1 coat China Glaze Mrs. Clause top coat. 4. Now for some crackle!  Apply 2 coats of Mrs. Clause.  Allow base color to dry COMPLETELY before applying China Glaze Crackle Glaze Broken Hearted pink shatter nail lacquer. Here, we used a single coat of the crackle. 5. Switch it up! Apply a coat of Red Pearl and allow it to dry completely. Apply one coat of China Glaze Crackle Glaze Lightening Bolt white crackle polish. 6. For a thoroughly romantic look, stick to rosey hues.  Apply two coats of Red Pearl (for a nice deep color) and, after it dries completely, apply a single coat of Crackle Glaze Broken Hearted. Have fun girls! Don't forget to order your Crackle Glaze polish here!

You've heard of OPI's Black Shatter polish, which is totally flying off the shelves.  In response, China Glaze has released six new shatter-like crackle polishes with all of the creativity and quality of China Glaze behind them.  Like the OPI Black Shatter polish, each Crackle Glaze color should be layered on a completely dry contrasting color for optimum effect.  Swatches are below! We tested out the Crackle Glaze top coats using a variety of base colors.  The Crackle Glaze coats on the right are layered over China Glaze Recycle, pictured on the third chip from the top.  The colors on the left are layered over China Glaze Empowerment (pink), Red Pearl (red) and Up All Night (navy).  Note the dramatic effect achieved when the colors are contrasting. We had so much fun trying different combinations - you will too! Click here to order Crackle Glaze lacquers today. Check back tomorrow for custom Valentine's Day swatches, to help you get a killer manicure ready for your big date!  

I'm a Starbucks junkie.  I spend a significant amount of cash and calories every winter on Pumpkin Spice Lattes. So, you can imagine my excitement when this year's Hempz Treats included not only Mint Chocolate Cocoa, Sweet Vanilla Eggnog and Warm Apple Cider, but most importantly, Pumpkin Spice Latte scented high quality lotion. Hempz Treats dessert fragranced lotions are infused with organic hemp seed oil for long term moisturizing. Rich in antioxidants and skin conditioners, each daily moisturizing blend celebrates the fragrances of cozy winters, nourishing your body when your dry skin needs it most. For the month of February, all scents and both sizes of Hempz Treats Lotions are 20% off. Go ahead; save yourself the calories and indulge in your favorite tastes of the chilly season while deeply nourishing your skin. Guiltlessly! Click here to start shopping for your favorite dessert!

It's that time of year: the perfect time to start shopping for your Valentine.  Here's some of our favorite gifts for the people you care about. 1.  For your Best Friend: Bubble Bath Roses ($11) What you and I both know is that she needs a rest more than anything.  Unfortunately, an hour of relaxation is hard to put in a box.  The next best thing is Organic Bath Company's Bubble Bath Roses.  Kind, warm and as beautiful as a fresh bouquet, these fragrant petals dissolve in bath water to give your friend the private bubble bath she desperately needs. 2.  For your Crush: Pink Caviar Scrub ($25) Throw mixed messages out the window.  If you want to catch the girl of your dreams, it's time to flirt.  Choose Booty Parlor's Flirty Little Secret Pink Caviar Scrub, infused with romantic fragrance and flirty pheromones, to pamper her skin and win her heart. 3.  For your Lover: Edible Chocolate Body Paint Set ($35) Combining the two best things in the world, Kama Sutra's Lover's Paintbox Gift Set contains three varieties of edible chocolate and a flirty paintbrush to bring some extra romance into your relationship.  Enjoy Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate spreads for a Valentine's Day you'll never forget!