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“The best ad is a good product”.
Alan H. Meyer
 It’s not a secret that many beauty bloggers are contacted by the manufacturers of makeup and skincare products with offers to try and review their goods. Word of mouth advertising is one of the numerous forms of promoting products and building consumer trust at the same time. Some representatives of these companies hint that they expect positive reviews, some ask to express truthful opinion. But do they really appreciate truth? My personal experience shows that some of them don’t need my honesty whatsoever.
I was asked by the rep of one skincare company to do a review on their lotion. They sent me the bottle and specified that they liked my truthfulness when I did other reviews on my blog. They wanted me to keep it that way with the evaluation of their product. I tried the lotion, and it didn’t work for me. I sent them an email with my review and posted it on my blog at the same time. I didn’t get any answer back, so I guess they don’t like me any more.
It’s ironic that the aforementioned lotion didn’t make me either younger or prettier, whereas some other reviewers underlined that they look much younger and smoother after using it. One person even declared that it took 20 years off her hands. Who wouldn’t want that? I probably should have waited for the full moon before applying it to make it work.
Now here I am, looking the way I always looked, not a notch younger or firmer, aside from the crowd of people who became beautiful using it. Now that’s just not fair, is it?
Oh, and for the rep who contacted me – let’s be professional and keep in mind that even when your product is good, there’s always a possibility that it doesn’t work for everybody.
 If you are like me, and the snooze button is your best friend in the morning, most likely you have very little or no time for making up your face. I have couple of tricks of my own to squeeze my morning makeup application routine into 5 minutes. To speed up the process I usually put out all the products for my beauty routine on the bathroom counter the night before. That alone saves good five minutes, as I don’t have to dive into my makeup bag and choose the colors of blush or gloss to wear. Another time-saver is using multi-purpose products, like moisturizer with sunscreen or even better – a tinted moisturizer with SPF in it. After that makeup application becomes as easy as one-two-three.
Step 1. Moisturize and tap foundation and concealer with your finger tips. I usually don’t wait until moisturizer is fully absorbed and apply foundation on my T-zone and concealer under my eyes and around the nose. This helps both to sink in the skin together with the face cream, instead of sitting on top of it. The quicker fix would be using a tinted moisturizer with a built-in SPF on the clean face; the one from Laura Mercier is a good choice. Then I set it all with a quick swipe of face powder.
Step 2. Apply mascara. If it’s not enough time for an eyeliner or shadow application, 1 or 2 coats of mascara is your best bet. It instantly wakes up the face.
Step 3. Swipe a little blush on your cheeks and finish with a lip gloss or a sheer lipstick (matte colors require some effort during application). To save even more time during this step, you can use lip and cheek stain instead of separate blush and gloss. I think Benefit Benetint is worth trying.
If you only have 3 minutes…
Step 1. Apply tinted moisturizer and let it sink for a few seconds.
Step 2. Tap concealer under the eyes and around the nose, if necessary.
Step 3. Apply 1 coat of mascara. Take your lip gloss with you.
It’s important to remember that when you are short of time in the morning, keep your makeup clean and simple. If you don’t use fussy products that demand precision during application (eyeliner, for example), you can get away with spending even less than 5 minutes on your makeup routine.
 I was looking at my friend and her sister and felt like I had a double vision: although not twins, they were a mirror image of each other with exactly the same makeup on. And their brown lipsticks matched the color of their purses. Now here comes my dilemma – do I tell them my truthful opinion on the matching makeup or not.
I noticed that it’s very common among girlfriends and sisters to dress, do their hair and makeup in a similar way. Usually it starts in mid-school and ends either in high school or first year of college. Then they part their similar look ways in favor of finding their own style. Some people come back to that as a bonding experience. Possibly that’s what happened to my friend and her sis.
