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Quick and easy sun protection from Neutrogena for even the most sensitive skin.  Even though the sun isn’t shining in many areas of the country, the harmful effects of sun damage are still fast at work.  So protect your skin whether it’ s winter, spring, summer or fall.

My favorite sunscreen is the Pure & Free™ liquid from Neutrogena.  This oil-free and PABA-free formula is a powerful blend of 100% naturally sourced sunscreen ingredients for superior broad-spectrum SPF 50 protection. Free of fragrances, dyes, oils, and irritating chemical ingredients, Pure & Free™ Liquid Sunblock is great for sensitive skin.  It glides on skin, leaving it silky smooth, never greasy or shiny.  It is the perfect choice to use daily under your makeup.  It dries quickly and won’t interfere with your foundation. And don’t forget your hands!  They are the first place to show the signs of aging, so make sure you lather them with sunscreen everyday.  Shake the bottle really good before each use, then tuck it into your purse or backpack to keep it handy for reapplying throughout the day.

Stay Gorgeous girls….and protected! 

xoxo

Anne

Just about every woman reading this can say that she has a friend or a friend of a friend who is going through chemotherapy and suffering from the low self esteem that losing your hair, lashes and brows can bring on.  Not to mention that the overall nauseous feeling that is overwhelming at that time can have even the most confident woman feeling a bit down and out.

So what’s a girl to do when she has lost her locks and is looking for a little help when heading out for a special occasion?  A few tips and tricks can have you looking your best and forgetting all about those missing brows and lashes.

• When your brows are thinning or have completely gone, turn to powders INSTEAD of pencils to fill in and draw them on.  Choose an eyeshadow or brow powder [they're basically the same thing] in a color just a shade lighter than your natural hair color.  Using a stiff angle brush use short strokes to fill in the brows.  Start slow…you can always add more.  And when in doubt go with a lighter hand rather than a heavy one.
• If you still have some lashes, avoid waterproof mascara at all costs.  Waterproof mascara is much harder on natural lashes, so in order to preserve the life of yours as long as possible, steer clear of waterproof.
• And once your lashes have gone, don’t shy away from false ones.  They’re not as hard as you think to apply.  AND, if you choose the right pair, they will look completely natural.  My favorites…by Monda,   The 747xs for ‘extra short’ look really natural on.  They’re human hair lashes, and go on in a flash.  I like to use the Duo lash adhesive in ‘dark’.  Apply a thin strip of it….wait for it to turn dark, and once it does it’s ready to apply.

• If false lashes just aren’t your cup of tea, you can darken the lash line which will frame your eyes.  Choose an eyeshadow in a medium to dark brown if you have brown or hazel eyes, or in dark gray or charcoal if you have blue eyes.  Using a short angle brush and short strokes,and work the shadow right into the lash line, or in this case, where your lashes were.  This will give the illusion of lashes.

Stay Gorgeous girls…..

xoxo

Anne aka MsBeautyBuzz

Do you sip a cup of tea at night before bedtime to rest and relax your soul?  Well, don’t throw away those teabags.  Store them in the fridge over night.  Upon rising in the morning,  place the cool teabags over your eyes for 10-20 minutes.

The coldness of the teabags along with the caffeine will help ease puffiness and lighten under eye circles, giving you a completely  refreshed look.  A quick and easy way to look bright eyed and bushy tailed each and every morning, even when you’re dragging from sheer exhaustion!     Best choices; Green Tea or  Chamomile.

Stay Gorgeous Girls!

xoxo

Anne

I’ve been a busy bee the past 2 months on project after project, but when I read about this deal last night, I knew that I had to share it with all of you!

As you all know my absolute favorite foundation is Era by Classified Cosmetics, and boy oh boy have they got a deal for you.  Now keep in mind girls, it’s a fairly pricey foundation, but well worth every penny, which is why this is such a fabulous deal that you won’t want to miss out on.

It’s CHRISTMAS IN JULY at Era, and they’re offering $40 OFF any order over $65 PLUS FREE SHIPPING!  Now that’s a deal!  Just use their CODE- JULYXMAS as your Promo Code at Checkout to enjoy this big savings.

