FBR Cosmetics Lip Gloss in French Bloom

Rozz J. has been feeding my habit for FBR Cosmetics Lip Gloss! This model has to be wearing French Bloom Lip Gloss ($10.50), which Rozz sent me to try. It looks as pretty on my lips as it does on this model.

Rozz J. is an Atlanta-based celebrity makeup artist. She founded FBR Cosmetics after assembling a network of professionals to formulate special blends of products that would feel good and look good. She started with lip gloss, everyone's instant pick-me-up.

Make your lips glisten with FBR's luminous line of lip glosses. Apply an almost-not-there shade for a natural look or a deeper, warmer shade for a more romantic come-hither look.

Every day is a good day for lip gloss. FBR has 18 fabulous shades available. I wanted to update you by showing you French Bloom. Online and in the tube, it appears to be a gorgeous plum shade - right in my "love" zone. On my lips? Sheer, transparent, rosy plum.

Here's a swatch photo that was taken in sunlight. The luscious color of French Bloom on my arm is only slightly darker on my lips. It's my kind of color. I've been wearing it without lipstick underneath - it feels good and lasts as long as any lip gloss for me. The clematis blooms are pretty nice too.

The gloss is lightweight on my lips, but offers high-wattage shine. It feels incredibly moisturizing, and it has no fragrance (a huge plus to me). It has a nice doe-foot applicator too. It couldn't be more perfect. Once you try one of Rozz's lip glosses, you are going to want more.

Stroll through FBR's Web site and see what catches your fancy. I'll bet you'll find something that will light up your day. If you want to keep up with the company and the growth that's sure to follow, check out @fbrcosmetics on Twitter and FBR's Facebook page. You'll find out about all the special offers.

Model's photo courtesy of FBR Cosmetics; swatch photo by Best Things in Beauty

Sneak Peek: Giorgio Armani Beauty Gloss d'Armani

Gloss d'Armani is Giorgio Armani Beauty's newest lip gloss. Many months ago, the stores got the heads up that their "old" stocks of lip gloss would be replaced. I've been eagerly awaiting news of the new glosses, and now Armani Beauty's Facebook page has heralded the "arrival" of the glosses with this dynamite photo and teaser information. Sadly, Neiman Marcus doesn't have the glosses yet. Here's what I found on Facebook.

Armani's exclusive Color-Fil Shine technology allows the texture of Gloss d’Armani to be compared to a weave that gently and lastingly adorns the lips. The secret ingredient, the Color Bond Polymer already found at the heart of Rouge d’Armani, has the ability to form a supple mesh that traps pigments and pearlescent particles. Thanks to its translucent formula base, the texture gives "full expression" to color.

Mirror oils (I have no idea what they are) increase its shine, while silicon oil leaves it silky-smooth and non-sticky. The comfortable, stay-fast color is like a second skin that The company says remains true for eight hours without fading or migrating. I won't get eight hours out of any lip product, but the long-lasting promise is heartening, particularly for a lip gloss.

They whet my appetite. How about yours?

Photo courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty

Sun Chlorella Cream

Sun Chlorella Cream ($75), a moisturizer and treatment cream, offers a unique blend of natural ingredients in a purified water base that will absorb into your skin's surface to hydrate the cells. Once absorbed, the nucleic acids in the Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF) begin stimulating skin cell activity. Cultivated from one of nature's perfect superfoods, chlorella, the CGF in Sun Chlorella Cream will feed your skin the nutrients it needs to restore itself, leaving you with healthy and radiant skin.

I know what you're thinking...What's chlorella? Chlorella is a strain of green algae that grows in fresh water. This superfood emerged over 540 million years ago and was the first form of plant life with a well-defined nucleus (I sure didn't know that!). There are fossils from the pre-Cambrian period that clearly indicate the presence of chlorella. Because chlorella is a microscopic organism, it was not discovered until the late 19^th century, deriving its name from the Greek, chloros meaning green, and ella, meaning small.

