The Beauty Spotlight Team: Weekend Links!

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Thinking about your New Year's Eve look? Allison from Never Say Die Beauty loves the gleam of BECCA Après Ski Glow Eye Lights palette of neutrals that can do double duty on eyes and face.

Prime Beauty discovered a brand that not only gives back but its mission is to empower women! Check out her review of RealHer Cosmetics!

Are you ready for the Pantone Color for 2018? Beauty Info Zone has some beauties to share with you in their purple giveaway.

Pammy Blogs Beauty shares a gorgeous New Year's Eve makeup look with Osmosis Colour.

INGLOT Cosmetics picks to covet for the new year were just featured, swatched and reviewed on Lola's Secret Beauty Blog. Once you see the gorgeous pink blush and lipsticks you will understand why we are so delighted by this often under-the-radar beauty brand.

Jen from The Jedi Wife brings the sunrises down from the skies and onto her nails using shades from the new Zoya Nail Polish Party Girls Collection.

BeautyJudy has an epic list of 2017 favorites that spans hair care and skincare to makeup and nails!

15 Minute Beauty has been hard at work updating her most popular series, everything you need to know about pregnancy safe skincare, from a pediatrician' point of view.

Polarbelle has started her wrap up of the best products of this past year beginning with the much anticipated Highlighters Of The Year 2017

Are you looking for a great cosmetic line? How about one with everything under $5? Justina's Gems has some Glamour Dolls cosmetics that she's uber impressed with.

ColourPop cosmetics is on the face and mind of Shipra of Taneja's Bride. Find out more about the Semi-Precious palette and why you will love it.

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Shu Uemura Holiday 2017: Super Mario Brothers Hair Collection

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#shuxmario#shuuemura

Shu Uemura Holiday 2017: Super Mario Brothers Hair Collection 

Go on a Beauty Adventure with Shu Uemura and Super Mario Brothers!

Here is the story from Shu Uemura... 

On a snowy night in Tokyo, Mario takes you on a brave journey to help Princess Peach by protecting the Mushroom Kingdom’s makeup treasure. Along the way, gather shu uemura colorful makeup and playful cleansing oils to fight against Bowser who wants to see the world in just black and white. Dive into the beauty adventure and dare to win with colors.

For the 2017 Holiday Collection, Shu Uemura collaborated with Super Mario Bros., the legendary Japanese video game from 1985! Let’s go on a pixelated adventure to help Princess Peach and bring peace back to the Mushroom Kingdom with the Super Mario cast of characters and colorful makeup and hair care items!

I had a chance to try out the hair products from this collection. Let me tell ya'll, not only is the packaging super cute and a totally awesome throwback to the 80's, but also the products themselves are amazing! I am a long-time fan of Shu Uemura's Essence Absolue. So, I was excited to experience that product again. Plus, I have become a big fan of the Cleansing Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. My husband is using the master wax and that product is a hit with him! 

My Hair:

Before diving into my review, let me give you a little bit of background about my hair type. I have super thick shoulder lenght hair with a "lob" style hair cut. My hair is somewhat straight but it does have a coarse texture and has a lot of damage from very heavy highlights. Also, I heat style my hair every few days. So, I am looking for products to repair damage and protect from heat. Rarely can hair products be "too rich" for my hair. Typically, my hair requires pretty heavy duty conditioners and a heavy hand with leave-ins to make it feel nourished and to help it look shiny. 

Cleansing Oil Shampoo:

This oil-based formula deeply and gently cleanses your hair by washing away impurities while leaving the hair feeling nourished. This shampoo (and conditioner) work extremely well for my hair type. I feel like I get a gentle and complete cleanse without too much residue nor overdrying.  Retails for $57. 

Cleansing Oil Conditioner:

This conditioner was formulated to feel weightless. So, it is ideal for everyday washing (note: I dont wash every day, so I mean for every time you wash your hair). I do like to alternate this with a heavier conditioner since my hair is super damaged. However, if you have normal hair, this will likely be the only conditioner you need. It pairs beautifully with the Cleansing Oil Shampoo. Retails for $58.

