RareMinerals Active Triple Treatment Eye Cream Giveaway Contest Winner

We have a winner! Congratulations to Cynthia R, who was notified by e-mail! What's really cool is that two of you took the Bare Escentuals Rethinking quiz and won! Yea! No bum steers here.

The RareMinerals Active Triple Treatment Eye Cream promises to visibly diminish fine lines and wrinkles, restore firmness, and reduce puffiness around your delicate eye area for smoother, firmer, brighter skin. Infused with Bare Escentuals' RareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex, this groundbreaking eye cream uses mineral electrolytes and marine peptides to rejuvenate skin around the eyes instantly and over time.

I haven't tried it yet, but hope to soon. I'd love to review it. Cynthia, let us know, please, how you like it. Maybe we'll get the opportunity to review it together.

My thanks to Bare Escentuals for their generosity in donating this fabulous giveaway prize. Keep rethinking at Rethink What Matters!

We have some new and incredible giveaway contests lined up. We will start another later today, so please come back!

Photo courtesy of Bare Escentuals

YSL Gloss Volupté Sheer Sensual Gloss - New Colors for Spring 2010

There are four new colors of YSL's Gloss Volupté Sheer Sensual Gloss Stick ($30) with SPF9. Gloss Volupté was introduced in the fall, and I love it. I wear one of the two shades I bought in the fall at some point almost every day.

I know that some women don't like the mango flavor. Even though I prefer unflavored lip products, I like the sheerness and feel of Gloss Volupté enough that the fleeting flavor doesn't bother me. The hydrating formula makes up for the mango!

These gloss sticks are more like highly pigmented lip balms in a luxurious case. The colors are absolutely gorgeous! Because I prefer a little color to warm up my pale face, I like glosses that have some pigment in them. Many of these shades fit the bill. They feel great and are so pretty.

Here's what YSL has to say about them.

"...Combining...the sensuality of a lipstick with the comfort and shine of a gloss... Colorshine complex and Candellila [sic] resin result in a transparent, non-sticky shine. Thanks to fluid silicones and melting microcrystalline waxes, Gloss Volupté leaves your lips feeling sensual, silky, and full of comfort. Pomegranate extract and a delicate mango fragrance provide a delicious touch of freshness. Available in eight transparent, mouth-watering shades."

I think this lip product matches the hype! Even if they did spell "Candelilla" incorrectly. Wink! Just in case you are wondering, Candelilla is a wax derived from the leaves of a small shrub that grows in Mexico and the southwestern United States, and the resin in the wax is what makes the gloss stick to the lips. It is a natural product, as is pomegranate extract.

From the new spring shades, I chose #8, Glazed Blackcurrent. It's gorgeous. Two different makeup artists from different lines concurred with my choice - they loved it too.

All of the shades are shown below. The new ones for spring are #5, #6, #7, and #8. Numbers 5 and 6, Sugared Almond and Vanilla Pink, are very pretty, but because they are also very sheer, they don't add enough pigment to my lips. I would purchase them anyhow if I had an unlimited budget, but I don't! The Tangy Orange shade isn't my color, but will look great on someone with darker skin.
You can see these beauties at the YSL Web site or at Saks, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and wherever YSL Beauty products are sold. Don't forget that it's beauty event time at Neiman Marcus and Saks. You can get goodies with purchase.

Photos courtesy of YSL Beauty

Philip B Peppermint and Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo

I have been using Philip B's Peppermint and Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo ($40 for 11.8 oz) for about 19 years! Is that loyalty? This shampoo used to be my daily shampoo. However, after discovering other shampoos I liked, I started a rotation. Most winter days, I use another Philip B shampoo. When my hair starts to feel like I have some product build-up (from post-shampoo products), I reach for my Peppermint and Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo.

The Peppermint & Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo is a good choice when I need a good cleanse. Formulated with 16 pure plant extracts, eleven essential and carrier oils, and a potent, active dose of 2.3% pure peppermint oil, the shampoo works to soothe scalp tension, stimulate circulation, and leave my scalp feeling tingly fresh and clean. Fabulous!