Chlorella belongs to the eucaryotic cell category of algae and lives in fresh water as a single-celled plant. Its size is about that of a human erythrocyte (between 2-8 microns in diameter). Of the 25,000 species of algae, only 15 are edible. Sun Chlorella USA sells all kinds of products with chlorella in them, including dietary supplements for you and your pet!

I've had an opportunity, offered by the company, to try some of them. I started with the Sun Chlorella Cream. What beauty addict wouldn't? Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF) is a nucleotide-peptide complex of substances found only in chlorella. These substances: nucleic acids, amino acids, peptides, polysaccharides, and beta glucans nourish and replenish your skin. Besides the high concentration of chlorella, the cream has some excellent anti-aging ingredients in it, such as arginine, copper, and botanicals.

Beyond all the good stuff for your skin, the smell, texture, and feel are wonderful. The surprise is that it's green, but so are the supplements. Once applied, though, the green disappears. I couldn't help thinking that green is good, though, for mitigating redness. Chlorella has a very high concentration of chlorophyll.

It has a gentle rose scent that is beyond pleasant. The scent makes application a sensory treat. The cream is medium weight, absorbs quickly, but leaves a protective barrier on my skin. I can feel it when I hop in the shower in the morning, and I like that. I want to know that my treatment cream has been working for me overnight, fortifying my skin's barrier to keep me from losing moisture to the dry air that accompanies the heat or air conditioning in my house. Over the weeks I tested the cream, my skin was hydrated and felt smooth and supple.

The company, Sun Chlorella USA, has been a world leader of chlorella health products since 1969. Mr. Hideo Nakayama, the founder, had experienced an onslaught of illnesses that left his body battered. After he made a fateful discovery of chlorealla, which put him on the road to recovery, he dedicated the rest of his life to researching its benefits. The small company has come a long way since then. Most of the press about Sun Chlorella has been generated in the health food world. It's time to change that. Their Sun Chlorella Cream is making its mark in the beauty industry. I'm appreciative to be going along for the ride.

You can purchase Sun Chlorella Cream, which is made in Japan, directly from the company, with free shipping in the U.S. There is a small shipping price to Canada. If you aren't in the market for a new moisturizer, you might want to give the supplements a try. Superfoods are the latest "in thing" for healthy skin!

Photo courtesy of Sun Chlorella

Ultraflesh Black Magic - The Ultimate Jet Black Eyeliner Collection

Imagine five black eyeliners in one collection. That's the new Ultraflesh Black Magic - The Ultimate Jet Black Eyeliner Collection ($39).

Black is back in force with this eyeliner set that provides multiple choices for creating sophisticated eye looks at home or on the go. Lecithin and amino acid-derived formulas apply smoothly, providing vibrant color and long wear. Plant-derived squalane adds both application and skin-conditioning benefits. That's important. No animals were harmed to produce the squalane. Spherical-shaped powder lends a long-wearing, smudge-resistant, and creamy texture.

This set is unique. It provides two powder liners, one cream liner, and two pencils in one swivel-out compact. You'll find every permutation of black in Black Magic.

• Wet/Dry Black Liner (matte)
  
• Wet/Dry Black Shimmer Liner
• Black Smudge Liner (cream)
  
• Black Kohl Pencil
• Black Shimmer Pencil
• Mini Pro Angle Liner Brush

I used the mini angled liner brush in the collection to apply each liner, thinking you could see how the brush works. I drew lines thicker than I would draw on my eyelids. I prefer thin liners, but I wanted to get enough pigment for the photo. Even so, I found the little brush to be much less effective than the eyeliner brushes I normally use. The mini brush is great to use on the go, but I wouldn't recommend you rely in it when you are home.

You can apply the top two powder liner shades lightly and dry, as I did, or wet your brush for a more defined look. The line at the top of my arm is the matte powder, and the next one down has a shimmer finish. Although they don't look terribly different in my photo, the shimmer is more obvious when you use a damp brush for application.

The next level (middle) of the compact holds a cream "smudge" liner that I adore. I don't smudge it (too much black for my fair skin), but it would be easy to do so with the creamy texture. The middle level also holds the mini brush.

