fffabulous

the cherry on the cake

Now that your skin is all radiant thanks to the Clarisonic Skin Care Brush and the SKII Facial Treatment Essence, a touch of bronzer seems like the next logical step for a gorgeous glow.

One of my friends gave me the stila cosmetics illuminating finishing powder, bronze for my birthday, and I love it. Who thought I'd wear bronzer in the middle of winter and manage not to look like I have a bad case of spray tanning? This bronzer is perfect for all skin types and all complexions all year long, and adds warmth to any look. I apply this bronzer with the Mac Cosmetics 187 Duo Fiber Brush, and Voilà! A must-have in your make-up bag, and the perfect gift idea too! 

clarisonic skin care brush

I thought I was all equipped with the best hair dryer ever!, a flat iron and an electric toothbrush, but I guess not. The Clarisonic Skin Care Brush is the bathroom accessory to have this season. Yeah, baby! And get the pink one, because pink is fffabulous (mais bien sûr!), and a portion of the proceeds go towards breast cancer research. Our fffabulous Zoe tells us why she loves this brush so much:

"I got the Clarisonic Skin Care Brush in Pink a few weeks ago, and I LOVE it! It's sooo fffabulous! I can't believe it took me such a long time to get it. My skin feels so clean, it's a total game changer! I keep it on the cradle overnight, and then leave it in the shower for a few days without any worry that it won't work because the charge lasts forever. The test cleansers that come with the brush are very nice, and smell deeelicious, but I'm mostly using my Aveda face wash, and it is a great match. Around the same time I started using this brush, I also started the SKII Essense which, as you know, I'm pretty impressed by. The two seem to be the perfect tag team and my skin is definitely more even and a bit glowier.

And guess what? My husband is using the Clarisonic brush too, and it's been making shaving easier for him as it exfoliates a bit. Good thing they sell the Clarisonic Yours & Mine brushes in Graphite Gray & Pink. Now, you're all set for VDay, and you got a gift for yourself along the way. FFFabulous!"

it's a miracle

I now have three girlfriends who swear by the SKII Facial Treatment Essence. Vicky was the first to share using the SKII Essence, what it was all about (read more), and how much she loved it. I didn't think much   of it until Melissa, a wedding photographer, mentioned that she noticed a difference within a week of using the SKII essence: "My skin looks so fresh now, I sometimes feels she can go out in public without cover up." Then, Zoe described how she became a fffan of this "miracle water", and now, all I want to do right now is run to Saks to get my sample. Here is Zoe's fffabulous story:

"Hey fffabulous! I agree with your friends that the SKII Facial Treatment Essence makes a difference really quickly. After my skin consultation at Saks, I bought the normal sized bottle. They also gave me a sample too just to make sure I didn't have any allergies. Well, I just finished the sample this morning—about 3 weeks after the initial purchase, so for your fffabulous readers who want to try it but have sticker shock (at $155 for a bottle that looks a lot like it's filled with water, that makes total sense), it's worth asking outright for a sample because you'll know if it's for you or not before you'll need more. Additionally, I heard some reviewers out there say the smell is terrible, but I think it's barely noticeable so I'd tell folks not to let that put them off. I have problems with some dark spots on my face, and this (combined with Clarisonic Skin Care Brush) has made the single most noticeable difference ever. It makes you look so awake and fresh, you can go out without anything else on, and that's really nice for the days when your skin needs a break. Overall, it is very expensive but so worth the money!"

fffabulous giveaway: perricone md no foundation foundation

I am not a big fffan of fffoundation in general as I usually use concealer to camouflage the little imperfections. So, imagine my surprise when I read about the Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation. You mean a product that is not foundation, but acts like it and gives you a healthy glow? I'm in! Read what our beauty expert, the fffabulous Dee from The Candid Commentary, has to say about it and leave a comment on this post by Monday, February 8th, 2010 by 11:59PM PST to enter for a chance to win this fffabulous Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation SPF 30 (30ml). Yay!

