BEST OF BEAUTY

When you want to know the best, you go to the experts. We consulted four beauty professionals, who shared their favorite products. Now you know their secrets to getting the look.

The beauty industry never stops trying to lure you into buying new primping products. With each season comes a slew of new lip glosses, eye shadow palettes and hair products that promise to do the kind of things miracles are made of. Consumers find themselves swimming in a sea of claims and cures. The never-ending dilemma seems to be which to pass up and which to convert to.

We’d like to ease the stress of such life-altering decisions. Here, we provide you with opinions from industry professionals. These are the people who know the products inside out and have cut out most of them to provide clients with superior service. Take a look at the products that make their best of beauty lists.

Krystle Randall, makeup artist

• Lip Gloss: Murad Energizing Pomegranate Lip Protector SPF, $16.50, Sephora. This antioxidant-rich lip therapy replenishes dehydrated lips.

• Lipstick: Bobbi Brown Tinted Lip Blams, $18, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Summer must-haves for those who don’t like the full coverage of lipstick but still want color and protection.

• Blush: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Palletes, $38, Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show mall. Great for on-the-go, all-in-one colors for eyes and face.

• Concealer: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch Pen Concealer, $40, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Convenient concealer in a pump pen. Great for on-the-go and touch ups!

• Eye Shadow: MAC powder eye shadow, $14, MAC Cosmetics at Town Square. Highly pigmented in every shade and color.

• Eyeliner: Lancome Le Stylo Waterproof long-lasting eyeliner, $23, Dillard’s. This twist tip liner never needs sharpening and has a smudger on the other end for smoking it out if desired.

• Mascara: Mary Kay Signature Ultimate Mascara, $15, Marykay.com. All-in-one formula for long thick and voluminous lashes.

• Foundation: Aveda Inner Light Tinted Moisture APF 15, $25, Aveda at Fashion Show mall. This long-wearing, oil-free tinted moisturizer gives a good coverage while also moisturizing and protecting with a mineral derived sunscreen. Coverage is sheer and dewy but can be layered for a fuller coverage. A pressed or loose powder can also make coverage thicker.

• Loose Powder: Makeup Forever Super Matte Loose Powder, $24, Sephora. A light silky matte powder for wearing alone over moisturizer or to set a foundation. • Pressed Powder: NARS Powder Foundation, $45, Sephora. Lightweight, good coverage, SPF 12, flawless coverage.

• Brow Product: Smashbox Brow Teach, $24, Ulta. One side is a fibrous brow color and the other is a wax for shaping and grooming. Apply the wax first to groom and shape the existing brows and the color second to fill in the holes or even draw a whole new brow.

Best used with Smashbox Angle Brow Brush #12, $20, Ulta. This brush is the best brow brush on the market. The bristles are stiff, which makes brow powders go on flawlessly and naturally. • Brushes: Smashbox Arced Liner Brush #21, $20, Ulta. This brush is thin and has an ergonomic bend in the handle to shape to the eyes. Makes gel or cream liner a cinch to apply. MAC 188 Duo Fiber Face Brush, $34, MAC Cosmetics at Town Square. Used for lightweight application of liquid foundation, crème blush, loose powder, blush, shimmer, etc.

MAC 129 Powder Brush, $34, MAC Cosmetics at Town Square. Round and firm to press powder where it needs to go. Great for setting loose powder on top of foundation while getting more coverage than a big fluffy brush.

Makeup Designory Lip Brush #310, $15, mudshop.com. Perfect shape for the lips. Load brush on each side and place in the corner of the mouth on bottom lip. Bring to the middle, turn over and repeat on the other side. Load brush again and do top lip. Very fast and perfect application.

NARS Eye Contour, $29, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Perfect for the crease!

MAC Tapered Blending Brush #225,$36, MAC Cosmetics at Town Square. Used for blending the color in the crease.

MAC 190 Foundation Brush, $32, MAC Cosmetics at Town Square. Designed to create flawless application with no brush strokes.