My favorite products:

• Essentials Collection- You get a full size foundation AND a Primer for $36.50 (regularly $58 sold separately)
• Glow-rious Collection- You get a full size Primer, Pink Topaz Shimmer [my favorite for cheeks] and Sun Kissed Bronzer for an all over glow- great on legs too for $32.50 (regularly $81 sold separately)

I highly recommend the Everyday Formula.  The original Era is great for Film and Television, but the Everyday Formula is just as good, and creates a stunning finish for all-day wear.  And their Collections are a great value.  So hurry over…grab yourself a can or two and treat yourself to a whole new look.

Stay Gorgeous Girls~

xoxo

Anne

We’re all in search of the perfect eyeliner.  The one that stays put, lasts the whole day, won’t run when you tear up and doesn’t make you look like a raccoon by the end of the day.

So many choices, so many claims to be “completely 100% waterproof”, smudge-proof, water-resistant etc.”  Well, I’m a tough sell when it comes to the perfect eyeliner.  And the makeup junkie in me just can’t pass up a cosmetics aisle to save my life.  So when I went strolling through the aisles recently and spotted a few brands that made, what I thought might be ‘ridiculous’ claims, I had to put them to the test.

First up:

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Eyeliner Trio

These guys caught my eyes with the words on the box 100% WATERPROOF. That was enough for me.  Sold. Well, don’t run down to the local drugstore yet girls.  They are NOT 100% waterproof, they aren’t even 50% waterproof.  As a matter of fact, of all the eyeliner pencils I’ve tried, these were the biggest disappointment to me.  Great concept. They come packaged in sets of 3, according to your eye-color.  Fool proof selection, and they would be great IF they stayed on.  They don’t even slightly stay on.  After application, you can wait 5 minutes, 10 minutes, even 20 minutes, then wipe these right off.  No scrubbing necessary, just wipe.  Two hours after application, the color was completely gone from my eye-line, and it was now under my eyes in a big mess.  Don’t waste your money.  These were definitely a BIG MISS on the Buzz-o-meter.  So far off the meter, they don’t even qualify for 1 star.

Next up:

e.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner

Now, in some cases you definitely get what you pay for, so what was I hoping for when I purchased a liquid eyeliner for $1.  Yep, you read it right.  Available at all Target stores, e.l.f. cosmetics offer beauty products at very cheap prices.  Unfortunately many of the items don’t really deliver either.  Their liquid eyeliner comes in a vast array of gorgeous shades, but you must have patience if you’re going to use it.  First time, it was gone in an hour.  Second time it barely stayed till Noon.  Third time, and this was the only attempt that I could actually get it to last past lunch, was to layer almost 4-5 layers of it.  Even then, it was gone by the end of my 8 hour day.  However, if you have to apply 5 layers to each eye, are you really saving that much money?  After all, with daily use this won’t last you beyond 2 weeks, not to mention you have to allow a lot of time to apply your liner every morning.  Too much effort for me.  2 out of 5 on the BUZZ-O-METER.  

Moving on to:

Maybelline Eye-Studio Master Drama Cream Pencil 

This one caught my eye with the claim “smudge-proof and water-proof for 16 hours”.  REALLY?  SIXTEEN HOURS?  That’s a pretty hefty claim to fame for an eye-pencil, so I was up for the challenge.  A reasonable $8 price tag, I thought that was a deal if it was going to create a look like the one on the model in the display that lasted for 16 hours.  Ultra creamy this pencil glides on.  The draw-back, it just doesn’t stay put.

Here is the model.  I’m guessing a little airbrush work on the picture because the liner on the bottom never looks quite that smooth for long. Now don’t get me wrong.  It really does glide on with ease.  No tugging or pulling, but it also never dries to completely be waterproof either.  Just an hour later the bottom liner is sparse and patchy. ANNE’S TIP: Try ‘powdering’ over the pencil to give it longer staying power.  Choose an eyeshadow color in a shade as close to the pencil color as possible. With a small angle brush dab along the line with the shadow.  This will help ‘set’ the liner for longer wear.  A little trick we learned in makeup school.           3 out of 5 on the BUZZ-O-METER

And last but not least:

