Brooke Shields Likes Urban Decay Cosmetics

If you haven't heard of Urban Decay, then it might sound dangerous and sinful. In a way, it is.

Urban Decay Cosmetics are trend-setting makeup. The American cosmetics company is out there----spotting what's hot, what will be hot, and how to wear it. The makeup is feminine, dangerous, and above all, fun. Even the packaging and the names of the beauty items are very creative. And the company is cruelty-free.

And yes, gorgeous actress/model and mom of two little girls, Brooke Shields, likes to wear a little Urban Decay. You might not catch Brooke wearing their Heavy Metal Glitter Liner, but not everything is punk rock or too wild. There are lots of soft and subtle shades of makeup here.

Brooke, 43, is a working mom, and doesn't always have too much time to 'make up,' but she does have a routine, as she told In Style magazine. Fifteen minutes to get out the door. So it's usually moisturizer, mascara, and a deep lip stain.

The deep berry lip stain Brooke Shields is talking about is this one:

Urban Decay Lip Envy in Greedy ($17, Sephora and ULTA stores). This amazing lip stain is water-rich and gel-based. When it dries, you're left with a sexy, semi-matte finish. This little beauty item actually comes in its own small inkwell with applicator brush.

All you do is apply a thin layer to your lips, and let it dry for about 30 seconds. Then apply a second coat. You can layer even more for a deeper stain. You can also put some lip gloss over the stain for longer-lasting staying power.

What's nice about Urban's Lip Envy, is its vanilla scent. It's also made with excellent anti-oxidants like green tea, Vitamin E, chamomile, and gingko biloba extracts. And this one is a vegan product, which means---no animal-derived ingredients.

Urban Decay Lip Envy also comes in two more pretty shades: Envious, sheer medium pink. And Jealous, nude.

For more information, visit: http://www.urbandecay.com/

Drink Me And You Will Stay Pretty

How about a fountain of youth beauty potion? Sounds too bizarre to be real? Well, maybe not. Let's face it. The science is getting better and better each year. Look at makeup, skin care products, hair serums, and the like. Beauty items are more able to zero in on pimples, wrinkles, sun damage, dark circles, thinning hair, and so on. Beauty products have become more effective because the science has advanced.

'Drink me and you will stay pretty.' Hmmm. It's a wonderful thought. Prominent Manhattan plastic surgeon Michelle Yagoda and globally recognized chemist Eugene Gans have developed a new powder supplement called Beauty Scoop. It promises a better you from the inside out. In just 3 weeks, you will see smoother skin, shinier hair, and stronger nails($95, 21 packets).

So what's in this vanilla-flavored beauty potion? Beauty Scoop is a pure powder that has great absorption qualities to it. It is safe and effective, and its ingredients contain bioavailable lipids and peptides, essential building blocks for beautiful skin, hair, and nails. According to the website, "Beauty Scoop is natural and vegetable-based, reinforced with key vitamins and minerals that act as catalysts to correct and enhance beauty naturally from within."

What's really amazing about this beauty powder is its simplicity. All you need to do, is mix Beauty Scoop with water or milk, and drink once a day. You can even mix the powder into your favorite cocktail! Dr. Yagoda and Mr. Gans don't advocate drinking alcohol daily, but on a special night out, enjoy a Beauty Scoop cocktail. Beauty Scoop's absorption is enhanced by alcohol.

Celebrities are becoming addicted to Beauty Scoop. Just ask Ricki Lake, actress and talk show host.

"It was fantastic! It was delicious and I don't usually like shakes and powdered drinks. I prefer this to a pill as it is all natural and in a drink. It is the 'scoop' in attaining beauty. Even my facialist noticed the changes in my skin."

Alysia Reiner, a film and television actress also praises this beauty potion and was ecstatic over the results---more beautiful, stronger hair. Alysia's celebrity hair stylist, Valentina V., couldn't get over the difference.

