Episode #63 - Eye Product Shout-Outs

Let's kick it out with show #63 of Lip Gloss and Laptops (MP3 file link - about 1 hour).

This week, we have good things to say about some eye products that have recently tickled our fancy. We also announce the winner from our draw. Congratulations Cindy, you've won yourself two eye shadows and a lip gloss from Therapy Systems!

Kerry Anne's Reviews:

Shiseido Advanced Volume Mascara

I was recently turned onto Shiseido's Advanced Volume Mascara by a makeup artist who swears by this product. It doesn't come cheap ($27CA or $22US), but I LOVE it. It gives "good lash", by building volume, definition and length. You can also put tons on, and it still looks fine with no clumping or Tammy Faye freakishness. It comes in five shades. I chose the AV1 which is a lovely jet black that really brings out the colour of my eyes.

Here's the rub...it only comes in a waterproof formulation, and because of that, it's a challenge to remove at the end of the day. If you're going to purchase this mascara, make sure you've got a quality oil-based eye makeup remover and the patience required to take it off.

Revlon Makeup Eraser Pen

I'm really impressed with this product that makes history of eye and lip makeup mistakes. It is a quick-fix stick that looks similar to a felt-tipped magic marker. Just swipe the pen over the smudge and voila, it's gone. It leaves a bit of a greasy residue, which dries fast, and won't affect the rest of your makeup. It's perfect for liquid/gel/cream eyeliner mistakes, mascara smudges and long-wearing lipstick blunders. A great item to throw into your purse, too! $7.99US and $10CA

Airdrie's Reviews:

Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow

I picked-up this palette of four creme shadows on sale at the drugstore recently. Available in 12 color groups, the one I purchased is called Seashells. I really like this product because it works nicely as a shadow and a highlighter for inner and under eyes.

Kiehl's Supremely Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

At $16.50 US, this eye makeup remover is priced competitively with other designer brands. I love, love, love this product. I got a sample the other day, and you all have to go get yourselves a sample of this, too. Or, just trust me and go buy a bottle. It smells wonderful, it is not too greasy, and it does not irritate my eyes at all. Added bonus: I love the smell. I actually look forward to removing my eye makeup with this product. Go get it.

UPDATE: Not intended to remove waterproof or water-resistant eye make-up.

Reality Check:

Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau on her past struggle with bulimia, and advocacy for the need for positive body image role-models in our society. Airdrie reads some excerpts from her feature interview in the Spring 2007 issue of Moods Magazine.

Song of the Week: "That Spells DNA" by Jonathan Coulton

Lynn Chen's Actors Off podcast features voiceover legend Joe Cipriano this week. Coincidentally, Airdrie's husband Derek met Joe at the NAMM music conference in January—Joe also appears in Apple's online podcasting seminar with Derek's podcast co-host Paul Garay. Small world.

I never wear mascara; I laugh until I cry too often. - Jeanne Calment

A Blog To Check-Out!

A listener of the show had a great experience with Nivea face creme, and wrote a great blog post about it. Check it out here.

KA and I just finished recording show #63, and it is all about eyes. Be sure to download it on Wednesday, May 30, 2007.

Leave a comment! Tell us what you think about the show and the blog.

Episode #62 - Sunless Tanning

Go get yourself episode 62 of Lip Gloss and Laptops (here's the MP3 file).

This week it's all about getting your faux glow on, sensibly (meaning we don't want you to look orange, or tanorexic).

A great online source for all things fake tan is Sunless.com, a site that has information on everything from proper exfoliation and application, to product reviews and message boards.

If you are planning on getting a fake tan for an event, make sure you give yourself enough time to avoid any disasters. Many a woman has fallen victim to the pitfalls of the fake-bake including streaking, undesirable skin colour, uneven application, or the dreaded orange palm/knee/ankle/elbow syndrome.

Also, the products often stink and stain clothing. Your best bet is to apply before bedtime, and after you have thoroughly exfoliated the areas on which you plan to apply product. Your partner may refuse to sleep with you due to the self-tanner odor, but hey, better you subject him (or her) to it rather than being the office pariah!

If you have an important event that you want to look extra swanky for, go spend the money and get yourself a Mystic Tan, or a Fantasy Tan. Honestly, the even colour is worth the extra cash you spend. Airdrie and Kerry Anne both heartily endorse Mystic tanning.

Airdrie talks about a few of the products she likes to use at home -- watch for updates to this blog post as she adds them.

"I can't take a well-tanned person seriously" - Cleveland Armory

Episode #61 - Boots, Inglot, and Some Stylin' Shadow

Listen to Episode #61 of Lip Gloss and Laptops at the podcast page or download the MP3 directly.

Back to reviews of new products this week.

Kerry Anne's Picks:

1. Maybelline's Shadow Stylist

At the recommendation of a friend, I tried Maybelline's Shadow Stylist and, hot damn, I like it. Shadow Stylist can be used as a regular shadow, or as a substitute for eyeliner when using the darker shades. It has a sponge tip applicator and is very blendable. The pigments are also great and the colour stays put all day. I wish their colour selection was a little better, as most of the twelve shades are a tad shiny and pastel-like, and the powder has a tendency to fall beneath the eye upon application it you don't tap the brush a bit. Quibbles aside, this is going to be a permanent addition to my makeup bag. It retails for $7.99CA or $5.99US.