N.Y.C. Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil

This has got to be my favorite for the price!  A bargain at $3.99, this pencil delivers smooth color every time.  Doesn’t glide on quite as easy as the Maybelline pencil, but this is truly an old-fashioned kohl pencil made in Germany.  They say it’s waterproof- I’m not sure if any pencil is really waterproof, but it is very water resistant!  Once on, you have to use a little muscle to get it to move.  Moody Blue is my favorite.  A beautiful blend of royal and navy.  The only drawback to these pencils- they’re hard to find.  They say they’re available in most WalMart, Target and Rite Aid stores, but the pencils are almost always out of stock.  At that price, when you do find them, stock up!   4.5 out of 5 on the BUZZ-O-METER  

My lesson here.  If the claim on the box sounds too good to be true, like Mom always said “it probably is”.  More fabulous eyeliner reviews tomorrow….stay tuned!

Stay Gorgeous Girls~

xoxo

Anne 

• Enter our Kick off to Summer Sweepstakes

The kids are graduating, grills have been fired up, boats are launching and Summer is on the horizon.  With Summer comes shorts, sandals, sundresses and baring those legs and other body parts that have been safely tucked under wool the past 6 months.

If the glare coming off your legs is comparable to that off the ski slopes in the Swiss Alps, then have I got a quick fix for you!

Say hello to my favorite Self Tanner today, and you’ll be looking good tomorrow.  Titanium Self Tanner by California North is hands-down the best available on the market today.  Chosen by top models and actresses across the country, it will never leave you orange or un-natural looking.  Their patented formula reacts with your own skin to give you the most natural custom tan.  Apply it twice the first day, and then maintain your tan with additional applications every 4-6 days.

ANNE’S QUICK TIPS:

• Mix a couple drops of it with your favorite facial moisturizer for a daily dose of summertime sun.  It will add just enough color to give you a nice warm glow.
• Exfoliating completely before first application will add life to your tan.  A simple sugar scrub in the shower will rid your skin of dead skin.  Add a couple teaspoons of table sugar to the palm of your hand and work into wet skin after cleansing.  Then simply rinse off.

So are you READY TO WIN your own bottle of California North Titanium Self Tanner?  We’re teaming up with ANNETICIPATION and  giving one away in our Kick Off to Summer Sweeps! 

Here’s how to win:

1. Tells us in the comments of this thread WHY you should win, then SUBSCRIBE to MsBeautyBuzz.  You must be a subscriber to win.
2. That’s it- then sit back and wait.  A winner will be chosen at random on  Monday, June 4th. *No purchase necessary-winner chosen at random*

“Everything’s coming up roses for me”  -Ethel Merman

Almost every home and garden has at least 1 rose-bush in it.  My guess is that you walk past it everyday without evening knowing that you’re sitting on a beauty goldmine…am I right?  Well read on ladies, and you’ll never look at a dead rose quite the same way again.

If you’re over the age of 40 chances are you had a Grandmother than introduced you to rosewater- or perhaps a concoction of rosewater and glycerin.  The sweet smell of rosewater will always remind me of my Grandma and her ‘dressing table’.  Awwwww, the memories.  Grandma sure knew what she was talking about.

There is nothing more soothing to the skin, especially dry and sensitive skin than a homemade tonic of rosewater.  Used as a toner following cleansing, it will soothe and moisturize the skin, naturally.  Preservative and artificial fragrance free, and if you own a rose-bush, fairly inexpensive.  So gather up your rosebuds, and take yourself back to a time when life was easier, and beauty treatments were simple and natural.

Easy to Follow Steps:

1. Gather petals from approximately four wilted roses or enough to firmly pack 1 cup.  Don’t bother taking them when they’re in full bloom- enjoy their beauty and when you feel they need to be pruned, remove the petals for use.
2. Place rose petals in a heat-resistant bowl- glass or metal.
3. Pour approximately 2 cups boiling water over the petals.  The water should completely cover the petals but shouldn’t fill the entire bowl.  Add just enough water to cover petals with approx 1/4 inch  additional.
4. Cover the bowl with a lid, or inverted dinner plate to allow the petals to steep for 30-40 minutes trapping the beautiful natural fragrance in the water.
5. Using a sifter or strainer, pour the water into a mason jar.  If capped tightly your rosewater will keep for up to 10-12 days in the refrigerator.  You can add 1 tbsp of vodka per 16 ounces of water to the mixture which will act as a natural preservative extending the life of your rosewater to 30 days. Pour half your rosewater into a small spray bottle for misting skin after cleansing or before putting your makeup on.