"No Foundation Foundation is truly a marvel! A translucent lightweight liquid that is meant to allow your skin's natural color to shine. By hiding tiny problems, this formula wants YOUR natural beauty to come through - not a fixated color or tone. I used the No Foundation Foundation as a moisturizer - which is a big thing for me since I've stuck to the same moisturizer for a long time now. Using my fingertips, I did just as the directions told me, and applied it all over my face in circular motions. After a few seconds of allowing the solution to settle in, I noticed that my skin DID look evened out. My tone was luminescent and smooth(er) to the touch! The formula was light and didn't weigh my face down - nor was it greasy! There is a slight sunscreen-like scent to it but I didn't mind. I skipped my usual mineral foundation, and just applied my Smashbox Halo Hydrating Powder and was quite happy! It gave me that fresh, natural look that I wanted, and I even received a compliment from someone who said I was 'glowing'. Not bad Perricone MD!"

Giveaway Reminders:

• You have until Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 11:59PM PST to enter this giveaway.
• You must be located in the US only.
• Just make a comment on this post to enter — any comment.
• You must enter their email address in the appropriate field (email address not to be displayed publicly).
• Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
• One entry per person.
• Winner will be randomly picked and announced on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010.
• We will contact the winner by email, and get mailing information to ship the prize.

02/09/2010 Update: And our fffabulous winner is (drum roll) Carmella Woodard. Congratulations Carmella!!

so particulière

I was gonna get Chanel Vendetta for one of my girlfriends' birthday (yes, it's THE perfect gift idea!), when the Chanel Spring 2010 nail polish collection caught my eye. I had to try Chanel Particulière, and as soon as I did, I had to get it for my friend, and for me.

Chanel Particulière is a taupe shade, with grey and purple undertones; it is actually very close to the Inhabit lavender color, a color I absolutely adore! It is elegant and sophisticated, and will go with just about anything. A must-wear!

   

v for vendetta

Chanel never fails to impress when it comes to nail polish colors. This year is no exception. One of my girlfriends gave me the Chanel Vendetta nail polish for Christmas, and you should have seen my face when I opened my tiny gift. I was ecstatic!!

Chanel Vendetta is the must-have color this season, and my 'dark shade of the moment.' It is a deep purple shade, that is warmer than the Chanel Blue Satin shade, but that is just as equally fffabulous and trendy.

Directions: Wear it on toenails and fingernails all year long, without moderation.

ffface-a-ffface with Arlina: how to look magazine-ffflawless in real life

I keep hearing about airbrushing makeup these days—and there is even a store that opened down the street that specialized solely on airbrushing makeup. I thought I would ask an expert what this is all about, and why we should check it out. And I'm sure you are as curious as I am! Arlina is a makeup artist and owner of the Airbrush Makeup Shop and has kindly offered to tell us all about it.

Why is airbrushing so hot?

Absolutely everything is going HD these days, including your makeup! If you do a Google search on "airbrush makeup" you're likely to find a whole host of websites featuring the hottest trend in professional makeup today. Airbrushing makeup is the standard now in TV, movies, digital photography, and high fashion. The main reason so many professional makeup artists are making the switch is due to the flawless finish it creates. HD picks up *everything* and interestingly enough, the camera will pick up brush strokes, any uneven application with fingers, and sponge pattern.

But the real world is not in HD. Why should we check it out?

 There are some days when your makeup just has to look perfect...like on your wedding day! Most photographers are using digital photography, and makeup artists know this. They also know that airbrush makeup will last up to 12 hours without touch ups. When airbrush makeup is applied, tiny little microdots are sprayed evenly across the face for complete coverage. This also leaves enough space for your skin to breath so the makeup isn't dislodged by perspiration. Here's another great feature of airbrush makeup...it's sanitary. With traditional makeup, your foundation is contaminated the first time you use it. You open it, pour a little on your finger or a sponge, put it on your face and then touch the bottle again. Every time you do this, you are actually transferring skin cells into your foundation. (Can you imagine what's going on in your makeup artists bottles...ewww!). If you suffer from acne, or rosacea you know you need your foundation to be as clean as possible. Airbrush foundation goes from the bottle to the airbrush and then to your face. As little as 5 drops will cover your whole face in about 60 seconds!

