Tag Archives: beauty

Brushing Up With Beautiac

Believe it or not, I only recently started to realize the importance of ensuring I have clean make-up brushes! I think I just took it for granted that because I’m the only one using my brushes and I use colors so minimally that I don’t need to clean or change them often. Having blogger/vlogger friends who specialize in beauty has really made me aware of not just make-up how-to’s, but maintenance and sanitation.

Enter Beautiac: An ethical and environmentally conscious company who has developed a system where the subscriber will never have to clean any make-up brushes ever again! I was honored to try out their VIP package (pictured below), which includes three disposable brush heads (foundation, powder & blush), three universal handles, a dye-free blur sponge, an antimicrobial safe bag and smart make-up brush stand.

The brush heads snap on and off very easily, which should make monthly maintenance quick and simple. The brushes themselves are soft and holds any foundation or powder very well. The brush stand not only holds all of my new Beautiac brushes, but also fits all of my smaller, finer brushes. I’ve traveled back and forth to San Diego from Chandler in the time I have been trying out these Beautiac brushes, and the antimicrobial safe bag is so handy, and I get peace of mind knowing they’re safe when I’m in hotel rooms.

Finally, Beautiac has incorporated the “4 Quadrants” as a part of their social cause initiative: Environment, Cruelty Free, Women Empowerment and Health & Wellness (which you can read about here). An important aspect to me was the Environment Quadrant, because it explains how they recycle their brush heads through TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box Program.

For those who want to participate in this wonderful subscription box through Beautiac, you can use the code ANY10 at check out and get 10% off!

Cheers and have a wonderful weekend!

FTC Disclosure: I received the product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Inspired & Organic: Quench Naturel

At the end of last year, I was introduced to a wonderful line of all natural face, body and hair products called Quench Naturel. The co-founders launched their new Sweet Moringa collaboration at beautiful Singh Meadows in Tempe, and I was invited to preview this new line. It was a lovely evening of sips, eats, and getting to know the Quench Naturel products.

The Sweet Moringa line is a collaboration between Quench Naturel and Singh Meadows, using Singh honey and Moringa powder to create a line that is moisturizing and nourishing.

I have been using the Quench Naturel products since December of last year, and the results have been simply amazing! My favorite products by far are the Get Whipped Body Souffle and the Sweet Moringa Botanical Body Mousse. Both have butters and oils that penetrate dry skin and restore moisture. I had come to my wits end regarding my feet because I have tried everything to moisturize and heal them. In a desperate and last ditch attempt before seeking professional help, I used the Get Whipped Body Souffle on my feet. In the first week of use, the dry skin completely disappeared and the cracks on my heels have completely healed!

Another favorite is the lip balm, and I was given the Sweet Moringa Emerald Honey Lip Quench. In this dry Arizona heat, the Lip Quench is a staple in my everyday make-up routine, whether alone or under a lipsick or gloss. I have also tried the Sweet Lip Scrub, which tastes as good as it works!

Not only is Quench Naturel an ethical company who believes in sustainability, they also do not test on animals. Additionally, their products contain all natural ingredients, and they are very transparent about what they use, listing them all on their site, along with their benefits (here). Being that my skin is very sensitive, I need products that will not cause irritation and I am so happy that I have finally found products that work with my needs!

Nail Art: “Real Life” Sparkle

I tried something different than my normal nail care routine for artificial nails: I did it at home! I have these great nail wraps and stamp plates from Born Pretty that I would love to try without having to wait until my nails are the right length, or until I go into a salon just to get the acrylics. So I tried the Real Life Brush-On Gel Nail Kit by Broadway Nails, which I recently purchased from Target. They are very easy to use, but remember to re-apply the gel and activator once you file the nail seam to smooth out the nail tip. This will help strengthen your nails for whatever polish or wrap you want to apply.

The result? I think the pictures speak for themselves! In fact, it worked out so well that I purchased two more kits. So for the price of one salon visit, I get four complete nail changes. But really, how absolutely pretty are these nail wraps from Born Pretty (available here)? The pictures don’t nearly do these lovely wraps justice, and now I want to try all of the colors!