"I saw more hair in Alysia's scalp--new growth and enlarged pores. The texture was improved and there was stimulation of new growth. I can't wait to recommend this to my clients.".

For more information, visit: http://www.beautyscoop.com/.

'Bottoms up, baby!'

Ten New Beauty Basics To Buy Right Now

Skin care. Makeup. Hair styling. Diet foods. Exercise.

Beauty junkies like beauty knowledge. If there's a new beauty product out there, or a new beauty secret, or some professional beauty advice, count us in. We want to learn more. And we women should share our beauty knowledge.

We went shopping and found 10 new beauty basics to add to your limitless collection.

Hey, it's summer. Why not try something new.

1. Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller ($12.99). This is a cool little product featuring a rollerball tip, just like you see in some deodorant bottles. The cool, soothing formula instantly zaps away your puffy, tired eyes.

2. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Rejuvenator Starter Kit ($39.99). An at-home dermabrasion kit that has a wonderful vibrating exfoliating tool that gently smoothes skin and reduces the appearance of fine lines. You see results even after one use. Ask my best pal Patty and her husband, Andy. They swear this at-home dermabrasion kit REALLY works!

3. Dr. Scholl's For Her Foot Butter ($6.99). Now this is what we call foot heaven! If you are suffering from summer's dry, blazing heat, and your feet are taking the brunt of it, just smooth on some of this 'butter' and really bring back the moisture. Deeply hydrating. Your feet will thank you.

4. John Freida Luxurious Volume Lavish Lift Root Booster ($6.49). We LOVE the John Freida hair line. He's always creating new ways to make our hair, shinier, healthier, bigger, and non-frizzy. This volumizer is part of his newest line. Lots of lift and lots of height. Awesome.

5. Prescriptives Lip Strips in Tropical Warm ($29.50) This is a small compact full of pretty lip glosses, 5 of them, in fact. Gorgeous for summer, and you can pick a shimmer, cream, or sparkle finish.

6. Bed Head 'Light Me Up!' Tourmaline Nano Ceramic Styling Iron ($40). Tired of stick straight hair? Maybe your curls need a little oomph! This beauty tool is perfect with its one-inch barrel. You'll be able to curl and wave your way to a lovely head of hair.

7. Bliss Herban Jungle Exfoliating Soap ($16). This bar of aqua green soap lasts a very long time. It has all these chubby bumps on it. Great for cleansing, exfoliating, and massaging your way to a smoother body.

8. Essie Nail Polish in Bermuda Shorts ($8). Yes. That is the name of the nail shade. And it's so pretty in purple-pink. If you are too timid for violet fingernails, try this color on your toes. What a sexy surprise.

9. Tarte a Day Stay Lash Stain ($18). This formula sounds intriguing. It's full of mineral pigments that stick to your lashes for 4 days. No worry about clumping or streaking mascara.

10. Cargo Multi-mix Bronzer ($28). A great idea. Just mix this liquid bronzer with your moisturizer or foundation, and watch the lovely glow you get. You look sun-kissed in a natural way.

How To Use A Lash Comb For Perfect Luscious Lashes

Trying to make big, wide, sexy eyes?

Remember these 3 tools: a decent eyelash curler, some nice black mascara, and an eyelash comb. Don't try to skip the comb.

I admit, I have usually used a straight pin to carefully comb through my lashes. My friend, Patty, once told me that all fashionable Parisian women used straight pins to separate their lashes. She gave me that beauty tip back in college, and I never questioned her. Is it true? Who knows. But I have met a number of makeup junkies who also use straight pins to separate their lashes. They have become frustrated with lash combs that have broken teeth or clumpy old mascara residue caked on them.