The bottom level of the compact has the two mini pencils, one Black Kohl and one Black Shimmer. Like the other pencils from Ultraflesh collections, these are gorgeous - and so easy to apply. I will wear them out before I go through the powder liners in the kit. The pencil liners are extremely long-lasting - longer than the others. That's good for anyone who has trouble with liner fade during the day. I hope Ultraflesh starts making their pencils available as individual items for purchase.

I tried to get another swatch photo that would show more clearly the differences among liners, particularly between the two powders. By that point, the sun was low in the sky, and my photos were useless. I will append one to this feature when I can get one worth posting.

This is a fun collection. I just got mine and need more time to play with it before I decide how I feel about the powder liners. I can tell you already, though, that I adore the cream and two pencils - worth the price of admission.

You can purchase Black Magic and all Ultraflesh makeup at Sephora, the exclusive source.

Photo at top courtesy of Sephora; swatch photo by Best Things in Beauty

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Sweet Sparklers

I found a deal for you! Online and on sale at Sephora, you'll find Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Sweet Sparklers for $14. This four-piece collection of minis brings the bubbly, sparkly new shades of bareMinerals 100% Natural Lipgloss to the rich, luscious bareMinerals 100% natural Lipcolors. The result is a pretty, long-lasting color combination that gives your look the perfect finishing touch full of effervescent shimmer.

The set includes two 0.1 oz mini 100% Natural Lipcolors in Sherbet (baby pink) and Rose Crêpe (blush rose) and two 0.008 oz mini 100% Natural Lipgloss in Kir Royale (twinkling sheer plum) and Pink Prosecco (sparkling pale pink. Even though the sizes "read" tiny, their size is decent. The lip gloss is a prefect size to stick in your jeans pocket.

Here are two swatch photos for you. Taken in full sun, they show (top to bottom) Rose Crêpe, Sherbet, Kir Royale, and Pink Prosecco. All four shades are lovely, representing both warm and cool tones, but no extremes of either.

I like my little set, and I think you will too. I have no idea why the Sweet Sparklers haven't sold out yet, given their inexpensive sale price. If you are interested, check them out soon at Sephora online. The set is a limited edition.

Photo at top courtesy of Sephora; swatch photos by Best Things in Beauty

Laura Geller Tropic Hues Baked Blush-n-Brighten Giveaway Contest

Laura Geller blended rich, tropical tones of coral, pink, peach, and bronze to create Blush-n-Brighten in Tropic Hues. This Italian-made blush will impart a natural, radiant color to your cheeks.

During manufacture, Blush-n-Brighten begins as a multicolored liquid that becomes a rich, silky powder after baking in a terracotta pan for 24 hours. Loaded with age-fighting, antioxidant protection, and free of mineral oil and parabens, these beauties are little masterpieces - in the pan and on the face. I love the complexity of the colors.

The Tropic Hues I'm holding as I write is more peach than the Laura Geller photo here. The blend of golden peach, rosy coral, and even baby pink shades in the compact is a work of art. Every baked compact has variations of the shades; Tropic Hues (the one I'm holding for the contest and my own) is warmer than the one in the photo.

If you win, you'll be stroke Blush-n-Brighten from the tops of your ears to the apples of your cheeks for a healthy, rosy glow. The Tropic Hues shade is vibrant, but you can moderate it easily with a light touch. I purchased one for this contest. It came from Laura Geller in New York without a box, but who needs another box to recycle?

How can you enter to win this contest? Easy! Just leave a comment here once. After you comment, feel free to send me an e-mail at bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing an e-mail address you care about on a blog, so feel free to follow this step (an alternative is to code your e-mail, e.g., myname at gmail dot com, in your comment).

You can "earn" a second entry by tweeting this contest. Just make sure to include "@BTiBeauty" (without the quotes) in your tweet. I will tweet the contest later today, and you can simply retweet it to earn that second entry. You can earn a third entry by following the blog - either here or on Twitter (any entrant who is already a follower will automatically earn the follower point, but you can save me time by telling me you're a follower in your comment). I can't track followers through a third-party service, so you need to be on Google's list for me to verify the entry.