I’m usually pretty good at keeping it to myself with people I don’t know very well, but at the same time I always tell a good friend if her makeup doesn’t do her any justice. The problem I had at that particular moment was that both sisters were very happy, excited and proud of that particular look. And I decided not to spoil their moment together.
I took it as a rule for myself not to express my point of view if a woman I know feels good about anything she’s wearing (makeup included), in order to avoid her switching into defensive mode that often leads to a confrontation. Everyone should be able to wear their makeup in any way they choose to, as long as it helps them feel good and confident. But when I sense hesitation or I’m asked for my opinion, I tell the truth the way I see it.
Back to my friend. I just told her a few days later that I thought she would look super cute with plum-colored lips in spring. She got all excited about having a new reason for a shopping trip.
Dior SkinFlash Radiance Booster Pen
 This Dior concealer is one of the few I really like. For $36 you get highlighter and concealer in one easy to use product. As a result you get radiant, flawless finish and a youthful glow. It brightens up the eyes, erases any signs of tiredness and gives a well-rested look to the face. I use it under my eyes, on the bridge of my nose and around it, and on tops of cheek bones to let them catch the light and look more prominent.
The part that I value the most about this concealer is that it stays put all day, doesn’t cake or rub off when I occasionally touch my face. The twist tube is easy to use, and the brush makes application more precise. It’s also perfect for traveling, because you don’t have to worry about any spillage in your purse.
I usually tap this concealer with my fingers after I brush it on to make sure it sinks into skin completely. Because of it’s brightening qualities the Booster Pen may not be a good choice for hiding blemishes, but things like redness, dark circles or skin pigmentation practically disappear with a couple of swipes.
“Spring makes everything look filthy”.
Katherine Whitehorn
I promise myself all the time to make the reviewing of my makeup products a more frequent occurrence, but I always end up doing it just once a year around spring time. I’m usually pretty good about throwing away things that are past their expiration date, but it’s easy to overlook something like an eye shadow, as it doesn’t change the texture or develop a funny smell. So as a reminder to myself and everybody who is interested, I decided to make some highlights on how long to keep and use makeup before it’s time to get rid of it.
 Foundation and Tinted Moisturizer. Tinted moisturizer usually lasts 1,5-2 years. Oil-based foundation about 1,5 years and water-based one up to 1 year. With both products it’s easy to tell when they go bad, because they can change texture, develop a bad smell or start causing breakouts.
Sponges. It’s advisable to wash them every few days and toss after about a month of use.
Concealer. For any kind of concealer, whether it’s in a tube, stick or compact – 1 year.
Powder. Both compact and loose powder can last for up to 2 years.
Blush. Powder blush can be used for 1,5-2 years. Be more careful with a cream blush though, it can get spoiled sooner, especially if you touch it with your fingers often.
Lip Gloss. Gloss lasts 1,5-2 years. It’s usually easy to tell when to get rid of it, because with time it gets sticky and gooey.
Lipstick. In general it’s good for 1-2 years depending on the texture. As with the gloss, you can tell when it’s time to toss it, rancid smell is always a good clue.
Lip Liner. Shoot for about 2-2,5 years. Pencil liners last longer, because constant sharpening helps to avoid bacteria growth.
Eyeliner. With pencil liners the rule is the same as with pencil lip liners – keep them for about 2 years. You may want to sharpen them more often to prevent getting eye infections. Give liquid liners 6-8 months.
Eye Shadow. You can use cream shadows for 1-2 years. Powder ones last longer, up to 3 years.
Mascara. Toss after 3 months and don’t look back. If you try to prolong it’s life in your makeup bag, it can become a breeding territory for all kinds of bacteria. Also try not to pump when you use it, because the more air gets in the tube, the faster it will dry out.
Nail Polish. Nail polish lasts for up to 2 years. Look for change of color, thickened texture or if the cap is stuck and it’s hard to unscrew.