Smashbox Blending Brush #3, $32, Ulta. Perfect for all-over color. Almond shape contours to the eye and is very soft. • Facial Cleanser: Kiehl’s Yerba Mate Tea Cleanser, $20.50. It has all-natural ingredients with extra added vitamins and tea extracts.

Facial Scrub: Kiehl’s Epidermal Re-Texturizing Microdermabrasion, $40, Kiehl’s at the Forum Shops at Caesars. Practically a microdermabrasion treatment at home. • Wrinkle Treatment: Arbonne NutriMinC RE9 Anti-Aging Skin Care line, $298.50 for the set (Hydrating Wash, Mist Toner, Serum, Eye Cream, Day Crème, Night Crème and a Gelle Transforming Lift Serum), Arbonne.com. Formulated with nine key elements to reverse the signs of aging that strengthen firm and protect. Once you try it, you will never go back. Unlike anything else. Formulated with natural ingredients and a high dose of vitamins.

• Facial Moisturizer: Kiehl’s Abyssine Lotion SPF 15, $42. It helps minimize lines and wrinkles and defends skin from radical damage. Feels and makes skin feel very soft.

• Face Mask: Aveda Tournaline Charges Radiance Masque, $26, Aveda at Fashion Show mall. Smoothes and refines skin for a healthy glow. A natural mineral tourmaline boosts skin’s energy and helps gently shed dull surface cells. Smoothes and hydrates skin with shitake extract, avocado oil and muru butter. • Body Lotion: Laura Mercier Souffle Body Cremes, $55, Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show mall. Contains vitamins for nourishment and shea butter for moisturizing. Comes in amazing scents and flavors such as almond coconut milk, au lait soufflé, chocolate truffle, crème brulee, french vanilla and tarte au citron. • Bronzer: Smashbox Body Lights Glowing Lotion, $35, Ulta. Gives a natural tan without looking orange. Has shimmer and a tropical fragrance as well. • Nail Polish: Orly Calcium Shield, $8.25, Ulta. Instantly increases thickness of weak and thin nails. Leaves nails strong and helps nail growth. Use alone or under and on top of color.

Yves Saint Laurent Nail Touch Nail Lacquer Pen Brush, $25, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Easy to use. Just click for polish. Lasts long and has great colors. • Products Randall can’t live without: NARS Pencil Sharpener, $6, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Dual blades for small to large pencils. Very sharp and never breaks or wastes the pencil.

Smashbox Photo-op Under Eye Brightener, $18, Ulta.

Shu Uemura Mini Eyelash Curler, $17, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. • Product you wish was in Vegas: Face Stockholm, a stand-alone Makeup Forever store and Cinema Secrets.

• Best Beauty Secret: Laura Mercier Secret Finish, $27, Nordstrom at Fashion Show mall. Use as a refresher for your makeup throughout the day. Leaves a bright and radiant look. Works great after foundation powder to prevent powder from looking dry in fine lines. Instantly gives a moist and natural looking glow to skin. Oil free.

Smashbox Emulsion Lip Exfoliant, $18, Ulta. Sugar-based peppermint exfoliator that conditions as it exfoliates. Leaves lips smooth and chapped or dry skin free.

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BEST OF BEAUTY Continued

When you want to know the best, you go to the experts. We consulted four beauty professionals, who shared their favorite products. Now you know their secrets to getting the look.

The beauty industry never stops trying to lure you into buying new primping products. With each season comes a slew of new lip glosses, eye shadow palettes and hair products that promise to do the kind of things miracles are made of. Consumers find themselves swimming in a sea of claims and cures. The never-ending dilemma seems to be which to pass up and which to convert to.

We’d like to ease the stress of such life-altering decisions. Here, we provide you with opinions from industry professionals. These are the people who know the products inside out and have cut out most of them to provide clients with superior service. Take a look at the products that make their best of beauty lists.

Barbra Jo Batterman professional makeup artist

• Lip Gloss: Clinique Long Lasting SPF 15, $14, Dillard’s at Meadows mall. It is not tacky and a nice shine.