Let's be honest here, using a straight pin to comb through your eyelashes works well. However, it can become a dangerous tool in an unsteady or clumsy hand. A few years ago, I was getting ready to head out to a Super Bowl party with my friends at a bar. I was hurrying, trying to separate my lashes, when I missed with the pin and scraped across my cornea and iris. The pain was immense. I panicked. I had trouble seeing. I rushed to an eye doctor who examined me, and told me I would be just fine in a couple of days. He chuckled when I told him how the accident occurred. My friends didn't believe my eyelash mishap. They couldn't stop laughing.

There is an easier and safer way to separate your lashes. You should use a lash comb. The key point to remember here, are the type of teeth featured on your comb. The plastic comb with the plastic teeth break easier and are tougher to clean.

Instead, look for eyelash combs that have gold-plated or silver plated metal teeth. For some strange reason, the metal teeth give superior separation. Separated lashes look longer, fuller, more natural, and widen the eye. Just clean the lash comb with alcohol on a cotton ball or tissue after each use.

And a lash comb is quite simple to use, except, you can jab yourself in the eye, so only use with complete attention. First, curl your lashes with an eyelash curler. Second, begin applying thin coats of mascara at a time. Then, take your eyelash comb and start separating, or combing through your wet lashes. Comb from the roots upward, immediately after applying each coat. You will like the results---long, thick, more uniform lashes. No clumps or 'spider-looking' lashes.

Here are 2 excellent eyelash combs we adore:

1. Perfect Lashcomb ($17.95, http://www.perfectlash.comb/. will be selling retail soon.) The beauty of this lash comb is its curved design with rounded sides (see photo of purple Perfect Lashcomb). This comb has gold-plated or silver-plated teeth. The layered teeth glide easily through your lashes, separating them perfectly.

2. Tweezerman Folding Eyelash Comb ($6.99, drug stores and http://www.sephora.com/). This beauty gadget also separates lashes with great success. It, too, features gold-plated metal teeth for quick and easy lash combing. You end up with long, natural lashes. Very convenient too, as it folds up neatly (see bottom photo).

Drink Your Vitamins And Stay Healthy

You've seen all the colorful bottles and waters. Designer water drinks are very popular these days. But is it possible to drink your vitamins, and actually get something nutritious out of it? Can you stay healthy by blending a powder with water or buying a vitamin-infused bottle of water?

According to many nutritionists, yes, you can pick up valuable vitamins and minerals, depending on what kind of drink you ingest.

Doctors will tell you, that nothing compares with eating loads of fruits and vegetables. But you can try drinking your vitamins, and actually benefit. And for those women out there who are vegetarians, women who are sucking soda all day, dieting women, teenagers, and older women, it couldn't hurt to drink your vitamins.

Vitamin waters are marketed attractively. The bottles and the water beverages in them, all look colorful and make you want to grab them off the grocery shelves. But these waters are not perfect. Some contain sugar, fats, or sodium. And some even have high calories.

Body bulders will tell you that whey protein powder supplements are more effective for the body than a vitamin water. And they might have something there, because women, especially, do not get enough protein in their diets.

William Evans, director of Nutrition, Metabolism, and Exercise Laboratory at the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging at the University of Arkansas explains why:

"Roughly 25 percent of adults over age 20, and 40 percent of those age 70 and up, fall below it, according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics, let alone eat enough to protect bones or muscle. And thin women, dieting women and elderly women--who are especially vulnerable to the ravages of bone and muscle loss--are notoriously low on protein. "Losing muscle causes older people to become weak and frail," says Evans..

Why do bodybuilders swear by whey protein?

1. Whey protein supplies the body with many amino acids. And these are essential for good health.

2. Whey protein has in it, a number of similar ingredients found in mother's milk. Whey is an important ingredient in baby formulas.

3. Whey protein is used by athletes to repair and build muscles after a strenuous workout.

Here are 4 Vitamin Drinks to try:

Optimum Nutrition Instantized 100% Whey Dietary Supplement. ($30, 80 servings, at health & nutrition stores). Just mix with water. 24 grams Protein per serving, 2 grams Carbohydrates, 160 mg. Calcium, 160 mg. Potassium. Only 110 Calories and only 1 gram total Fat.