And remember, if you like the nail wraps you see here, or if you are going to make a purchase from their site, Born Pretty has given Any Second Now readers a 10% discount by using CGG10 at check out. Cheers!

FTC Disclosure: I received product and was asked to review the product in return. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

(Rings from the WendyB Collection by Wendy Brandes)

Nail Art: Starry Night

Born Pretty has tons of great nail products, and I recently got to review quite a few new ones! I’m a big fan of good nail wraps because they’re so easy to apply and in most cases, you can have instant nail art in about an hour! These nail foil wraps based on Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” were so much fun, I wish my nails were a bit longer to capture the full effect!

I’ll be posting more reviews in the days to come as I try out more products, and I’ll even have my niece join in on the fun as well (she’ll be very excited)! If you like any of the products you see here, or if you are going to make a purchase from their site, Born Pretty has given Any Second Now readers a 10% discount by using CGG10 at check out. Enjoy!

FTC Disclosure: I received product and was asked to review the product in return. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Simon & Refinery29 Present Style Festival at Brea Mall June 20

Join Simon and Refinery29 as they present Style Festival, a combination fashion music event at Brea Mall this weekend!

What:

Style Festival

An event that combines fashion, beauty and music in a fun festival type experience!

Style Stage: A shoppable “stage” of summer inspired trends curated by Refinery29 editors that feature select items from local boutiques and Brea Mall retailers.

Beauty Stage: Pop-up beauty bars featuring festival inspired hair-styling and a temporary tattoo parlor courtesy of Flash Tattoo.

DIY Stage: Guests can personalize custom band-inspired tour t-shirts as a keepsake souvenir of the experience!

Sound Stage: Guests will enjoy a musical performance by MS MR live in concert!

When:

June 20, 2015; 12p-5p

Where:

Lower Level, Center Court at Brea Mall

1065 Brea Mall, Brea, CA 92821

For more information visit these sites:

http://www.simon.com/r29stylefestival

https://www.facebook.com/BreaMall

https://twitter.com/ShopBreaMall

https://instagram.com/shopbreamall

A “Night of Beauty” Celebration on June 4, Hosted by The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care!

Next Thursday, The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care will be unveiling a new location at La Costa Town Square and hosting a “Night of Beauty” for their grand opening (please see all of the details and flier below).

I’ll be there, so come celebrate and say hi!

“To celebrate the salon’s opening, The Loft is inviting the public to a “Night of Beauty,” a Grand Opening bash on Thursday, June 4 between 6 and 9 p.m. The first 50 to arrive will receive swag bags stuffed with premium products and lifestyle gear, while all in attendance can enjoy complimentary cocktails and appetizers, raffle prizes, a live DJ and models, and beauty stations including a how-to selfie station, stress relieving treatments, Medi-Spa demonstrations, tutorials on summer’s hottest hair and makeup trends and more. Ten percent of product sales and all raffle ticket sales will benefit Dress for Success San Diego.”

San Diego Style Bloggers: Recap of the Beauty Blogger Workshop at Bellus Academy

To quote the charismatic actor Matthew McConaughey: “Alright, alright, alright!” Here is my recap of the San Diego Style Bloggers at Bellus Academy in Poway. Along with yummy desserts, coffee and goodie bags, it was a fun day filled with learning all about wonderful beauty tips for hair, make-up and nails. I arrived a bit late, so I came in during the hair styling demonstration given by stylist Erik Thrane. He did an amazing updo style. While pinning up the model’s hair, he mentioned that a good way to keep one’s hair pinned up securely was to weave the hair into the bobby pin, then pin it up into the hair.

Stylist Erik Thrane: Follow him on Instagram at @erikthranecolorist

After the hair styling session came a wonderful makeup demonstration by artist Marina Estrella. She gave so many useful tips. For instance, she explained that for mature skin (like myself), avoid shimmer and don’t do full coverage. Instead, mix color with moisturizer to give a more satin look rather than matte. A tip I used pretty much right away was regarding applying lip color: put the majority of the lip color while your mouth is relaxed, then smile to place the rest of the color. My favorite tip of the day: “Blending is everything. Blending is the secret of life…” This is something I will carry with me forever!