Essence Absolue Oil:

This cult-classic and Shu Uemura bestseller is the ultimate leave-in hair oil and one that has set a high standard from which I compare other oils to. The ultra-rich leave-in oil contains camellia oil for intense hair nourishment and frizz and UV protection. The oil smells amazing and is the perfect "last touch" in my hair care routine. It leaves my hair ultra-smooth and super shiny. It gives my hair an amazing smooth texture and really brings shine back to my damaged hair. Retails for $69.00. 

Master Wax:

My husband is using this product as it really works well for his hair type. He has a thick head of wavy hair and this product leaves his hair feeling smooth and his waves looking defined. This product has a flexible (and non-stiff) hold. This leaves my husbands hair managed and shiny. Retails for $39. 

Overall, this collection was a huge hit for both myself and my husband! It is the perfect collectors item for any Super Mario Bros or 80's nostalgia fan! Plus, the products...amazing! Essence Absolue Oil continues to be one of my top 5 (ever!!!) favorite hair oils.

Be sure to grab this Shu Uemura Holiday 2017 Super Mario Brothers Hair Collection while it is still in stock! You will love the products and the packaging is just too cute!

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Osmosis Colour Mineral Cosmetics' "Midnight Glitz" Makeup Tutorial

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Osmosis Colour Mineral Cosmetics' "Midnight Glitz" Makeup Tutorial:

Looking for a gorgeous and glam look for New Years or any fun date-night out in the New Year? Look no further than this gorgeous makeup look featuring Osmosis Colour Mineral Cosmetics.

Created by Global Corporate Educator, Ami Mallon, I am excited to share Osmosis Colour Mineral Cosmetics' "Midnight Glitz" makeup tutorial. Featuring a perfectly contoured complexion and a smokey sparkle, please find the step-by-step guide below.

Step 1:

Using the Angled Blush Brush and the contour shade from the Lustrous Contour Duo, create a thin line from the center of the ear under the cheekbone down to the middle of the brow. Use the same shade to trace under the jawline and blend down to your neck. Then, bring this same shade from the temple across the forehead and blend.

Step 2:

With the Medium Accent Brush and the highlighting shade from the Lustrous Contour Duo, lightly sweep the high points of your face such as the tops of your cheekbones, bridge of your nose, under the brow bone, and the cupid's bow to accent your best features.

Step 3:

Prep the eyes by blending a small amount of the Age Defying Treatment Concealer with the Concealer Brush. Using the Blender Brush, sweep the darker shade from the Lustrous Contour Duo into your crease to create definition.

Step 4:

Apply the Black Eye Pencil on your lid from lash line to crease. Don't worry about precision in this step, we'll be blending it in the next!

Step 5:

Blend the Black Eye Pencil using the Contour Shadow Brush. TIP: Our Eye Pencils are long-wear and will set quickly, so get to blending as soon as you can!

Step 6:

Then, apply Black Eye Pencil to your lower lash line and blend under your eye using the smudge brush at the end of the Eye Pencil for a natural smokey look.

Step 7:

Using your finger or our Smudge Brush, dab Azure Water Color onto the center of your lid and blend into your crease and outwards.

Step 8:

Take the same Smudge Brush and apply a small amount of Azure Water Color to the center of the lower lash line to make the eye look larger.

Step 9:

With your finger or a clean Smudge Brush, dab a small amount of Opal Water Color in your tear duct area as well as under your brow to brighten and highlight! Then, apply several coats of the Volumizing Mascara to complete the eye look.

Step 10:

Pair with your favotire lip and cheek! We went with a soft, pink lippie using our First Kiss Lipstick topped with Flirt Lip Glaze and added a pop of color to the cheeks with one of our favorite blushes, Pink Pearl.