The deadline for entries will be Saturday, May 28, at midnight. The next morning, I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the winner. I will e-mail the winner at that time. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my message and provide a shipping address. After 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. Make sure to check your e-mail - and look in your spam folder - when the contest ends.

This contest will be open to anyone anywhere in the world. I will ship the prize uninsured (the insurance costs way too much). I will also provide proof of shipping, if necessary. I will to take a chance that both mail systems - the winner's and mine - will deliver the box without loss, theft, or destruction!

My contests are a way to give back to you for all the friendship you bring me. Thank you, and good luck!

Photo courtesy of QVC

Le Métier de Beauté Flawless Kaleidoscope Face Kit

I've been holding out on you, but not on purpose. I knew I had taken photos of the Flawless Kaleidoscope Face Kit ($95) before I used it. I have had the Flawless Face Kit for many months. I just needed to find the photos - easier said than done. Given our recent bronzer talk, I knew the timing was right to find the pictures. This weekend, my elaborate search and recovery mission succeeded, with a little help from Charlie Rascal-Scamp. You have no idea how hard it is to get that pretty face to sit still and pose - even for a feature I told him was about a Face Kit!

This Kaleidoscope Face Kit combines Le Métier de Beauté's favorite face formulas in the clever Kaleidoscope internal stacking system exclusive to the brand. It's the perfect way to create the ideal makeup canvas on the go in a portable, compact kit. Do I use it on the go? Nope! It's firmly rooted at home. I wouldn't endanger this beauty by taking it along.

The four face formulations in the Flawless Face Kit are universal shades are (top to bottom) in the swivel-out compact photos.

• Classic Flawless Face Finish Translucent Compact Powder: A lightweight, ultra-fine milled powder that provides a soft, matte finish
• Highlighter in Whisper: Ideal for that final touch on cheeks and eyes to help illuminate and perfect the complexion, or mixed with Echo to create an entirely different shade
  
• Radiance Powder Rouge in Echo: A universally flattering blush shade with a hint of natural color
• Bronzer: For a gorgeous, sun-kissed, healthy look

The Flawless Face Finish Translucent Compact Powder shade is the shade shown in the swatch photo at top of this feature. For some reason, my own photo, above Charlie, gave it a pink cast. It's not pink. You might be able to see on my swatch photos below that it's beige - darker than my own skin tone, but definitely wearable for me and many others. Remember that I apply colors very heavily on my arm to make them pop in photos. These swatches were applied with a sponge-tipped applicator, and the photos were taken in full sun.

The lightweight, finely milled compact powder gives a radiant, soft matte finish. Silky powders enriched with vitamin E reduce shine and even skin tone, leaving a natural yet flawless appearance. You can apply this powder with a fluffy brush for a finishing touch, a sponge for a heavier application, or a wet sponge for full coverage.

The Whisper highlighting powder, shown below the finishing powder on my arm, is a gorgeous golden peach on my skin. Even if you have cool-toned skin, you will find that it leaves a perfect highlight on the skin. The color is great for summer.

Radiance Powder Rouge in Echo is one of the nicest powder blushes I wear. I've been trying to buy it as a single for at least four months. It must be incredibly popular. It has been out of stock at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria for that long! Since I have one in my Face Kit, I keep waiting, but I'm starting to panic. I wouldn't want to be without this pretty pink shade. Also, the oil-free formula makes it a perfect choice for summer.

Then, there's the bronzer...it looks a lot better on my face than the heavy application appears on my arm. It's brown. There's no mud in this bronzer, although it's a warm brown shade with a subtle shimmer. Applied with a fluffy brush, the shade adds a touch of healthy radiance. I like to mix it on my brush with Whisper or Echo.

Even though it was introduced last year, you can still find the Flawless Face Kit. I know Neiman Marcus has it, and it's available online at Nordstrom. If you missed it, you might want to grab one before they are all gone.

I'm going to go find Rascal-Scamp to make sure he hasn't broken through the screen to go out and eat grass. Replacing screen panels gets expensive.

Photo at top courtesy of Nordstrom; Charlie and swatch photos by Best Things in Beauty