The benefits of rosewater are endless for dry skin.  An ancient old beauty secret it has been used for centuries by women.  Completely natural and chemical and preservative free.  Modern practices of loading cosmetics with fragrances to mask the preservatives sent women with sensitive skin on a scavenger hunt for products that didn’t irritate their skin.  Used in its basic form, it is one of the most soothing astringents and toners available.

If you have extremely sensitive skin, yet are in need of a moisturizer, try mixing 50% of your rosewater creation with 50% Glycerin [available at any drug store].  It is one of the best natural moisturizers around.  Keep in mind you’ll want to mix this in small batches as there are no preservatives in your natural cosmetics.  The little time you’ll invest each week is definitely worth the final outcome.

TIP: Use your rosewater instead of regular water to wet your makeup sponge when applying liquid or cream foundation.  It makes your foundation glide on your skin.

Stay Gorgeous Girls!

xoxo

Anne

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• Brush Cleaning 101
• Foundation Application Made Easy
• Airbrush Makeup Made So Easy 

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” -Nathan Hale

Memorial Day…for many, the official start to Summer.  But for all of us, it should be more than just another 3 day weekend that allows us time to gather around the BBQ for another feasting get-together.

We should all take a moment out of our day, to reflect on those lives lost to protect our freedoms.  Men and women who took the oath to defend their country, and those who live in it. Without hesitation they run into danger, when most of us are running from it.

This day makes me especially think of the Moms and Dads, wives, husbands and children left behind.  They sacrifice so much that is taken for granted.   So this Memorial Day, before you head off to whatever backyard BBQ you may be headed to, please take a moment to say a prayer and give thanks for the service of all who proudly wear the uniform today, and a prayer for the families of those who have lost someone in our armed forces.  This day must be especially difficult for them.  We will always honor their memory, and remember their unselfish service.

Have a safe and peaceful Memorial Day!

xoxo

Anne

Every woman who wears foundation is constantly in search of a flawless finish, and the tool to achieve this with.   I recently spoke with an actress who sat in my makeup chair and complained about all the foundation choices available today.

She has spent a fortune on foundations over the last year.  I asked her to apply her foundation for me so I could see what the problem was, and as I suspected, it wasn’t so much with the foundation but with the technique and tools she used to apply it.

One of the newest beauty tools to hit the market is the BeautyBlender makeup sponge.  It’s an egg-shaped latex-free sponge that has no sides or sharp angles allowing an easy and perfect application.  The only drawback is the price- $19.95.  This just seems a little high for me when it comes to a sponge.  Afterall, eventually you are going to want to replace it.  Even my favorite foundation brush is less expensive.

But an alternative has been found- the new Fabulous Finish Blending Sponge is almost identical to the ever popular BeautyBlender.  One third the price, this new little find has become one of my secret tools.

It really does create a flawless finish for foundation, and makes application a quick and easy 1-2-3.   Rinse it out after every use with a drop of your favorite facial cleanser and allow it to dry.  It’s latex free, hypoallergenic and mildew resistant.  So there’s no need to worry about it. You can also use it to clean up under-eye spills of your eye-shadow.  This is one of my new must-haves in my beauty bag.    Use, rinse, dry and forget about it.

Stay Gorgeous Girls….

xoxo
Anne

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Spring and Summer 2012 are all about stylish comfort.  Whether you’re heading out for a girls day of shopping, or dining on the town with your special someone or packing for a Summer filled with a great get-a-away, affordable fashion is what you’re looking for.

Mix and match separates that can take you from day-to-night with the simple addition of a trendy accessory are great when packing for a long trip.  Online ladies fashions are available 24-7 no matter what time of day you are in the mood to shop.

Whether you’re looking to add a few daytime pieces or update your basic black dress, this women’s clothing catalog is sure to have something for every girl.

And have they got a deal for you- TAX DAY SPECIAL includes savings of 50% off ALL merchandise.  Hurry over, this sale won’t last forever, after-all, your taxes are due tomorrow!

Shop till you drop ladies…..and as always,

Stay Gorgeous Girls~

xoxo

Anne