fashion week: men in makeup

We women don't always have it easy: think childbirth, monthly pms, bad hair days. But one thing we can be grateful for is the right to wear makeup to improve and enhance our looks. I always thought it unfair that, for the most part, it isn't acceptable for men to partake in these makeup touch-ups to help boost their self confidence. Except maybe for big-time rock stars or your local hairdresser, you never see a man with a makeup brush in hand.

According to Lindsay Ebbin, National Makeup Director for Red Door Spas, times are changing. He gave the models at the Nicholas K show a classic GQ look.

"It's a great natural base for all skin types," says Ebbin. "My goal is to clean up the look, moisturize the skin and accent the eyes."

He says many men who work at computers all day long need eye cream and are looking to use concealers so they don't look tired all the time. He used a light moisturizer to hydrate skin, a natural, lightweight base to even out their skin tone, and a touch of concealer under their eyes to revive them.

Says Ebbin, "They want healthy looking skin so they can embrace their inner self."

While I'm no more ready to share my makeup brushes with my husband than he is ready to borrow them, I hope those guys who dare to try it reap the benefits.

For more info on this look, go to nicholask.com or style.com.

site focus: beauty connexion

A marketing and advertising veteran of 20 years, Roula Panagiotopoulos is an expert on promoting woman-focussed brands. She spent four years at an international skin care company and left there with a drive to provide woman with real honest information about skincare.

"The fact is, once my girlfriends found out my background they would pester me with all their skincare questions…like, "I have this, what do you think?" So she launched Beauty Connexion one year ago.

"We are a resource for women for all things beautiful from skin care, to style, to home, even down to their finances. For those savvy individuals, we provide expert articles, how to's, and new product launches. It's all about real information." Here, she shares her experiences with PrettyIsPrettyDoes...

Prettyisprettydoes: What is the inspiration behind Beauty Connexion?

Roula Panagiotopoulos: "The inspiration was two-fold. First, there were my girlfriends. Knowing my background in skincare, they would continually ask me about new products and what I would recommend for their skin type. The light bulb went off in my head quite quickly, making me realize the need for real information that was out there. In addition, there was my desire to support budding women entrepreneurs and give them a place where they can introduce their products. One of our recent features highlights woman entrepreneurs (5 Minutes With:) We have received great feedback on it. At the end of the day, it was about connecting the two."

PIPD: How does Beauty Connexion differ from other beauty oriented websites?

RP: "It is our experts that lead the way. These are industry experts that are currently working in the field in which they are writing about. And we feel that this manifests into articles with information that is unbiased and real. What we always strive for in our articles is to provide our audience with a little nugget of information they may not have been found anywhere else. For example we recently covered a launch of a new skin care treatment and, being curiously minded, we wanted to know what ingredient provided the effect so we dug a little deeper and shared that with our audience."

PIPD: Where do you hope to see Beauty Connexion five years from now?

RP: "We turn one in this month. It has been a tremendous year and we have been growing and learning along the way. Our goal for beauty connexion is to become the wikipedia of beauty and, in doing so, continue to help woman launch their beauty brands and bring aspiration to younger women."

For more info, go to www.beautyconnexion.com.

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Fashion's Night Out: at C.O. Bigelow Apothecary

New York Fashion Week is just around the corner! Kick off the week at Fashion’s Night Out on September 10, 2010 at the C.O. Bigelow Apothecary store from 6-10 pm.

The downtown landmark Apothecary store, located at 414 6th Avenue, is a neighborhood favorite to New Yorkers and celebrities alike and will have specials during the event from some of their top-selling brands. Vinny Guadagnino of MTV’s hit show The Jersey Shore will be at the store from 7pm to 8pm to meet and greet with C.O. Bigelow consumers. He will also showcase his essential grooming products and favorite beauty products for the ladies in his life that are all sold at C.O. Bigelow. Bring your cameras!

Learn how to boost body confidence and feel great in your skin with the experts from Mama Mio Skincare. Mama Mio will be serving complimentary mocktails while sampling its Get Waisted Body Shaper to reduce fat cells, tighten and firm tummy flab. Come on girls! Let's Get Waisted!

In addition to body treats and beverages, C.O. Bigelow will also have a makeup artist from Jane Iredale giving consultations and tips to stay fresh-faced all week long, a manicurist from Barielle for a quick polish change and a skincare specialist with Rilastil sampling the latest eye cream. Additionally, Soap & Paper will be giving away a free shea butter soap with any purchase in the store!