2. Inglot Blush

I was in the local mall the other day, when I happened upon a store that was undeniably MAC-like, yet not MAC. It is Inglot, and although the name sounds like a piece of IKEA furniture, it is actually a Polish cosmetic line now migrating to North America and other parts of the world.

They have a wonderful array of products in bright colours with packaging similar to, ahem, MAC. I picked up one of their AMC (Advanced Makeup Components) blushes and was very impressed by the richness of it's colour. Inglot carries a full range of cosmetics and brushes and the shade selection for their nail polishes and eye shadows are in the hundreds. I paid $22CA for a blush, which I thought was steep, but I'm happy with it.

Airdrie's Picks:

In this show, I give Kerry-Anne a mud mask hand treatment, and describe how both these masks are applied. Listen to the show for a full review of both products.

1. Mask of Magnaminty. By Lush. I have been using this product on and off for a couple of years. It is wonderful. Ground-up aduki beans lets this green mud mask double as a scrub. With a shelf-life of four months, this product does go bad if you don't use it, and I recommend buying the small tub for that reason. ($9.95 CDN)

2. Botanics Conditioning Clay Mask. By Boots. As we mentioned last week, "Boots No. 7" products are now available at select Shopper's Drug Mart stores in Canada and Target in the USA. I went to check it out, and noticed that Boots has another line called "Boots Botanics." I picked-up the Conditioning Clay Mask from this line, as well as three products from the No. 7 line (that I will review in future shows.) I really love this mud mask, and at $9.99, the price is right. I noticed an improvement in my nose-area blackheads with just two uses. I am also using a three-times per week micro-dermabrasion, which is also helping in that area.

Enter our draw:

Our give-away this week is from Therapy Systems. Listen to the show to find-out how to enter to win a gift bag of three full-size products from Therapy Systems, two eye shadows, and one lip gloss. Be sure to check-out the Therapy Systems website to learn about this line; the oil-free moisturizer gets a good review on Makeup Alley.

Reality Check: The Science of a Bad Crush

* Did you know that when a crush lasts longer than three months it is often called Limerence?
* The person you have a crush on is called the Limerent Object (LO). While it's always fun to have a little crush, bad crushes can interfere with your life if they are not understood.

Limerence has certain basic components:

* intrusive thinking about the limerent object
* acute longing for reciprocation
* some fleeting and transient relief from unrequited limerence through vivid imagining of action by the limerent object that means reciprocation
* fear of rejection and unsettling shyness in the limerent object's presence
* intensification through adversity
* acute sensitivity to any act, thought, or condition that can be interpreted favorably, and an extraordinary ability to devise or invent "reasonable" explanations for why neutral actions are a sign of hidden passion in the limerent object
* an aching in the chest or stomach when uncertainty is strong
* buoyancy (a feeling of walking on air) when reciprocation seems evident
* a general intensity of feeling that leaves other concerns in the background
* a remarkable ability to emphasize what is truly admirable in the limerent object and to avoid dwelling on the negative or render it into another positive attribute.

(source Dorothy Tennov, Ph.D.)

Limerence Links:
* Wikipedia definition
* Answers.com
* Limerent.com
* Unrequited Love: Agony and Rapture
* Psychology Today article

Next week: self tanner season!

Makeup is scary. When I do it myself, it's just mascara, and sometimes I forget even to do that. - Sandra Bullock

Episode #60 - Holistic Beauty

Check out Episode 60 (MP3 file)!

Sales of natural and organic beauty products have skyrocketed, and for good reason. Our skin absorbs all those products we put on it, so why not treat it with a little respect and incorporate some healthy, holistic products into your beauty routine.

This episode we talk about the lack of regulation in the North American beauty industry, animal testing, misleading labels, treatments you can whip up in your own kitchen and more! We also mention a few companies we think are doing a great job of using safe, natural formulations in their products, and choosing not to test on our four-legged friends.

Holistic Home Treatments

Homemade Beauty Recipes from All Natural Beauty
Recipes from Kitchen Cosmetics

Cosmetic Safety
All Natural Beauty - Reading Room
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
Environmental Working Group - Skin Deep (searchable database to find if your cosmetics may be harmful)

Animal Testing

Cosmetics Testing article from wikipedia
The Leaping Bunny from the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics
Caring Consumer lists companies that do and do not test on animals
PETA - looking good cruelty free

Brands of Note
Jo Wood Organics
Aubrey Organics
Lush cosmetics
Balm Balm - winner of the Best Organic Beauty Product at the Soil Association Awards
Kiss my Face
Juice Beauty
Kiehl’s
Cargo - Plant Love Lipsticks
Aveda
Stella McCartney's CARE Line
Suki Pure Skin Care
Burt's Bees
Tom's of Maine
Weleda
Dr Hauschka
Dr. Bronner’s Organic Soap

For the latest "green" fashion and beauty news, check out TreeHugger.

"You can tell how high a society is by how much of its garbage is recycled." —Dhyani Ywahoo (Native American)

Episode #59 - Listener Picks Part Deux

This week, we continue with another show dedicated to you, our listeners, and your favourite beauty products. We threw in a few of your tips and answered some questions for good measure. Listen online or download the MP3 file.

Thanks to all of you who wrote in, and congratulations to Stacy S., winner of our draw for the Secret Clinical Strength Anti-Perspirant. Have a great week!

Links:

Diva Cup
Luna Pads
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (movie)
Thierry Mugler: scents inspired by the novel Perfume

Song of the week: Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Deltawave -- "Tear It Up - Original Mix"

"Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got." —Janis Joplin