• Lip Liner: MAC Lip Pencils, $12.50, Nordstrom at Fashion Show mall. They are wonderful. I use them all over the lips, blot, reapply with a lipstick, and they tend to keep your lipstick on longer; not drying.

• Lip Conditioner: Kiehl’s Lip Balm SPF 15, $9.50, Kiehl’s at the Forum Shops at Caesars. It seems to be everybody’s favorite; I mix with lip liner and apply all over.

• Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Hydrabase Creme Lipsticks, $25, Macy’s at Galleria at Sunset mall. They tend to stay on and don’t run. I love the creamy feel.

• Blush: Nars Cream Blush, $24, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. It has a smooth and silky consistency. Even on oily skin, it lays smooth.

• Eye Shadow: MAC Eye Shadow, $14, Macy’s at Meadows mall. It has been my favorite. They have a huge color range and I think they are reasonably priced. I love that you can buy them with magnets so you can just replace what you need from your pallet.

• Eyeliner: Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes, $16, Sephora at Town Square. It stays on!

• Mascara: Shu Uemura Fiber Xtension Mascara, $23, Sephora at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. Says and does it all. One coat is plenty, but if you choose to build, you can and your length will appear double!

• Concealer: Laura Mercier Secret Concealer, $22, Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show mall. It gives a nice coverage without falling into lines. A great consistency without looking heavy.

• Foundation: LaPrairie Skin Caviar Concealer Foundation SPF 15, $170, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. It is the Creme de la Creme of foundations. It is silky, smooth, beautiful, and expensive. It does include a concealer on top of base.

• Loose Powder: Kryolan Anti Shine Powder, $36.55, www.ShowFace.com. I use it either with a brush or a puff and it is silky enough that you don’t get powder build up. It is colorless so it is not necessary to change colors for the seasons.

• Pressed Powder: Lancôme Color Ideal Pressed Powder Precise Match Skin Perfecting Pressed Powder, $31, Dillard’s at Galleria at Sunset mall. Does not feel heavy but it does give you a nice coverage. It doesn’t feel thick.

• Brow Product: Kevyn Aucoin Precision Eye Brow Pencil, $24, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. It goes on smooth, stays on, and I love the brush at the end to brush through your brows leaving a very natural look. You can roll it up or down so you don’t lose anything in sharpening.

• Brushes: Trish McEvoy brushes, $20 to $53, Nordstrom at Fashion Show mall. She makes beautiful brushes. It is worth the investment. They are your tools and should last you for years. I especially like her shadow brushes. They work with a lot less work and they wash up beautifully.

• Brush Cleaner: Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner, $24, GetYourBeauty.com. It’s the one and only one. In a matter of seconds, you witness the make-up being dissolved from your brushes and leaves them with a fresh, clean fragrance.

• Facial Cleanser: Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser, $35, Ulta. It is great for normal to dry skin. Although it exfoliates, it removes all traces of makeup and leaves your skin feeling refreshed.

• Eye Makeup Remover: Pevonia Botanica Ligne Yeux Eye Makeup Remover, $28.50, Spa Bellagio. One swipe and it is gone. No rubbing and pulling necessary.

• Eye Cream: La Mer The Eye Balm, $130, Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show mall. Helps to diminish appearance of lines and wrinkles. Your under eyes feel smooth and soft. I use day and night. Use sparingly!

• Facial Scrubs: YSL Instant Pur Gommage, $44, www.yslbeautyus.com. Granule-free exfoliate, nonabrasive and leaves skin feeling smooth and soft.

• Wrinkle Treatment: Guerlain Intenserum 14 night treatment, $205, Guerlain at the Shoppes at Palazzo. By day seven, you see a difference in your complexion. Works well on your neck too!

• Facial Moisturizer: Eckstein Biocor Moisturizer. Rich enough for the dryness in the desert. Hydrating and concentrated.

• Face Mask: Murad Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel, $53, Ulta. Helps to remove dead skin without creating more oil.

• Body Lotion: Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter, $23.50, Macy’s at Galleria at Sunset mall. It works well on younger skin. It can also help eczema.

