March 31, 2016

Urban Decay XX Vice LTD Reloaded.

March 31, 2016/ Teri Cosenzi

In case you missed my news a few weeks ago, Urban Decay is celebrating twenty years as a beauty brand! On top of that mega UD XX - 20 Years of Beauty with an Edge vault, the brand has launched a really special limited edition collection Urban Decay XX Vice LTD Reloaded eyeshadow palette. This chic palette features 20 (XX) shades of eyeshadow that spans UD’s entire 20 (XX) year history making this a true must have for the Urban Decay fan.

Urban Decay XX Vice LTD Reloaded includes a few new shades and several cult favorites from past palettes. It includes some of the brands earlier shades like Midnight Cowboy (one of my all-time faves), Acid Rain and UV-B, to some of their best-sellers in their current line-up.

The complete rundown of shades:

Suspend - Greige-brown matte
Oil Slick - Black matte with silver micro-glitter
Roadstripe - Iridescent white with blue-violet shift
Gash - Metallic brick red
Midnight Cowboy - Pink champagne with shimmer with silver glitter
501 - Deep metallic blue with copper micro-glitter
Shallow - Pale taupe-silver satin
Laced - Pinky-taupe matte
Hot Pants - Pearly medium pink
Mildew - Deep metallic green shimmer
Smog - Deep coppery bronze shimmer
Misdemeanor - Deep olive green matte with green micro-shimmer
Freakshow - Bright purple satin
Asphyxia - Hyacinth shimmer with blue shift
Acid Rain - Pale yellow-green shimmer with green shift
Moonflower - Metallic rose-gold with gold micro-shimmer
UV-B - Bright blue with violet shift
Goldmiine - Bright Metallic Gold
Twice Baked - Rich brown satin with gold micro-glitter
Anonymous - Pale peachy cream matte

My favorites in the palette are Midnight Cowboy, Suspend, Roadstripe, Oil Slick, Swallow, Laced, Smog, Misdemeanor, Asphyxia, Anonymous and Twice Baked. I'm actually getting more use out of this palette than I thought. The shades are truly representative of the brand.

I'm always been a big fan of the Urban Decay eyeshadow formula. They are creamy soft, easy to apply and blend and last the day without caking or creasing. The secret to the shadow formula is the brands Pigment Infusion System™, the proprietary blend of ingredients. I can apply them with or without a primer and have them last the day. Of course, I use a primer, Urban Decay Primer Potion, my favorite, which makes the colors pop and lay down even more smoothly.

Speaking of Urban Decay Primer Potion, The Ultra Violet Edge, Urban Decay's global initiative to empower women is marking its first anniversary. With your help, last year they donated $528,000 to a variety or organizations that support women, including Women's Global Empowerment Fund. Purchase the specially formulated Eyeshadow Primer Potion Enigma, where 100% of the purchase price is donated to women's empowerment nonprofits by The Ultraviolet Edge.

Buy the Urban Decay XX Vice LTD Reloaded for $56 now online at urbandecay.com or at Ulta, Nordstrom and Macy's.

March 30, 2016

Kiehl’s Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate.

March 30, 2016/ Teri Cosenzi

One of the best things you can do for your skin to keep it looking young and fresh is to exfoliate it on a regular basis. When trying to get rid of fine lines and wrinkles, you need to take it a step further and do things like exfoliating peels. I'm sure you have heard of chemical peels — ouch. I much prefer lighter peels, but even lighter peels can be irritating to the skin. Kiehl's has developed Kiehl’s Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate which is not only an extremely gentle peel, this new peel is super effective using unique ingredients.

Kiehl’s Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate uses Quinoa husk extract, which actually comes from discarded quinoa husks, combined with fruit acids, cactus extract and phytic acid to formulate this effective overnight peel. This peel accelerates cell turnover to reveal refined skin texture, improved skin tone and softer, more radiant skin.

I've been very impressed with the Kiehl’s Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate and I've only been using this peel for about two weeks. My skin is super soft and smooth and looking very even in tone. I like that I am able to use a peel overnight. I do not feel like I am using a peel; I have not experienced any burning itching, or redness — any signs of irritation at all. That is pretty incredible because when compared with a 20% Glycolic Peel (the strongest Glycolic that can be used at-home) the results of the Kiehl’s Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate are actually proven to show that it works just as well or better than the strong Glycolic Peel but without any of the irritation. I'll take that any day.

It's important to use the Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate in succession with your regular nightly skin care routine. First cleanse and tone your skin, then apply the Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate. I have found that I only need four or five drops to completely work on my face and neck. I then finish with my serum, eye cream and night cream. Because this is a strong peel, your skin is going to be even more susceptible to the sun. It is extremely important to wear a daily SPF, so make sure that your moisturizer has at least an SPF of 30 in it.

Buy Kiehl's Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate for $54 at Kiehl's stores, kiehls.com and department stores like Nordstrom, Bloomingdales or Bergdorf Goodman.

March 29, 2016

Top 10 Eye Creams with SPF.

March 29, 2016/ Teri Cosenzi

I'm really excited to start testing an at-home eye laser and will be sharing my results in May (you can start following my progress on my social media here: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter). Because I will be using Tria Age-Defying Eye Wrinkle Correcting Laser every night for the next 8 weeks — save 15% off the Tria Eye Wrinkle Correcting Laser Deluxe Kit with CODE beautifulmakeup — it is more important than ever that I start using an eye cream with SPF. I already use SPF on my entire face daily, but I feel that I need more protection in this delicate area around my eyes that I will be treating.

Finding eye cream with SPF is difficult; I am sort of confused by this! As eyes are the first thing to show the signs of aging, I don't understand why brands are not regularly putting SPF into their eye creams. I have found some eye creams with SPF though and figured I would share because I think this is very important to prevent aging in the eye area.