N.V. Perricone, M.D. Super Berry Powder with Acai. ($60 for 30 servings). One scoop mixed with water delivers super anti-oxidant protection and essential amino and fatty acids. Full of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries and acai (the high energy berry from the Amazon).

Dr. Brandt Anti-Oxidant Water Booster in Blueberry. ($35 for 60 servings). Just mix one-dropper full into a cup of water. Contains 90% Polyphenols, the anti-oxidant found in green tea.

Special K Protein Water (K20). ($1.50 a bottle). Dieters have fallen in love with K20. It tastes good and is filling, and many prefer it to a soda. You get 5 grams Protein and 8 grams Sugar in a 16 0z. serving.

Dress Up Your Hair With Beautiful Accessories

How stunning are these hair accessories by Alex and Ani?!

Hair accessories are back in style for 2008. From colorful, jeweled barrettes to pretty combs and headbands, why not dress up your hair and have some fun!

You don't have to have long hair to show off a lovely hair comb. Any style will do. And if you hate your haircut, your bangs are too short, for instance, just clip a cute barrette to pin them back, or smooth them away with a leather headband.

Actress Charlize Theron wore a beautiful hair comb with her dazzling yellow Christian Dior gown at the Golden Globes Awards. If the hair accessory is very fancy, then save it for a red carpet-like evening event. Or if you want to make your hair THE fashion statement to your wardrobe ensemble, then go for it.

And Charlize is not alone. Other glamorous celebrities like Kristen Bell, Amanda Peet, Milla Jovovich, and Eva Longoria Parker, all love to wear hair accessories.

Alex and Ani designs gorgeous hair accessories, as you can see from the photos.

Bottom photo: Alex and Ani Vintage Cameo Mini Comb with Crystal Accents ($18.00)

Top photo: Alex and Ani Rhinestone Hair Clip ($38.00)

For more information, call 800-725-7822.

ULTA Beauty Stores Equal Makeup Heaven

If you're one of the lucky ones to have an ULTA beauty store in your state, then you know how spectacular this place is. A salon, department store, and drug store all under one roof. And if you don't reside in one of the 26 states where more than 250 ULTA stores are located nationwide, then you can visit http://www.ulta.com/. Trust us, you won't be disappointed.

Yes, you are in makeup heaven inside ULTA. You name it, you can hunt it down---makeup, skin care, fragrance, bath & body, hair care, tools, accessories, and a men's section. Big brand names like Clinique, Caswell-Massey, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Carolina Herrera, Cover Girl, Biore. The list never seems to end.

ULTA beauty also has its own line of beauty treats with very reasonable prices, too. And the quality of their makeup alone, is top notch.

What we really love about the Ulta beauty buying experience, are the discounts and special purchasing incentives. For example, check out this month's In Style Makeover Special Issue Fall 2008. Inside, you will find a purple coupon for Ulta beauty stores featuring a $5.00 discount with a minimum purchase of $10.00. Just apply the code when you shop online.

And at their website, there is currently a promotion going on for FREE shipping on purchases of $25.00 or more. And that's not all. There are a number of great specials--Buy 1 and Get 1 FREE L'Oreal Revitalift Daily Moisturizing Cream with SPF15. Or how about this---Buy 1 , Get 1 50% off on LaCoupe Hair care. Be sure to check back often, there is always a freebie at ULTA.

An ULTA beauty store offers you something, you can't always find at your local drugstore. Variety and volume. How frustrating is it, to head to your store and not be able to find any more Maybelline Mascara in Very Black, for instance. At ULTA, the choices are many, and the brands are by the hundreds.

If you adore makeup, skin care, hair care, and more, this is THE place to discover the latest trends and biggest sellers. From head to toe, and in between, ULTA is a beauty nation of its own.