• Bronzer: Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder, $42, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Great pigment.

• Self Tanner: Guerlain Teracotta Sunless Tinted Self-Tanning Gel, $50, Sephora at Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. Immediate tint within two hours.

• Sunscreen: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock SPF 85, $9.94, Target. Nongreasy!

• Nail Polish: OPI is long-lasting and has a great color selection and great price. OPI Paint & Go nail lacquer, $6.99, Ulta.

• Products I can’t live without: Guerlain Orchidee Exceptional Complete Care Eye & Lip Cream, $180, Guerlain at the Shoppes at the Palazzo. It’s concentrated, hydrating and dual purpose. Artificial eyelashes. They are fast, easy and look very natural if so desired.

• Products I wished were in Las Vegas: Madina Milano — they make a product called cheek sculpting fluid that holds your blush on. … I love it! Maybe soon…

• Best Beauty Secret: When you are in a rush and don’t have time or choose not to do your eye makeup, with your blush brush, brush a bit of blush over your eyes and you will pull your whole look together.

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BEST OF BEAUTY

When you want to know the best, you go to the experts. We consulted four beauty professionals, who shared their favorite products. Now you know their secrets to getting the look.

The beauty industry never stops trying to lure you into buying new primping products. With each season comes a slew of new lip glosses, eye shadow palettes and hair products that promise to do the kind of things miracles are made of. Consumers find themselves swimming in a sea of claims and cures. The never-ending dilemma seems to be which to pass up and which to convert to.

We’d like to ease the stress of such life-altering decisions. Here, we provide you with opinions from industry professionals. These are the people who know the products inside out and have cut out most of them to provide clients with superior service. Take a look at the products that make their best of beauty lists.

• Shampoo: Kerastase Bain Chroma Riche, $32, Kim Vo Salon at Mirage. If you’re going to invest in your color you should invest to help protect it.

• Conditioner: Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure BC Hairtherapy Repair Rescue, $15, Color at Caesars. You will feel like you’ve left the spa every time you use it.

• Hairspray: Paul Mitchell Worked Up, $14.95, A Robert Cromeans Salon at Mandalay Bay. A great nonsticky spray that is totally workable with a brush.

• Volumizer: Nexxus Root Exxtend, $11.99, Ulta. Really creates fullness without the residue.

• Masque: Natures Miracle $6.99, sleekhair.com

• Pomade: Tancho $12, joybeauty.com. A Japanese product that is pure vegetable oil with lavender that is great for shine.

• Straightening Product: Phyto Phytodéfrisant Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm, $26, Sephora. Great for control without leaving any residue or greasiness.

• De-frizzer: Bed Head After Party $17.99, Walgreens. Controls the flyaways for silky, smooth, shiny hair.

• Curling Iron: Hot Tools curling irons, $42 to $49.99, Ulta. They heat up fast and they do the job.

• Flat Iron: Chi flat irons, $149.95 to $194.95, Beauty Center. The ceramic plates protect the hair from damage and they evenly distribute the heat for sleek, shiny hair.

• Blow Dryer: Ergo, $249.95, beautychoice.com. So great for a professional looking blow dryer that works just as well.

• Beauty Secret: Celebrities only wash their hair every three days or so. This helps encourage the natural oils to penetrate and rehydrate the hair. This is the trick used to keep color lasting longer.

• Can’t Live Without: Kim Vo Dry Serum Perfect Polish, $55, Kim Vo Salon at Mirage. The leave-in serum is weightless and reshapes dry, frizzy mops into silky, shiny locks.

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Fast beauty fix for ‘girls on the go’

 

Yes To Carrots Pampering Carrot Juice Shampoo and Pampering Hair Mud Conditioner is a new concept in hair care.  Specially formulated with all the yummy goodness of organic fruits and vegetables and the detoxifying properties of Dead Sea mud, these Paraben-free pampering hair treats should leave hair revitalised, invigorated and nourished.

