I am seeking guest authors to submit written reviews of products they have tried recently, beauty news and reality checks! If you are interested, please send me your 200-300 word article, including a photo and any links, in the body of an email. If possible, also send a picture and short bio of yourself to be included at the end of the post. If you are cross posting this article to your blog, please include your blog URL and I will link to it. All original work remains the creative property of the author, and no money will be paid for the work. If you would like to participate, please send me an email. podcast-at-lipglossandlaptops-dot-com
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Heidi, pictured below, is the winner of our Oral-B Pulsonic Toothbrush Draw. Congratulations, winner!

Yvonne from Sydney Australia:

I have had a makeup obsession ever since I was 16 when owned my very
first eyeliner. Since then, my obsession has grown completely out of
control and I don’t think anyone, except fellow online makeup addicts,
can understand it. *BIG HUGS TO ALL MAKEUP ADDICTS*~!! I also love
music, in particular metal. My favourite bands of all time are Dream
Theatre and Tool. I LOVE Lipgloss and Laptops, so thank you Airdrie and
Kerry Anne for putting together the BEST podcast ever!!
Favourite products:
Mascara: YSL Everlong Mascara – separates, curls and lengthens without
clumping.
Foundation: Glominerals Liquid Base – wonderfully pigmented and
completely evens out skin tone while being beneficial to the skin.
Blush: Scott Barnes Blush Palette in Posh- blush palette with 3
complimentary colours. Goes on very smoothly and lasts all day.
Lipstick: Mac Lipstick in Myth Satin Finish – great colour for taking
away the colour of pigmented lips – always perfect for a dramatic eye.
Glitters: All Mac Reflects Glitters ROCK!!

Mercedes, from Chicago

Me and my husband, Chad and two dogs and two cats and my son, Otis, live in Chicago, Illinois. I have listened to the podcast for a couple years now off and on. Has it been that long? I just finished graduate school in Library and Information Science, so my beauty budget has been small. I love MAC eye-shadows in the circular containers especially a shade called “digit” which I put on top of other shades (it’s like an iridescent white). I use Neutrogena’s “healthy skin glow sheers” which comes in a tube to fill in under my eyes and all over my face actually. I bought a “radiant touch” stick after hearing about it from you all, but I bought the wrong shade, so I went for something cheaper next time for coverage. I also use a Neutrogena lip nutrition boosting balm in passion fruit on my lips, but I am shopping for some lipstick as I’ve never really worn much of it before. I love makeup, and I just need a good book really to learn how to apply it. I use L’oreal’s Voluminous (a recommend from you guys). I may try something else eventually for mascara, but I’m really happy with this. I also went and got the Kiehl’s supremely gentle eye-makeup remover after hearing a review, and I love that, too. I guess I get a lot of things after listening to your podcast. (hello to the podcast puppy) Thanks for making your great show!

Christina, from Vancouver, BC

Photo: David Glass Photography, Vancouver

I got married in September of last year, and
decided to do my own makeup after finding out what local makeup artists
were charging brides for makeup application (not including trial
consultations). I thought I’d rather spend those hundreds of dollars
myself and actually have some good products to show for it!

My two challenges were:
1) I have oily skin, so much so that after a long day, my makeup starts
sliding down my face. A wedding is always going to be a really long
day!
2) I can be a bit teary – the kind of girl who wells up watching
long-distance commercials and romantic movies. I knew that I’d be teary
the day of the wedding, so I needed something that was seriously
waterproof and smudge-proof, and easy to reapply in a pinch. (Yes, I
cried on three different occasions on the big day. Happy tears, but
tears nonetheless.)

Here are three products that I used and was really happy with:

1) Paula Dorf Perfect Primer for Normal/Oily Skin. This is silicone
polymer base that goes on a clean face to create a smooth base for all
later makeup to adhere to. It contains a small amount of salicylic acid
which may have contributed to the fact I didn’t break out when wearing
it. It did reduce the appearance of my pores a bit. Someone with dry
skin may find it drying (I think there is another formulation for drier
skin). The website claims this product smooths out wrinkles, but I
didn’t find that it made much of a difference in that regard. You don’t
need to use very much – maybe a dollop half the size of a dime – for the
whole face. It did what I needed it to do: hold the foundation and
blush right where I put it, until the wee hours. (Beautymark, $32 for
30mL)

2) Lancome Ombre Perfecteur Perfecting Eyeshadow Base in colour Clair.
This is exactly what it sounds like a liquid eyeshadow base in a pen
format. I had tried Clinique Touch Base (not a big fan), and I use I
Nuovi Eyepaint everyday as my eyeshadow base, but after 8 hours, all the
pigment ends up in a big line across my eyelid. The Lancome product has
the best staying power of all three, and its colour is very sheer. The
only complaint I have is with its applicator sponge tip – it is
manufactured with a hard sponge which tends to drag on my eyelid, so I
end up having to use my fingertip anyway. I don’t use this every day
because it takes nearly a minute to dry before yeshadow can be applied,
but if you’ve got some time for your makeup application, this product is
a workhorse. (Beauty counters, $22 for 2.2g)