That is it! A beautiful and sophisticated look. Have fun re-creating this look for New Years Eve or any fun night beyond. 

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The Beauty Spotlight Team: Weekend Links!

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Christmas is almost here!!! :) Celebrate your time off and some down-time with some beauty reading from The Beauty Spotlight Team. Here are this week's best posts:

The IT Girl Palette from IT Cosmetics is housed in a beautiful glitz and glam crystal encrusted compact but is what's inside worth it? Find out in Prime Beauty's review.

If you're traveling this holiday season or even if you're not, Allison from Never Say Die Beauty recommends the mini Huda Beauty Smokey Obsessions eyeshadow palette she bought. With mattes and shimmers, it's a perfect neutral palette for holiday parties or for everyday.

Lola's Secret Beauty Blog is obsessed with KJAER WEIS Lipstick in Honor because it is ultra-luxe nude pink perfection #KJAERWEIS

With Christmas almost upon us and New Year's Eve coming up fast, it's time for Beauty Info Zone to show you some of the newest Milani Cosmetics to make you feel like a million for your parties.

Pammy Blogs Beauty shares the scoop on how to get Holiday Party Ready with these beauty and hair tools from Conair!

Christa from Realizing Beauty shares some amazing Skincare Gift Sets worth picking up for yourself. Well you could gift them of course as well.

Have you ever been to a makeup show? Beauty Judy had a great time at The Makeup Shop in NYC and shares all the fab products she learned about and bought.

Polarbelle had a makeup fail that she shares with us in her fun You Tube video but she had some successes too.

The Beauty Spotlight Team is excited for Stacie from Makeup Obsessed Mom since she was chosen to be one of Oprah's OMagInsiders. She shares her thoughts about this and about her 2018 plans with us.

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Makeup Wars: Last Minute Beauty Stocking Stuffers!

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Makeup Wars: 

Last Minute Beauty Gift Ideas: Stocking Stuffers

I am so glad that I am able to squeeze in one more Makeup Wars post before Christmas! Are any of you scrambling around to get last minute gifts? I don't know about ya'll, but I am! ;) I find that one of the easiest ways to put together a cute last-minute gift is to stuff a stocking with a "theme". You can literally hit your local Ulta, Target, Walmart, Walgreens, or CVS and get a cute stocking and have fun filling it up. So easy, right?! 

So, I am going to share some of my favorite picks for beauty stocking stuffers. Most of these items are easily available at your local drugstore, grocery store, Ulta, or big box store.

My Last Minute Beauty Stocking: Beauty Stocking Stuffer Ideas! 

Sally Hansen Holiday Collection:
Sally Hansen has some adorable sets as well as some specially packaged items for the Holidays! There are two box sets of polishes available and two scents of specially packaged nail and cuticle oils.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Mini Sets
Jazz up those tips and get jolly with the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure™ holiday collection of mini sets; quaint quartets of festive polishes in festive hues. The Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure™ offers 7 benefits in 1 bottle, allowing you to skip the salon, for a party ready manicure. The chip-resistant polish with Keratin features all of the elements you know and need: base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, salon color in chic shades, top coat, and gel shine finish. The Complete Salon Manicure mini sets are ideal for stocking stuffers and holiday gift exchanges- or just a treat for a bit of self-indulgence.

I got to try out the purple set of 4 polishes in purple/cool toned shades. This set includes Rags to Riches, Devil Wears Nada, a Perfect Tin, and Gleame Supreme. I love coordinating my toes to my tips. So, this set gives me lots of options in super flattering shades!

These retail for $9.99 each.

Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oil in Peppermint and Vanilla Buttercream
For a limited time only, Sally Hansen’s Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oils come in two delicious holiday scents. The oils are available in either tasty vanilla buttercream or refreshing peppermint. Indulge your senses with the creamy and merry aromas that celebrate the holiday spirit. Your cuticles and nails crave moisture and protection during the cold holiday season, so grab these Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oils for the perfect stocking stuffer gift. Enriched with a natural essential oil complex with Vitamin E, its formula leaves skin and nails feeling hydrated, soft, and healthy while helping to protect nails.