 

IRISH girls will be delighted with the good news – and, indeed, not before time! – that you can now get instant glamour without taking hours to do it!

 

Apivita Express is a complete range of travel-friendly spa treatments that use natural fruit and vegetable extracts to provide a quick nutritional boost for face, body and hair and isn’t that what we would all welcome facing into spring and summer – shiny hair and glowing skin.

 

 This range of cosmetics is loved by models and make-up artists, as you can treat your skin at home, on the go, in the gym and even during your lunch break. Just choose from quick pick-me-ups like ‘Instant Lifting Face Mask with Red Wine’ and ‘Firming face Mask with Grape.’

 

Then there is also a range of nourishing moisturizers like ‘Skin Food Face Mask with Honey’ and ‘Age Management Face Mask with Green Tea’ or cleansing scrubs like ‘Deep Face Scrub with Olive’ and ‘Every Day Face Scrub with Apricot. to gently whip up the circulation.

 

 I just had to find out what this word Apivita meant (‘api’ means bee and ‘vita’ means life). This is Greece’s leading name in natural beauty for skin, hair and body.

 

Apivita is renowned for its high quality formulations which use the incredible healing and nourishing power of nature’s finest and purest ingredients. There is a whole list to choose from, but a few of the ones I have seen and tried are:

 

The cleansing ‘Face Mask with Pink Clay,’ which is only §2.95 and is ideal for dry and sensitive types, as it cleanses the pores, tones and moisturises the skin with its active ingredients of pink clay, rose juice, wheat proteins, chamomile and calendula extract.

 

 Then there is an excellent everyday face scrub with apricot which is a mild exfoliating face scrub containing exfoliating grains of jojoba, apricot oil, calendula, panthenol and essential oils. The ‘Deep Face scrub with Olive’ removes dead skin cells, excess oil and blackheads.

 

 Then there are express face treatments such as ‘Deep Cleansing Face Mask with Argile,’ ‘Oily Skin Balance Face Mask with Propolis,’ ‘Aqua Plus Face Mask with Cucumber,’ ‘Age Management Face Mask with Green Tea’ and ‘Instant Lifting Face Mask with Red Wine.’

 

Now, this lifting face mask with red wine offers intense firming action and softens wrinkles and fine lines.  Wine polyphenols are the ideal solution for an instant lift and great before a night out!

 

The active ingredients in this face mask are wine polyphenols, seaweed extract, vitamin E and panthenol. There are so many other treatments from Apivita Express that I could go on foever.

 

There is even a ‘Calming Face Mask,’ which soothes and calms high complexion and irritated skin types and that is a good one to know about, as so many people have sensitive skin. The good news about all of this is that none of these products costs more than §3.60!

 

FOR HAIR

 

Apivita Express Hair Treatments include the ‘Hair Tonic Mask with Ginseng,’ which adds shine, volume and strength to toneless hair.  It contains extract of ginseng, rosemary, cinchone and thyme.  It also contains Vitamins B5, E, H and essential oils.

 

There is a super ‘Hair Food Mask with Avocado’ which feeds the hair from the roots to ends, whilst protecting from the formation of split ends.

 

 Apivita Express have even produced a ‘Bust Firming Mask with Centella,’ which promotes the restructuring of collagen fibres and firms the bust area.  It also enhances the skin elasticity and improves skin texture.

 

The ‘Mask for Tired Feet and Legs. comes with ruscus and improves blood circulation and reduces swelling and by doing so relaxes and relieves tired feet and legs. That is one we can all do with, particularly when we ‘shop ‘till we drop.’

 

Finally, hands are not forgotten; that would be a disaster!  The ‘Hand Scrub’ and ‘Hand Mask’ come with olive and provides deep exfoliating, smoothing and softening of the skin.

 

LIPSTICK

 

Recently, a friend of mine wanted to buy a lipstick and I just happened to meet her in town and, as I was going in to renew my Clarins tinted moisture cream and also my Lancome blusher, which was long since finished, she asked me to help her to choose a lipstick.