For more info on Fashion's Night Out, go to www.fashionsnightout.com.

earth day: reduce.reuse.recycle. with tarte

Happy Earth Day! In honor of, well, the Earth, I wanted to share one of the best earth-friendly beauty programs around--from Tarte Cosmetics. Until now, you've probably tossed your used up makeup tubes and compacts or stashed them in the back of your bottomless makeup drawer. But Tarte has come up with a better plan. Send them your empty clean slate primer and/or smooth operator SPF 20 foundation and they'll give you 15% off of your next complexion purchase (products include: clean slate, smooth operator, pressed powder, mineral powder bronzer). Sweet deal, right? There's more. Send your empty slide tin lip balm with SPF 15 and tarte will give you 15% off of any lip product purchase. Or send your empty cheek stain and receive 15% off of your next cheek stain purchase. You can do some good for the planet while stocking up on your new spring/summer makeup essentials. Go to www.tartecosmetics.com for more info and get Earth-friendly today!

breakthrough beauty: age eraser

prettyisprettydoes

gives you

an exclusive preview

of FOX TV's Good Day Dallas

Breakthrough Beauty feature...

as reported by Susan Redstone

I loved being 17. High school parties, boyfriends, never-ending summers...and great looking skin. Fast-forward a few years (ok, maybe more than a few) and I wish I could turn back the hands of time just a bit. Well, enough to erase some fine lines, crow's feet, age spots and other telltale signs of growing older. Seems like Maybelline New York has been reading my mind. The company's newly debuted Instant Age Rewind Collection, featuring The Eraser Treatment Makeup ($12.99), changes the concept of anti-aging for good. The Eraser is clinically proven to provide immediate results that reduce the signs of aging skin – going beyond covering and actually erasing. The micro-corrector sponge applicator gets into all of your skin's nooks and crannies, allowing coverage to reach fine lines and wrinkles so they can ultimately be erased. An advanced treatment formula provides perfecting coverage, instantly evening out skin tone, while blurring away imperfections and age spots for a more youthful, radiant finish. It contains the highly touted anti-aging ingredient, Goji berry, which features one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants ever, plus 19 amino acids, hundreds of times more Vitamin C per ounce than oranges, and four polysaccharides, which stimulate collagen production and help tighten and firm skin at the micro level. And they even remembered the sunscreen! SPF 18 protects skin from future damage so skin looks smoother and more radiant even without makeup. Just twist the product up into the sponge (just a small amount on the sponge will do) and apply to your skin. It's comfortable to wear and really blends in well. To find one of the 12 shades that suits your skin color (I like creamy natural), go to www.maybelline.com, then head to your local drug store to purchase.

holiday looks: ready to party

The best makeup looks are the ones you get tons of compliments on. People say things like, "Wow, you look amazing! I don't know what's different but you look great!" That's what happened to me when I tried these alluring N.Y.C. New York Color products in preparation for my New Year's Eve look. First, I tried the Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil ($3.99) in black--when they promise long-lasting color, they aren't kidding! I did a low-key smoky eye for day and it lasted way into the night. I mean, while many eyeliners will wear off by noon, I seriously had to scrub it off around midnight! Not only did the pencil have staying power, but it glided on smoothly and was easy to smudge slightly into a dramatic smoky eye effect. As if that wasn't sultry enough, I followed up with a couple of swipes of the Sparkle Eye Dust ($3.99) in Smokey Topaz. There's a built-in brush right inside the package--it's the perfect size for applying shadow--and the shimmery color illuminated my lids in a subtle glow. N.Y.C. make-up artist Mathew Nigera, who has worked on various a-list celebs such as Jessica Simpson, Kate Winslet and Marisa Tomei, suggests swooping the eye dust from the inner corner of the eye all the way to the outer corner. He says, "The texture and touch of sparkle will add a festive feeling and instant attention to the face. I would also encourage women to use baby blue on the lid and smokey topaz in the contour and underneath for a pop of color that will look very modern when paired with a flushy cheek and glossy pale mouth. Think 'Chic Ice Princess from the Alps.'” I am saving the self-adhesive faux eyelashes for the big night. At $1.99, how can you possibly go wrong? Go to www.newyorkcolor.com for store locations or visit your local drugstore to purchase.

holiday looks: the bold and the beautiful

Going to a New Year's party? Be fashionably late and make a bold entrance. Marie Gaglioti, Expert Makeup artist and creator of Dieci Colori cosmetic line, says the hottest looks this year will be bold and defined. Think red lips, smoky eyes and shimmery skin. Here's how to get them...

“Red lips are hot for the holiday season along with dark eye liner,” says Gaglioti. “Line your lips with a deep red liner and then smear the pencil color across your lips. Next apply a smooth red lipstick over your lips and pat a drop of clear gloss in the center to add volume and shine.” Try Dieci Colori Lip Shaper Pencil in Red ($14), Dieci Colori Lip Satin VII ($20) and Lip Polisher VIII ($18).

“Create luminous skin first by starting with a vitamin enriched moisturizer," says Gaglioti, "then apply a creamy shimmer stick to highlight your bone structure. Apply across your cheek bones and above your brows and a touch on your nose and chin. Add shimmering mineral eye shadow in silver, gold or bronze and polish your lips with the glossiest lip gloss in metallic shades or nudes and tans.” Try Dieci Colori Cheek Polish I ($25).

To create an alluring smoky eye, Gaglioti explains, “Apply a dark shadow to your lids and soften the edges with a neutral shade, then fade to a hint of ivory as a highlighter under the brow. Use a dark cake-eyeliner or gel liner to enhance the eye shape, add a lot of black mascara, then line under and in the eyes with black pencil.” Try Dieci Colori Eye Smudge III ($16) and Dieci Colori Eye Definer in Black ($18).

Go to www.diecicolori.com to see the complete color collection.