New Spring Colors: Lips, Cheeks, and Eyes

The end of winter is in sight. I hope you are as happy about this as I am!

Nothing lifts the spirits like planning a new cosmetic color palette, highlighting the perfectly prepped skin I have worked on all winter. All of those days spent experimenting with facials, peels, and creams have paid off and it is almost time to show off!

I start building my spring make up "to do" list mid February, which means I start trying mineral make up samples almost daily. Using compatible shades means I can save buying separate colors for each zone of my face.

New eyeliner colors

I have been known to stick with blacks and browns in my eyeliner drawer but found a wonderful deep green that enhances the eyes while bringing out those lower lashes where mascara runs amok. Since my eyelashes are black, the green allows them to show up without creating a ghastly pale line beneath.

Try pairing pencil colors to define, creating depth with subtle highlights.

I took Pencil Me In - Natural Eyeliner for a test drive and am thoroughly impressed with the staying power. Be sure to look at all of the colors...there's no reason to think this pencil can't be used for other special effects. Picture yourself on a warm, late spring evening grabbing the attention of an admirer with those Marilyn Monroe like eye lids. A little pink above the darker line right at the edge of the lid will cast that perfect glamour. No worries about the ingredients as they are all natural. It even has its own sharpener attached!


Versatile loose mineral powders.

Give me a jar of the right mica or oxide and I can make it work almost anywhere on my body, but right now I need to focus on the lips and cheeks. Not the hollows of the cheeks, but the cheekbones themselves. I want a hint of highlight there, very sheer, that works as the echo to of the deeper, almost opaque lip color. A smoldering kiss that glows at the cheek. Blended with a matte powder, it will carry an etheric but sultry glow just under the brow.

I found Paradise Sand Mica works for cheeks and lips!

A violet shadow might be the perfect highlight for afternoon gatherings, dusted with something that sparkles, for evening. I happen to love Rose Sparks Shadow and Hi Light Violet Shadow. They are light enough to stay in place and to layer without creating that caked on look, with Rose Sparks bearing flecks of glittery minerals guaranteed to catch moonlight.

This is Rose Sparks!

Simplicity = Perfection

I have a feeling that beauty and fashion gurus are cooking up "new" looks that are striking but simple. Using the same colors for lips and cheeks, while adjusting their depth, will make eyes stand out.

Have your new look ready to go when spring settles in....start here!

There's Nothing Better Than Free Stuff.....

Discoveries always make me smile and this is no exception. I found a wonderful little ebook with simple recipes for home made bath and body products that I will give away as a little gift to those who subscribe to Beauty Market Buzz or Black Market Beauty news letters and/or feeds.

As the months roll on I hope to widen the collection to include recipes for more complex skin care items, but will always include recipe blends that can be created with items form the health food store, including vitamin C serums, specialty facial masks, exfoliating cleansers....well, you get the idea!

All you have to do is join and the freebie will be emailed. Don't worry, I have no intention of flooding your email like many sites do with daily fluff. Just what I find that will help everyone recover stretch their beauty and skin care dollars!

What are you waiting for?

Too Much Tan?

Find 6%Bleaching Cream at Skincare RX

One thing I cannot stand is having to change my make up shade. Being African American with hefty sprinkles of Native American wreaks havoc with my beauty aspirations if I spend any time in the sun during the summer months. Those little seasonal factors are what drew me to mineral make up and blending my own shades, but that is for another entry. Buzz in the market tells me there are some products to help with unwanted tanning issue.

If you are in the same boat, not the heritage mix necessarily, but hate changing your make up shades for each season, think about giving your skin's shade little lift with Physician's Complex 6% Bleaching Cream. I found it while investigating what the beauty market had to offer.

Bleaching creams are extremely popular in Asia, especially Japan, where a pale, almost porcelain skin tone is prized by women. In the west, bleaching creams are used for spot problems and dark under eye circles. Regardless of where you are, there are some common factors that cause the skin to lighten.

Physician's Complex 6% Bleaching Cream has almost all the known bleaching ingredients that are safe for skin, primarily Kojic Acid, Hydroquinone, and Vitamin C in the form of pineapple and lemon extracts. The creators of this little wonder were also wise enough to include moisturizing ingredients to help soften the outer layers of skin and allow the nutritive value of grape extract to penetrate.

I haven't tried it yet but have my eye on it in case I don't feel like blending my late summer mineral foundation soon. The market buzz says it's fair, going by the 3 star rating, but in my mind that's better than many products I have seen that only had hydroquinone as the main bleaching ingredient.

If you manage to sample this product, let us know and your comment will be added to the beauty market buzz.

Regenerist Night Recovery Moisturizing Treatment

The Beauty Market Buzz still finds Regenerist Recovery Moisturizing Treatment a worthy weapon for over night skin care.

Buzz in the beauty market has centered around products with simple ingredients that help the skin recover from harsh conditions during daylight hours. Deep, penetrating moisturizing that also delivers nutrients needn't be expensive, though, as many moderately priced night creams are effective. Regenerist Night Recovery Moisturizing Treatment, brought to us by Oil of Olay, fits nicely into any budget.

Even though Regenerist Night Recovery Moisturizing Treatment relies heavily on cyclomethicone and dimethicone, it also has Glycine, Lysine, Threonine, and Arginine which support cell growth and health. Skin is bathed in VitaminB3, Pro-Vitamin B5, Vitamin E, and Lavender extract while you sleep. There's no need to worry about it's safety as cyclomethicone and dimethicone can be used without being part of a blend. In fact, many in the beauty market have done so!

Waking up to smoother and more vibrant skin is bound to start the day off with a smile. If you have mature skin then I suggest you give Regenerist Night Recovery Moisturizing Treatment a try. The buzz in the beauty market says you will probably see improvement within a couple of weeks.

Throwing a Makeup Party?

Visit the new Coby's Clips Beauty tips! Coby Taylor has spent most of the last 12 years make up and hair design for photo shoots and weddings and realized that many women, and girls, are uncomfortable trying on make up at the counters of expensive stores, and feel that sales people are a bit too pushy. With this in mind, she has created DVD's, available at her site and through Amazon.com.

Her unique DVD's are inexpensive and cover subjects like throwing your own make up party, and tips on applying different cosmetics, perfect as inspiration for getting friends together to experiment with mineral make up or new skin product blends. An added benefit is her donating a portion of sales to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Rock of Africa.

Stop by, show your support, invite your friends over!