 

Now the question was: did she want to match it to a certain outfit?  What colors does she usually wear in clothes? Have a good look at her skin tone and then when we solved all those problems we were in business.

 

First and foremost I tried to tell her in the nicest possible way that she did not need lip liner.  A great, high-pigment lipstick is really all you need to create perfect lips.

 

If you are worried about ‘bleeding,’ prepare your lips by patting them with a dab of concealer around the outer edge. Then, all you have to do is apply your color directly from the tube, or – as they like to call it nowadays – bullet.

 

I may be biased, perhaps a lot of you would not agree with me, but I just do not like lip liner; to me, it always looks obvious.  If you need to use it, you must match it exactly to your own lipstick and then put it on very sparingly. What I see so often are women whose lip liner is much darker than their lipstick and it looks dreadful.  Another great tip to ensure lipstick does not smudge on your teeth is, after applying pop your index finger into your mouth, pucker up around it, and then pull your finger out.  Any excess colour will be on your finger, not on your teeth.

 

If you are on your own and you are uncertain about what lipstick to buy, then just simply match the natural colour of your lips. If your lips are pink, go for a pink lipstick, brown for brown lips, or indeed choose for the lovely berry shades, which just about suit everyone.

 

FOR EYES

 

If you do like bright lips that make a statement, then ladies go for less eye make-up. Take your choice; it is either one or the other.

 

One of my favourite looks is natural skin, mascara and deep-red lips. If you can get away with it, this is a great look and the Spring-Summer, 2008 make-up collection from Bourjois is absolutely irresistible with its palette of bright and luminous shades, especially their eye make-up, which features a striking combination of violet and gold, for eyes. It is the season’s most popular colour.

 

Then, you just finish the look with ‘Ultra Black Volume Glamour Mascara,’ which adds so much definition to those eyes.

 

In contrast to intense eyes, bare lips are coloured in new shades, enhanced by mother-of-pearl with a golden iridescent sheen.  ‘Fleur d’Orange Poetic’ is a subtle shade of coral and ‘Rose or Chic’ is a pretty pink with a touch of bronze.

 

Then, why not ‘couture’ down to the tips of your nails! Hands are so important and introduce yourself to the new ‘l Seconde Nail Enamel in Pamplemousse Nacre,’ which coats the nails in a shiny peachy hue.

 

 If you are looking for a nice powdery, sensual blush to create a perfect, radiant complexion, why not try out the brand new ‘Delice d’Or Cream Blush and Apricot’ complexion enhancer? I must give that a try; it looks fabulous and would be only less than half the price of my Lancome blusher!

 

 

 

This blusher looks extremely silky and is much more velvety than a classic blusher. It gives a beautiful shine and glow to the cheekbones, which leaves a pearly, amber-colored shimmering veil over the skin. Apply with your fingertips for that radiant look, which will be the envy of everyone, and they will be only dying to know what you are using to give such a glow!

 

The weather is not great at present, but we are truly into Spring, according to the calendar, so now is the time to start exfoliating and getting rid of dead cells on legs, arms and elbows which have been covered up all winter. And, don’t forget a good facial to get rid of dead cells too and put moisture back into the skin before we use any of these gorgeous new make-ups.

 

CARROTS

 

Before I sign off, I must tell you about ‘Yes to Carrots’ – and I am not talking food! This is another gorgeous new skincare range that I have used recently and it is absolutely beautiful.

 

You may well ask yourself why are carrots good for my skin? Our body finds it hard to repair the damage to our skin and hair caused by the sun’s rays and air pollutants.  Carrots and other orange fruits and vegetables (such as pumpkins, melons, and oranges) contain beta-carotene, which is widely recognized for its anti-oxidant and anti-ageing properties.

 

‘Yes to Carrots,’ with its beta-carotene and minerals, assists our skin’s process in reducing this damage, helping it to positively glow!  Look out for this product; it comes in everything you could possibly need for face and body and it is truly fabulous.

 

‘Yes to Carrots’ has a wonderful hair care range too. Products are available in most pharmacies throughout the country.

 

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