It seems so complicated for everyday use. Any good reasons to make the switch to airbrushing make-up?

 Actually, professionals are using it because it's just so darn fast and easy. And the exciting part about airbrush makeup is that it is now being marketed to consumers...yay! Personally, I feel like it has the potential to be life changing for people with medical discoloration like rosacea, port wine stains, acne, vitiligo, scars and more. If you suffer from rosacea or acne for instance, you can conceal it in a natural way so you can have piece of mind and self esteem (check out our before and after pictures). Airbrushing is a good value too. Last time I checked, medical treatments for acne, rosacea, scar revision and micro dermabrasion are very expensive & painful, and it takes time to get results and often times you don't get the results you are looking for. Although airbrushing is not a permanent medical fix, it's a great solution when you need instant result.

Okay, I'm tempted. How do one get to select an airbrush make-up kit?

So here are couple of suggestions to keep in mind when selecting an airbrush makeup kit. When you shop for an airbrush makeup kit, you are looking for a compressor that has adjustable pressure. You fffabulous girls are savvy shoppers no doubt. You want to know you can find a compressor specifically designed for makeup. For instance, Personal Airbrush Makeup Kits are specially engineered compressors that have a pressure range from 0 to 15psi. It's as soft as a whisper and targeted enough to apply eye liner...yes, eye liner! It should also be able to sustain enough pressure in case you want to cover a tattoo, or apply spray tan solution. The other tip I would offer is to find a small compressor that you can keep on your counter top. Most of the airbrush makeup compressors are fairly large. You can find small ones at Airbrush Makeup Shop for about $300, and that includes makeup and an instructional DVD and other essentials like cleaning fluid. And if you are at all concerned with exposing yourself harmful UV rays just to get that bronze glow, you can use your personal mini compressor to apply spray tan too. It lasts for about 7-10 days and it won't rub off on your clothes or clog your pores.

I have learnt something new today, and I hope you did too. Ever tried airbrush make-up? Do share your experience in the comment section. And if you have any additional airbrushing questions, you can email Arlina directly. Happy airbrushing!

aveda volumizing tonic

Miss Alex and I share a love for Aveda products (gotta love the Blue Malva conditioner!). Here is one Aveda product she recommends, and it's one that I can't wait to try out, even if only for the smell!

"There are many things I am glad to have inherited from my mother but her fine hair is not one of them (sorry mummy!). But with Aveda Volumizing Tonic, it's all forgotten as this fffabulous leave-in tonic boosts my hair to its luscious potential. And it smells wonderful too! After you wash and condition your hair (hopefully with Aveda Brilliant Shampoo and Conditioner), simply spritz a few squirts of this tonic on to your tresses, blow dry and enjoy a day of ravishing locks! That's a lot of bounce for $15."

a delicious scent

"Another one of my very fffavorites is the Grapefruit Red Currant Eau de Parfum from Mistral. It is so fresh and so light, I just can't get enough of it. I have used two of these bottles in the past year. The grapefruit red currant scent is a wonderful scent you can wear daily, as it never smells too heavy or too fruity. And it only costs $52!

I also love all of Mistral's products. They have such gorgeous soaps, hand crèmes, and body wash, etc., so give them a try! Their products make a lovely Christmas present for the women in your life.

Oh, and Mistral includes free samples on every order, and will send you a free bar of soap when you sign up for their email newsletter." - Miss Alex

fresh sugar rose lip treatment

Miss Alex is back sharing her beauty fffavorite with us. Isn't it fffabulous? She previously mentioned her love for Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment, and it just gets better...

