When higher end cosmetic companies have a clearance section, I find it’s a great time to check out new products. Not only are they limited edition (which makes them a great addiction to your stash) but they are often at lower prices. Hard Candy is one example of this. Right now Lancome has a lot of great items in their Beauty Bye-Bye section that are worth picking up. One item that I am seriously tempted by is the Juicy Tubes World Tour Lip Gloss, which is pictured here. The vintage illustrations on the packaging is too cute! This limited-edition collection originally had 4 shades, all inspired by the main fashion cities in the globe, with each tube decorated by London fashion designer, Christopher Kane. The two shades left in stock are Fifth Avenue Frosting and Grand Café Crème Brûlee. Both of which look like great shades.

You can also pick up some other items that will soon be gone, such as Le Vernis Roses Nail Color in limited-edition shades. While the shades (Rose Macaroon, Rose Royale, and Rose Fleurette) are a bit too pastel for fall, buy them now and wear them in the spring when they will be in style and impossible to get a hold of. I don’t know about you, but I think that a Last Chance on Limited Edition Lancome Beauty Loot is always a good thing.

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As the mornings and nights are getting a bit cooler out, I’m definitely getting more and more excited about fall fashion and beauty items. I’ve been really into listing lately and wanted to make a list of all the fashion and beauty items that I am looking forward to the most this fall.

+ Getting to wear Ugg’s. I love my tall chestnut ones, and would love to get some crochet ones, like the ones featured here.
+ Dark vampy nail polish. I love burgundy shades the most.
+ An excuse to pull out the black liquid liner as often as possible.
+ Being able to layer as much as I like without getting weird looks. I tend to wear at least 3 layers every day (usually two tanks and a shirt). In the summer, people find this a bit odd. I see it as a chance to add some extra color and texture to a look.
+ Knee socks. I love knee socks. Especially argyle ones.
+ Slouchy boots. I didn’t pick up a pair last year and have decided that, no matter what, I will this year.
+ Scarves. Again, people look at your strange when you wear them in the summer. You can wear them every day in the fall if you like.

What are some of the fall fashion and beauty trends that you are excited about?

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As a sunless tanning addict, I was surprised that I had never ventured beyond the lotion formula’s and one spray sunless tanner. While I’m not 100% opposed to laying out by the pool to get a tan, overall, I don’t consider the risks of a tan to be worth it. Who wants pre-mature aging, sunspots, and the risk of cancer when you can get a golden glow without those risks? With so many options on the market I think that, just as with any skin care option, it’s a great idea to research products and try new items. Sometimes you might end up disappointed, but there are times when you are going to stumble upon a great find. This was the case when I tried TanTowel.

The TanTowel is exactly what it implies - a sunless tanner infused cloth towel that’s about the size of a baby wipe. You start with clean, dry, and exfoliated skin (just like with any other self tanner). Exfoliation is really important because that alone can determine if you end up with an even glow or streaks. TanTowel even makes a X- Foliator towel that will do the process for you. Unlike other sunless tanners, you should not moisturize before hand. This will actually have a negative effect on the TanTowel. The first TanTowel that I used was the Full Body Classic for fair to medium skin tones. The cloth was enough for me to cover my full body applying with slow, even, circular strokes. You can use it all over. Even on your face! It dried incredibly fast. This is great because it’s a pain to sit around waiting for regular sunless tanner to dry. When you have to spend more time waiting for a product to dry than applying it, it isn’t always worth the time. These would be very easy to use for everyone who doesn’t have the extra time or who simply doesn’t want to spare the extra time.

As with all sunless tanners, it takes a few hours for your full color to develop. I was so excited and nervous to see how my skin turned out! After several hours, my skin had a gorgeous and streak-free glow to it. It looks like I spent the weekend laying out by the swimming pool instead of just a few minutes with a TanTowel! In fact, the only problem I had with TanTowel was that I missed a couple of places. Thankfully, I was able to go over those areas with the Half Body Classic towel and they are now perfectly blended.

TanTowel is now my latest sunless tanning addiction. I’m so glad that I have a few more towels on hand before I’ll need to re-stock! The Classic Starter Package is very tempting. I may have to take some before and after pictures next time so that I can try to win a $300 TanTowel Shopping Spree and really stock up on their products. I think that the best thing about TanTowel is that it doesn’t contain any dyes or stains. It reacts with the proteins and amino acids in your skin to produce a great glow. This means that it won’t rub off or stain your clothing. With all the pro’s involved (quick drying time, no staining, great results) TanTowel is definitely a great product that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in a sunless tanning product.