When you use this shampoo, you awaken in the shower. No kidding! The peppermint is cooling, and as you wash your hair, the peppermint scent, cooling sensation, and cleansing action are stimulating. Not only that, it's exciting to know what the outcome will be: incredibly clean, weightless hair with volume. Both the shampoo and result are invigorating.

I would have named this Peppermint and Avocado Invigorating Shampoo. Of course, someone probably trademarked the name "Invigorating." Trademarking names can be lucrative. I sold one I had actually used for years, but when I didn't need it anymore, someone else was ready to buy. I have living proof that the practice is lucrative. Do I digress? Now you know I have a mind that free associates with ease. :)

Here's how Philip B describes the shampoo.

One of our most acclaimed products, this is a clarifying cleanser and powerfully active aroma-therapeutic scalp treatment in one...The shampoo works as a local anesthetic to soothe scalp tension, stimulate circulation, and leave your scalp feeling tingly fresh and clean. Philip B Peppermint and Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo also lifts away product residue - restoring your hair's natural shine and vitality without without compromising its precious moisture and elasticity. Safe for color-treated hair. Feel the amazing difference on your scalp and hair from the very first use.

I have to give you an enthusiastic ditto! Sometimes, shampooing and conditioning seems like a time consuming drag (there's that comb-out and blow dry too!). I'm in a hurry, and the necessity becomes "10 extra minutes." We all know that 10 minutes for busy women can seem like an hour. This shampoo will make those minutes pleasant - turning a chore into a treat.

You can read about all of the the Philip B products and more on the Philip B Web site, the best source of information on this terrific line. I have found that I can usually get a discount at Hello Gorgeous! or another site. So, rather than ordering directly from the Philip B site or purchasing in a retail store, I go for the discount. SkinStore, Amazon, and other online sites carry Philip B products, and SkinStore often has discounts too. This shampoo comes in four sizes, so make sure to compare size when you compare price.

Hollywood Tans Offering Free Mystic Tans on March 6

This Saturday, March 6, participating Hollywood Tans salons are giving us the red-carpet treatment with a free Mystic Tan. Celebrities are getting their pre-Oscar tan this week – there’s no reason you can’t be a bronzed bombshell too!

It will be “lights, camera, action” at participating Hollywood Tans salons across the country as they roll out the red carpet with Hollywood-style parties, free Mystic spray tans, and specials. Want to lose your pasty-pale winter body? Check this link for a Hollywood Tans salon near you. Then give them a call to see how you can get in on the action.

Hollywood Tans is known as the place to go for the same sexy tan the A-Listers sport. The award-season celebration also includes free upgrades for all levels of membership for the rest of March. Join Hollywood Tans’ A-List for year-long specials and free offers at their TanNation Facebook page.

Don't delay if you want to take advantage of this generous offer!

Photo courtesy of Hollywood Tans

Best Drugstore Beauty: St. Ives Hydrating Vitamin E Moisturizing Body Wash

St. Ives keeps capturing my attention at the drugstore. They have so many nice products. This fabulous, moisturizing cleanser for the body is one of them! When I saw "Vitamin E" on the front label, I knew it had to be good, and I was right. It is!

St. Ives Hydrating Vitamin E Moisturizing Body Wash (about $4 for 18 oz) rejuvenates while it cleans. It has a luscious tropical, fruity fragrance that makes a necessary bath or shower a pleasure. It's enriched with natural ingredients, such as vitamin E, oatmeal, vanilla, citrus, and soy milk, specially formulated to replenish moisture and leave your skin soft and hydrated. This cleanser starts the process of adding daily moisture. You can follow up with your favorite moisturizer or try another St. Ives favorite, St. Ives Intensive Healing Moisturizer, to seal in that moisture!