I also got to try the Peppermint scented Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oil. OMG! I am obsessed with the Peppermint scent. So Christmas-y!!

These retail for $6.99 each.

Dermalogica PhytoReplenish Oil Giftable Ornament: 
Sometimes it can be hard to gift skincare...but, not when it is packaged like this cute little gift ornament from Dermalogica! This little skincare treat is the perfect skin pick-me-up during this time of year when the air is so dry.

Dermalogica's PhytoReplenish Oil contains powerhouse oils that replenish your protective lipids, restore your skin's barrier function, smooth lines while locking in moisture, and leaving you with antioxidant protection. That is a lot of protection from just a few drops of oil! Retails for $18.00.

Pixi Beauty:
Pixi Beauty has a ton of cute specially packaged skincare and makeup sets for the Holidays. I have a couple of the makeup sets that are perfect for stocking stuffers!

Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen Trio:
This is a set of 3 mini Endless Silky Eye Pens in shades ranging from dark brown to a light shimmery bronze. If you have never tried an Endless Silky Eye pen, then you are missing out! They glide on silky smooth while laying down impressive color. Plus, they are budge-proof! They are waterproof and they wear incredibly well. This set retails for $14.00.

Pixi Lid Lovelies Festive Eyes Palette:
This slim and sleek palette features 18 shades ranging from light to dark in an assortment of neutral tones. You can literally create unlimited looks with this easy-to-wear palette. The mineral formula is nicely pigmented and it blends well. Retails for $22.00.

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque:
Ahhh...the holidays. Plenty of late nights, festivities, and indulging in food and drink. So, amp up your post holiday skincare routine with some facial masks! This Mint Julep Masque from Queen Helene is one that I always come back to. It is super inexpensive; yet, also it is super effective for clearing up your skin! I first discovered it when I was pregnant and used it as a spot treatment then. Now I love using it as a mask to deep clean my pores and prevent breakouts and skin congestion. The iconic Mint Julep Masque (now in new packaging) has been a staple in most drug stores for the last 20 years. Retails for $7.99.

L'Oreal Pure Clay Mask Detox & Brighten:
Here is another great drugstore facial mask! I love all of the L'Oreal Pure Clay masks. This Detox & Brighten formula does just that: it clears the pores and detoxes your skin with its charcoal and clay formula. It really draws all the gunk out of your pores. I feel consistent use of this mask can really improve your skin over time and decrease breakouts and congestion. Plus, my skin feels so smooth after using this! Love it! Retails for $12.99.

Covergirl Melting Pout Gel Liquid Lipsticks:
These award winning gel-formula liquid lipsticks are must-haves for any beauty lover. You get high-impact rich color with a smooth gel formula that has impressive wear. The shade range is from classic to bold and wild! Retails for $7.99 each.

SinfulColors Polishes and TopCoats:
Nail polish is a perfect stocking stuffer! I tried out an assortment of base colors and top coats from SinfulColors recent Punk Yourself Collection, which launched in October (available in ULTA). The five limited-edition Hypnotic Transforming Top Coats are so cool! You pair them with the core base colors to create unique and transforming layered looks. It is super fun to experiment with these. Plus, at $1.99 each, you can add a ton of these to a stocking! I find it super fun to experiment with nail color when I have time on my hands over Christmas vacation.

Here is a video that demonstrates how in one single brush stroke this innovative formula quickly transforms to create an instant melted, liquefied or dyed effect. The results are customized one-of-a-kind, individualized looks - each totally unique with each use!