Have you tried TanTowel before? What have been your experiences with TanTowel or similar types of sunless tanning?

While recently browsing the NARS website, I came across a great video tutorial for how to create natural looking and flawless make up. The tips in the video, for both what products to use and application, are extremely helpful and can be adapted into any beauty regiment. With just a few products you can go from completely natural to naturally gorgeous. So, what are you waiting for? Get The Look : A Healthy, Radiant Complexion From NARS!

For those who do not wish to view the video (which can be accessed by clicking the image above or going here), the steps from the video are explained below.

What are your tips and tricks for naturally gorgeous skin??

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The creative genius’ over at shu uemura have come up with the it lip color for fall. While everyone is going crazy over the current trend of dark lip colors, it’s definitely not a trend that everyone can pull off or wants to pull off. The New Rouge Unlimited Creme Matte Lipstick from shu uemura is exactly the opposite. While it offers a matte version of the dark burgundy shade that’s all the rage, most of the colors are great nudes, pinks and reds. It comes in shades that are not only gorgeous, but will flatter everyone. There’s a reason that so many beautiful celebrities, such as Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera, love to wear matte lipstick. Matte lipstick is great to have on hand because it looks classic and chic. You can always add some lip gloss on top to add some shine.

The shade pictured on the model (left) reminds me a lot of the movie Amelie and how naturally gorgeous her lips were in that film. You could wear this lipstick alone or pair it with dark black eye liner for a more glam look. Personally, I love the shades Pink 318 and Orange 534. At $23.00 USD this lipstick isn’t too expensive and the quality is probably worth the money. You can find it online, at department stores, and at Sephora.

Do you like the trend of matte lipstick for fall? What colors of shu uemura’s Rouge Unlimited Creme Matte Lipstick would you wear?

We’ve all make beauty resolutions of one kind or another. We all mean to stick with it. But, we rarely do. While I think that most resolutions are made to be ignored, there are some that it’s important to get serious about right now. One of the most important tips of advice about skin care that I’ve found was that your skin only gives as good as it gets. If you don’t take care of it, you are not going to have the glowing and spotless skin that we all want to have. It doesn’t mean that you have to shell out lots of cash, go to the spa, or any other ridiculous notion either. You can turn your skin around with several small habits. Here’s my list of Five Beauty Habits To Start Now.

1. Wear Sunscreen : Seriously, this could not be said enough! Take a look at your skin in the mirror now. Then, imagine how you are going to look in 10 or more years after not wearing sunscreen - wrinkles, dark spots, dry patches… It’s not pretty! Time and time again I hear older women saying that the one thing they wish that they would have done was to wear more sunscreen. They make sunscreens that are specifically for the face, so they won’t clog your pores like they used to. Make sure that you are getting one with an SPF of at least 30. Apply it daily to your entire face, ears, neck, and chest. My favorite is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 55.

2. Stop Tanning : In this day and age of sunless tanners, gradual tanners, liquid bronzers, powder bronzers, and spray on tans, there’s no reason to be so mean to your skin. People who use tanning beds are not only going to see the effects of not wearing sunscreen but, since the harmful rays are being released closer to their skin, the effects are going to show up sooner and the toll it takes on their skin is going to be larger. Not to mention the risks of skin cancer. Just because you stop tanning doesn’t mean that you have to be pale either. Check out my Tips For A Flawless & Safe Sunless Tan, which will give you a healthy, safe, and natural looking tan in no time.

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For fans of brightly colored and unique shades of eyeshadow, things just got better. This week is the introduction of New Matte Shadow Shades from Urban Decay. The three new shades are titled Heist, Electric, and Shakedown. Two of which, Electric and Shakedown, are vegan and cruelty free!

Heist is described as a dusty purple, making it a great shade for fall. Shades of purple, especially eggplant hues, are going to be huge this fall. They are a great way to add a touch of color to an otherwise plain look without going overboard. Especially for fellow green eyed girls out there. A touch of purple shadow can really make your eyes pop.

Electric is described as an electric blue, which is perfect for those who love bright colors. This is the shade that you are going to want to break out on those cloudy days when you are wishing for it to be bright and sunny outside again. It’s also a great shade for the brown eyed girls out there who are lucky enough to be able to wear any shade their heart desires.

Shakedown is described as a taupe shade, which makes it great for everyday wear as well as every eye color. Every one needs a great nude eyeshadow shade in their bag. Lots of girls, such as Kim Kardashian, rely on great nude shades similar to this Urban Decay shade to help them look amazing.

You can pick up all of the matte shadows, not just these new shades, here.

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