"I was so happy to hear that the Fresh Sugar Lip balm I love so much is now available in a gorgeous pale pink shine as well. The Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment SPF 15 is now my very favorite lip balm: it's a great way to heal your lips and have a bit of girlie pink on your pucker. And it makes a wonderful stocking stuffer too!"

ooh la la!

And since great things always come in pairs (don't they?), my friend Kim mentioned to me that the erase paste is best used with the Benefit ooh la lift. This pink balm contains raspberry extract and light-reflecting pigments that will instantly perk up tired eyes. Ooooh la, we like!

the best concealer ever

Don't you hate it when you've tried everything to hide dark circles, blemishes and all other imperfections, and it's either too light, too dark, too thick, or just not thick enough? Well, you don't have to settle anymore, ladies! Benefit has come up with this 'magic' creamy concealer that will erase it all. I've tried it out, and I was instantly sold. The Benefit erase paste has a perfectly creamy texture, comes in three different shades, and will brighten and camouflage any imperfections in one easy step.

Isn't it a great feeling to only be $26 away from having the perfect complexion?

viva the brushes!

This week is fffabulous beauty week and we're gonna share some cool beauty products that you're gonna love love love! My absolute fffavorite beauty product these days is the Mac Cosmetics 187 Duo Fiber Brush. Surprising, isn't it? I personally would never think of investing in brushes, and spending $42 on something that won't show on my face (per se) isn't quite exciting. However, this brush really makes a difference, whether you use powder or a compact or liquid foundation. It is, in fact, the accessory to use if you are using liquid foundation and want to achieve a natural look. Just put a drop of your foundation on the brush, apply it with a circular movement, and you're done—no mess involved! Isn't it fffabulous??

dior diorshow black out mascara

I always thought that there were two distinct families of mascara: the ones that make your eyelashes fuller, and the ones that lengthen your eyelashes dramatically but leave them ridiculously 'skinny'. I used to go back and forth between the two depending on my mood, and then wished I had chosen the other 'type' later. This was always the case until I tried the Dior DiorShow Black Out Mascara that a friend recommended. That day, I discovered that there is such thing as the perfect mascara. This mascara makes your eyelashes longer AND fuller. The brush is designed to make your eyelashes perfectly curled, separating each lash from the next, while eliminating the mess that often occurs the first week when the brush is oversaturated with product. But the best part of it all? Now I always get compliments on how great my eyelashes look—as if I gave them some sort of "special" treatment each day—when it's actually just my magical Dior Mascara!

mac cosmetics paints

I am a HUGE Mac Cosmetics fffan. So much that you'll only find Mac make-up products in my make-up pochette, with the exception of my Stila Lip Glaze, of course! Just the other day, Miss Zoe reminded me of the Mac Paints product. I have a bunch of Mac Paints tubes in my make-up box; I used to swear by those to get a more dramatic look when going out, and sometimes I wonder why I ever stopped using them. What was I thinking? Well, here is why Miss Zoe likes these tubes of paint so much, and I couldn’t agree more...

"Mac bills Paints as 'A high performance eye shadow product which goes on creamy; dries to a powdery finish' which it most certainly does, but they are overlooking a key factor: the Paints product doubles as an incredible base for any other of your favourite eye shadows. There is a limited range of shades which are mostly on the light side of the spectrum, but I have used this as a base for all my eye shadows–including some of my darkest and it keeps everything in place until I remove it. You can swipe it on thinly and with a couple of strokes of mascara you're ready to go on the weekend. For more formal occasions, a light layer can be used and if you add another shadow before it's fully dry, it will dry perfectly smooth and provide a satiny finish. These tiny tubes pack quite a punch and last for months. Next time you're in the market for a little make up based pick me up, take a look at these. Who doesn't like a cosmetic bag multi-tasker?"