3) Lise Watier Metamorfix Liquid Transformer. This is a clear liquid,
that when added to loose eyeshadow powder, transforms it into a
long-lasting waterproof eyeliner. This works really well with heavily
pigmented eyeshadow colours, it lasts and lasts, and doesn’t run into
the fine creases on your lower lid. Here is the method: put some of the
eyeshadow on a working surface, like the eyeshadow package lid or the
back of your hand, and add a drop of the Metamorfix to the shadow to mix
before application, then dip angled brush into the mix, and apply to
line the eyes. The trick is not to bring the Metamorfix into the rest
of the shadow product because it will harden and form a shell over the
surface of the eyeshadow still in the package. A great product, and
very fun to play with for special-occasion makeup. (Shoppers, $12 for 15
mL)

If you’re wondering, my go-to mascara is Cover Girl Volume Exact in the
waterproof formula. Worked on the big day, and it works everyday.

Megan from PA

My favorite products: I use a lot of organic products, or non-organics with very few ingredients as they tend to work well with my skin’s temperament.
I love JASON Ester-C lotion, Primavera Pomegranate seed oil, Kiss My Face eye cream, LUSH Angels on Bare Skin, and Lavera foundation in #1. For my body, I can’t live without Palmer’s Organic Olive Butter Lotion. It has a fresh green smell and doesn’t compete with any perfumes.

My favorite beauty tip: plain full fat yogurt makes a great face mask. It’s both soothing and makes my face glow (I have heard it’s the lactic acid) I just spread on a thin layer, let it dry, and rub it off with a damp warm wash cloth. Also, you can eat anything left in the tub, and how often can you say that?

My celebrity crush changes often, but at the moment, I’m crushing hard on James Purefoy who plays Mark Antony on HBO’s Rome. We just finished the last season, and he spends a considerable amount of time in an Egyptian style kilt. YOWZA!

Valerie from WA

My name is Valerie, I’m 29 and I live in Spokane, Washington. Last summer I finally married my long time boyfriend of eight years!

Here are some of my favorite products:

Clinique’s Pore minimizer (a miracle product!)
Clinique’s Liquid Facial Soap
The Body Shop’s Cucumber Cleansing Milk (can’t find it in the US anymore, only available in England)
Philosophy’s Hope in a Jar (I use it every day)
Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals

Perfumes:
Origin’s Ginger with a Twist (lovely ginger ale with a twist of lemon)
Demeter’s Pick Me Up Earl Grey
The Thymes Green Tea Cologne

Debbie from New Jersey

Debbie is a 41 year old female figure skater who works for Johnson & Johnson US, is Mom to a wonderful little six year old boy and has two crazy dawgs! Her favorite products:

Bare Escentuals Foundation
Murad Fade Gel for age spots and pigmentation
Philosophy Pigment of your Imagination Fading moisturizer, SPF 15
Jason Vitamin C Cream
Nivea Cream (I heard about the similarity between it and Creme De La Mer, great episode)
Neutrogena Advanced solutions Lip Enhancer and Microdermabrasion kit for face and body
Philosophy Hot Salt Scrubs
Dior Show Black Out Mascara
Lancome Lipstick
Lush Coal Face Soap and bath products
Lip Fusion Lip Plumper
Fusion Beauty Micro-Tox for face

Cat from WA

Cat is a 29 year old homemaker living in Marysville, WA. She enjoys cooking, baking, entertaining, and photography, as well as various other arts & crafts. She also spends way too much time in front of the tv. She has been a cosmetics junkie since the ripe old age of four, but is a firm believer that makeup does not create beauty; it just makes it easier for the world to see the beauty that was there all along.

All women are beautiful with, or without makeup. Read her blog catjackson.net.

“Holy Grail” Products:
DDF-Doctor’s Dermatologic Formula Sulfur Therapeutic Mask
Murad Clarifying Cleanser
Murad Vitalic Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer (SPF 15)
Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
Max Factor Volume Couture Mascara, Soft Black 802
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Prescriptives Perfect Every Line Gel Eyeliner (Licorice)
Prescriptives Fine Lining Brush
Prescriptives Virtually Fresh Skin Refining Makeup SPF 15 (B/R Natural Rose 23)
BECCA Creme Blush (Amaryllis)
Fresh Sake
Fresh Hesperides

Anna from Sydney, Australia

I’m an Australian listener in my 20’s. I love makeup, skin care products and perfumes, but at the same time, try and look through the marketing hype and don’t buy into false hopes. I believe that good quality products don’t need to come with a high price tag. I work in the health industry, and have a passion for what I do. I enjoy helping people and making a positive difference. My hobbies include rock climbing and singing (I take lessons)- and I indulge in those weekly! Oh, and I’m good at skipping – I can do upwards of 20 minutes!

Email us your photo and a short bio including some of your favorite products, and we’ll include you on our listener page. (If you are a blogger, we can also link to your personal blog if you wish.)