Makeup artist Marina Estrella: Follow her on Instagram at @marinaaestrellamua

The last demonstration of the day was nail art by Ally Caraveo. The entire time she spoke, she painted the nails you will see in the middle picture below. She stated she draws her inspiration from street art, graffiti, and tattoos. Wherever she draws her inspiration, it results in something incredible! Then the Director Of Spa Nails, Trudy Reynolds (pictured with Director of Community Relations, Leilani Angel), gave us some information regarding shellac and what it means in relation to nail care. This truly was a lovely event presented by Be Social PR, and our hosts at Bellus Academy were perfect!

Nail artist Ally Caraveo: Follow her on Instagram at @allycaraveo

Leilani Angel and Trudy Reynolds of Bellus Academy

Top photo: A quick selfie with Nicholle of Topknots and Pearls and Tiffany of Glitz and Glam. Bottom photos: Another shot of my lovely shirt from Wardrobe Ritual and my vintage Céline clutch purse (outfit post here).

Oh, and I won the raffle! Day of relaxation, here I come!

Follow Up on Allurent's 90 Second Beauty

From my previous post about Alurent (here), I reviewed their product, the Alurent Anti-Aging + Instant Erasure Serum, over the course of 2-3 weeks, just to see if I could see any improvement in my skin over time, especially since I’m now 44 and have really started to notice fine lines, wrinkles and sagging around my face. Once I applied Alurent and allowed the product around 2-3 minutes to sit on my skin, the effect was immediate and even better underneath my make-up.

(1. Before and 2. After)

I used the product directly underneath my eyes where I felt there was the most “sag”. I then used it at the corners of my eyes, on my forehead, and at the corners of my mouth where I felt there were more wrinkles. When used underneath my regular makeup routine, I found my skin to be more taught and refreshed. The result is a more youthful, yet natural look, which only improved with use over time these last few weeks.

If you would like to try the Alurent Anti-Aging + Instant Erasure Serum yourself, Alurent has provided a shopping code for the readers of Any Second Now, to discount the Alurent Anti-Aging + Instant Erasure Serum down from $79.95 to just $50! To purchase, visit this link: Alurent Anti-Aging + Instant Erasure Serum and add it to your shopping cart. Enter SHOP50 at check out for the discounted price.

I hope those of you who try Alurent’s Anti-Aging + Instant Erasure Serum love it as much as I do, and come back and let me know in the comments below!

FTC Disclosure: I received product and was asked to review the product in return. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

90 Second Beauty: Alurent Anti-Aging+ Instant Erasure Serum Review

I was recently asked to review a beauty product called Alurent Anti-Aging + Instant Erasure Serum, created to reduce and tighten fine lines and wrinkles, which many women my age tend to worry about. I just started to use the product, and I bravely took a before picture to show some of my skin imperfections prior to using the product. I’ll report back in two weeks to show any differences that I feel and see, along with a discount for Any Second Now readers who would also like to purchase the product. Come back in two weeks to see the results!

FTC Disclosure: I received product and was asked to review the product in return. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Nail Week Continues: Nail Cones Review!

I’m excited to continue “Nail Week” here on Any Second Now with one of two product reviews. First up is a product called Nail Cones. The concept is simple: polish your nails, not your skin! Created by yet another mother and entrepreneur extraordinaire, Cindy Christman wanted to get away from the “Q-Tip” clean up process (you know, where you dip the swab in nail polish remover and hope to the beauty gods you don’t damage your manicure any further). To combat this issue, Cindy came up with a sticker to surround the nail, where the nail polish would end up on the sticker and not your finger, resulting in a salon quality finish.

I followed the instructions as written on the package, and even watched the You Tube video to make sure I was doing it correctly (I started off with just three for purposes of this review). The stickers are actually very easy to use and does provide a way to get a nice edge (really do tuck the sticker tightly under the tip of the nail for the best result). Not bad for my first attempt, and I’m sure I’ll get better with more practice. For the price point of $5.99 for 60 stickers, it’s a great way to get a clean finish to your home manicure!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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