Looks like a completely new generation of hair dryers are possibly on their way. Two Russian engineers developed a new version of a hair dryer that they claim isn’t harmful to the hair. We all know that the excessive use of hot air can weaken the hair follicle and eventually make the hairs break.
What these two engineers promise is that their new dryer neither overheats the hair nor breaks it’s structure. It looks similar to the ones that are used in hair salons, where they have you seat on a chair under the hood. The secret is in the disk inside the dryer that spreads ultrasound waves around your hair. Ultrasound makes the hair drying experience completely silent and very quick, and your hair doesn’t swirl around the hood picked up by strong waves of hot air. There is no information yet on whether it’s safe to use ultrasound dryer often, as no extensive research was done on this aspect. We don’t know if the ultrasound dryer idea will take off in other countries, but so far it sounds interesting.
SJP in NYC perfume by Sarah Jessica Parker
This fragrance just came out in mid-February, and has already sparked an interest among perfume lovers. The scent was developed in cooperation with Coty and is marketed as a chic, modern and fashionable fragrance.
Top notes include: Italian mandarin, white osmanthus and wild red strawberries.
Heart notes: gardenia, honeysuckle, mimosa, red rose damascenia.
Base notes: sandalwood, vanilla absolute, rum flavor and creamy musk.
As I first sniffed it on a paper tester it seemed quite pleasant, fresh and vibrant, although the strawberry-sandalwood-musk combo sounds really risky. When I spritzed the perfume on myself, it appeared a bit too sweet for my taste, as honeysuckle adds sugary note to the fragrance. Fruity strawberry theme is somewhat overwhelming at first, but it develops fresh citrus undertones after couple of hours. This may be a good fit for fruity-floral scent fans this spring. Would I wear it? Probably not, but I kinda like the strange mismatched pattern on the bottle. Ranges $25-$49.
Perfumes: The  A-Z Guide.
Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez
I experienced so many mixed feelings with this book. It started as an interesting read, full of new facts for me to learn. Along with brief history of perfume, it’s numerous ingredients, and tips on how to train your nose to recognize different notes of a fragrance, there is an extensive review of more than 1,800 perfumes.
I didn’t plan to read each and every fragrance review at first, especially because many of them I’ve never even heard of before. But when I started browsing through pages, I realized that I was hooked. Positive feedback warmed up my heart, while negative remarks seemed either funny or downright mean.
I can understand the fact that different scents trigger different reactions in people. For example, I find Light Blue by Dolce and Gabbana a pleasant, fresh citrus scent, but according to the book it is a “Lemon sorbet doused with rubbing alcohol… If you hate fragrance, you’re probably on your fourth bottle”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for expressing opinions and speaking your mind, especially when it comes to product reviews. What I don’t comprehend is willingness to insult someone else’s hard work and dissimilar taste . For example describing a fragrance as “nothing priced like something”, “plague and cholera at once”, “disaster” or “unwashed smell like the sort of person who clears out one end of the bus”. Is it just me or does this sound too much?
I don’t want to appear hypocritical, but I’m only human, and I confess having a double feeling about the reviews. When I was reading unflattering ones about perfumes I didn’t like, my anger was sleeping peacefully. It only woke up each time one of my favorites was getting a hit. After that good reviews on the fragrances I don’t quite get looked somewhat ridiculous to me, like calling Clinique’s Aromatics Elixir “a masterpiece” for example. This scent, together with Chanel No5 and Angel by Thierry Mugler I tried, but wasn’t able to understand. On the other hand, it was a complete pleasure to share the same opinion on the scents I’d never buy.
To sum it all up, some parts were fun to read and some were plain aggravating. But I have to admit that the book is ingeniously written. Although I was annoyed at times to an extent that I was ready to burn it in my fireplace, I kept coming back to it anyway. I guess controversy sells.
If you haven’t read this book and are curious to find out what impact it’ll have on you, by all means do it. It didn’t influence my taste on fragrances at all, so I’ll continue wearing scents that please my nose. To each their own.
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