Lip treats from Sara Happ:
Treat your pucker with some luxury lip products from Sara Happ. She has gift sets available for the Holidays or you can just toss in an assortment of her bestsellers like the Pump & Primp Lip Airbrush Lip Plumper, the Lip Slip One Luxe Balm, and the Exfoliate Lip Scrub. Such decacent treats for your lips and the packaging is beautiful...like a present! Sara Happ doesn't just have lip products...it is a true lip regimen. From plumping, masking, exfoliating, and protecting...the Sara Happ products will transform your lips. I haven't tried the Lip Mask yet nor the color products, but now that I am in love with these items, I am dying to try more from Sara Happ!

Marc Anthony Hydrating Coconut Oil Deep Nourishing Conditioning Treatment:
Last, but not least, stuff the stocking with a hair mask! Cold weather really dries out my hair. Christmas vacation is the perfect time to take a little extra time in the shower with a hair mask treatment. The Marc Anthony True Professional Hydrating Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Treatment ($2.99 at Ulta) is a lightweight oil treatment that penetrates the cuticle to help nourish and hydrate your hair leaving it smoother and shinier, while protecting from splitting and breaking, allowing hair to grow longer, faster.

Be sure to scroll through the rest of my fellow Makeup Wars blogger's posts for Last Minute Beauty Gift Ideas:

Thanks so much for reading! Merry Christmas!!! 

Hope you get all of your gift shopping completed and hope you get a chance to relax and enjoy the season.  

Sending love and peace to you all! 

XOXO!!!

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Get Holiday Party Ready with Conair: Hair Tools and Skincare Devices

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Tis the Season for Holiday Parties! Want to look your best during all the holiday soirees you attend? Give your skin an extra glow with the True Glow Sonic Facial Brush and give yourself effortless styles and curls with the Infiniti Pro Curle Secret 2.0 and Infiniti Pro 2-in-1 Stainless Styler from Conair.

Not only are these beauty tools fantastic for giving yourself an extra boost for your Holiday Party looks, but also these make for great gifts for the beauty and hair enthusiasts on your shopping list this year!

InfinitiPRO by Conair Curl Secret 2.0:

This is the most fool-proof styling tool that I have ever used for effortless curls. This machine literally does all the work for you! Give yourself effortless curls with this automatic curl machine. It uses auto-curl technology to literally draw your hair into the interior of the device chamber where it is gently held and heated within the titanium curl chamber and timed perfectly for a lasting curl. The InfinitiPRO Curl Secret 2.0 features 2 heat levels, 6 timer settings, 3 curl directions for loose, medium, and tight curls. I am amazed by the technology of this hair tool. Literally...you hair goes in and a curl comes out. Fool-proof!!!

Retails for $99.00.

InfinitiPRO by Conair 2-in-1 Styler:
Here is another revolutionary hair tool from Conair! The InfinitiPro 2-in-1 Styler is a multifunctional tool that can be used as a flat iron or curling iron. You can use this tool to create sleek stands or classic curls – no styling experience needed! How often have you flat ironed the top layer of your hair for smoothness before adding curls? I have done this many times...that smooth flat look at the crown of your head with loose beachy curls in the lower sections. You can now do this with one tool! I love that. What a versatile tool. The want features xtra long 1⅛-inch black titanium ceramic coated floating plates protect hair for less damage during flat iron styling. Plates heat up to 400°F
and the outer barrel heats up to 265°F. Plus 2 silicone removable cool tips to protect your fingers while styling.

Retails for $79.99.

Conair True Glow Sonic Facial Brush:
The Conair True Glow Sonic Facial Brush is a cleansing that works wonderfully to unclogs pores and wash away dirt and oil. According to Conair, it works 2x better than everyday cleansing. It features three speeds and an automatic even-cleanse timer prompts you to move to another area of your face every 10 seconds. The brush's sonic technology powers this facial brush at 300 oscillations per second. The kit includes 2 facial cleansing brushes. There is no question that I get a deeper cleanse when I use the True Glow Sonic Facial Brush. However, since I have sensitive skin, I just have to make sure that I do not use it too often. For me, once a week is the most I can use it without causing irritation. However, if you have less sensitive skin, you can use it more often.

Retails for $49.99.

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