When you bathe, which can be drying, you want to start the process to re-hydrate your skin. St. Ives Hydrating Vitamin E Body Wash is full of nutrients, but not animal ingredients, parabens, or phthalates (good stuff in, bad stuff out). It's packed with the natural antioxidant, vitamin E, to infuse your skin with protective moisture as it cleanses.

This cleanser can by used with your hands or a sponge, washcloth, or pouf. Work it into a nice creamy lather and them rinse. It will have done its thing. A simple way to start the day! There are 10 body washes offered by St. Ives. Vitamin E was my choice, but you can also consider others like Soy Milk and Lotus Blossom, Cucumber Melon, and Oatmeal & Shea Butter. See all of them at the St. Ives Web site.

One really nice thing about this - beyond the "experience" - is the nice big container. You can use this body wash lavishly without worrying about waste. It has earned its "best drugstore beauty" label!

I bought mine at CVS. You can find St. Ives in large retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, Meijer, Walgreens, CVS, Albertsons, Savon Drugs, Kroger, Winn Dixie, HEB, Publix, and Ulta Cosmetics - all of which carry a selection, but not all, of the products. Some online stores have them too. Oh, and I forgot to tell you: St. Ives products are made with all natural ingredients!

Photo courtesy of St. Ives

Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick Compact

What was it about February that made my thoughts turn to bronzers? Perhaps my pale skin got totally colorless? Early in February, when Bobbi offered the limited-edition Bronze Shimmer Brick Set to support The Heart Truth campaign, I ordered the set.

I've never met a Shimmer Brick I didn't love, and I knew that despite its dark appearance in the photo, I could use it with the right brush. I know I can count on Bobbi Brown color - a supreme compliment in my book!

I have quickly grown to love my Bronze Shimmer Brick Compact ($38), which is available on its own! This highly rated original Shimmer Brick Compact combines multiple shades of shimmering powder to creates a bronzy glow. If I use a fluffy brush, I can wear this color as a blusher or bronzer, and, of course, the individual strips of color are perfect for contouring and eye lids (the lightest two colors for my eyes).

This compact brings life to my face, and I'll be using it year round. Swirled together, the colors give me such a healthy look! And while I use it with a light touch, those with darker skin can layer it until the right look and shade is achieved.

This must-have Shimmer Brick is available at Bobbi Brown's Web site and Bobbi Brown counters nationwide. Check it out when you go shopping!

Remember, tomorrow is another Pretty Powerful Tuesday Tweetstakes! For directions on entering to win Bobbi Brown goodies, see my posting from last week. I'll retweet Bobbi's Pretty Powerful question so that all of my Twitter followers see it tomorrow - and it will show up on the Twitter widget here at Best Things in Beauty.

Photo courtesy of Bobbi Brown

Chantecaille Lumière de Rose Highlight

Chantecaille's Lumière de Rose Highlight ($36) was introduced with Les Pétales in the fall. It was a limited-edition, and stores are starting to sell out of it. I resisted for a long time, but its lure was too strong. I now own one and love it!

You need to know that it's more rose gold than pink, with a slight touch of bronze on fair skin. The photograph here by Chantecaille depicts the gorgeous rose-gold figural blossom compact perfectly. The highlighter is definitely rose gold, with a heavier emphasis on the gold - not light pink as it appears here.

This highlighter creates a natural and flattering iridescent effect for a radiant touch on cheekbones, eyelids, temples, or wherever you need some oomph. It's shiny, but not glittery. With its nice creamy texture, it blends like a charm. How could I have resisted since October? Try it, and you will want it! It's so pretty, it may take its place on my office desk with the Rêve de Rose Lip Gloss SPF 15. Or should it go in my makeup bag so that I can dazzle when I pull it out?

You can buy one at Chantecaille's Web site or Neiman Marcus (where it's Beauty Week, and the Chantecaille gift is nice). This is a highlighter I think you should try.

You can read the October BTiB post on Les Pétales at this link.

Photo courtesy of Chantecaille