lovesit makeup: Chantecaille; An alliance of nature & beauty

Though fairly new on the makeup scene, luxury brand Chantecaille is the brand of skin care and cosmetics as of late, attracting new devotees both on and off the red carpet.  Chantecaille quickly became a new favorite for makeup artists, celebs and makeup junkies with their pure and potent formulated offerings (Angelina Jolie was seen applying their Brilliant Gloss lip gloss in Love at the Golden Globes.)  They offer both makeup and skin care that focuses not only on hiding the imperfections but also healing and reversing the causes of aging (without testing on animals.)  Their makeup is very natural and natural looking, especially the foundation formulas which go on almost translucently but offer the right amount of coverage.  Chantecaille is named after its creators, a New York-based family that started the brand because of their desire to create a product that reflected their own spiritual and holistic focus on life and beauty.   Chantecaille has always sought to raise awareness of environmental concerns by giving back to the bountiful nature that serves as its muse.  Makeup palates inspired by nature, such as the Butterfly/ Les Papillons collection eye shadows were created in 2005 to fund the protection of the Monarch butterfly’s winter habitats.  Since then, many ‘Cause-metics’ collections have been launched as their “continued passion and commitment to the oceans and to endangered species grows stronger and stronger.”

Chantecaille is available at fine stores such as Bergdorf’s, Saks and Bloomingdales, as well as their online store.  I really loved browsing their website because not only was I totally intrigued by their color palates and products, but they also offer very comprehensive Application Instructions next to each makeup look.  Though a bit pricey compared to most other beauty products on the market, a good portion of the sale goes to help nature and wildlife foundations, making this a product that delivers beautiful results while doing good.        

         

xo,

Lauren

best beauty product breakthroughs of 2010

I love going to allure.com to see their best-of lists.  Every year, the Allure editors test thousands of products to provide their readers with a list of the best of the best in beauty products.   Whenever I’m getting sick of the items in my makeup bag or medicine cabinet and want to try something new, I consult this list to see what they suggest.  Some of the products I’ve tried based on their recommendations have become my all-time favorite products I now can’t live without.  To check out the Allure Beauty Reporter Best of Beauty Products, visit here

In addition to their Best of Beauty, Allure also comes out with a list of The Year’s Most Innovative Beauty Products.  I thought it would be worth sharing a few of these items since I was really interested in several of the products listed.  Enjoy! 

Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse, $19.50

There’s a whole new approach to adding oomph to your hair. Most volumizing products try to hold hair off the scalp with a gluelike ingredient…that falls apart in wind or when you so much as touch it with a brush. This mousse instead contains a flexible polymer (the company worked with MIT researchers to create it) that adds volume through the length of the hair and stays effective—through mussing and fussing—until the next time you shampoo.

 

 

 

  Advanced Home Actives Brazilian Peel Professional Strength Facial Treatment, $78

 

Glycolic acid peels fight wrinkles and leave skin glowing. But the struggle has always been to find an at-home version that’s superstrong—but not so intense that you could risk burning your face off. This peel has a neutralizer—inspired by stomach antacids—that can switch off the acid in its 30 percent glycolic peel (this is high enough that, typically, only professionals use it) within ten minutes of it hitting your skin. In other words, there’s basically no way it can irritate. (The key is a double-barreled dispenser that keeps the glycolic solution away from the neutralizer until you hit the plunger.) “The strength of the peel brings a high percentage of glycolic acid to the home market safely,” says Amy B. Lewis, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. “That means a better and faster improvement in skin texture and tone than can be achieved using at-home peels that aren’t this strong.” sephora.com. 

  

 

 Garnier Fructis Style Sleek & Shine Blow Dry Perfector, $11.99

 

 Salon hair-straightening treatments have their fans—but the services involve long appointments with repeated applications of noxious straightening chemicals and a price tag that could make your hair curl. This kit gives a similar straightening effect, but at home—and the results last for up to seven shampoos. The first product in the kit goes on damp, clean hair and breaks down the physical bonds within the strands. After 20 minutes and a rinse, the second product, a leave-in smoothing balm, goes on. It contains rice oil that’s activated by the heat of a blow-dryer, allowing it to soak into hair to set a new, smooth structure in place. Flatironing is an optional next step, but recommended. ulta.com. 

 

     

 

 

Aveeno Ageless Vitality Elasticity Recharging System, Neutrogena Clinical, and RoC Brilliance Lines, $35.99-$49.99

These product lines have technology that helps skin cells stay young. Skin cells communicate using various processes, including one called bioelectricity, in which small electrical pulses tell the cells when to repair themselves, store energy, and make internal changes necessary to stay healthy. The currents can slow down as we age, and this can make it harder for skin to recover from sun damage and environmental stress. The scientists behind these products found that copper-plated zinc helps boost the skin’s bioelectricity.   They developed a serum with the ingredient and a moisturizing “conductor” that activates the process—and found that this combination stimulated collagen and elastin production, helped reduce inflammation, and may fight hyperpigmentation. target.com, walgreens.com.

 

  Lancôme Ôscillation PowerFoundation, $48

Some people love mineral foundation (it’s natural; it’s long-lasting) and some don’t (it’s heavy, cakey, messy). This version has a battery-powered sponge applicator that solves the problems by producing a smooth, uniform finish. You just dip the sponge into the mineral powder and press the handle’s “on” button, and the tip vibrates 7,000 times per minute—massaging the powder into skin evenly. “This oscillating applicator breaks down the fine particles in the makeup, eliminating the need to blend,” says Ni’Kita Wilson, a cosmetic chemist. “It also massages them into skin and fills fine lines.” nordstrom.com.

 

 

 

 L’Oréal Professionnel INOA Color

 

Coloring your hair has always involved a bit of suffering. The chemicals can sting the scalp and stink up the hair, and the color starts fading with the first shampoo. INOA professional hair dye replaces traditional ammonia with an odorless ingredient that only opens the cuticle a smidge (instead of lifting the whole thing like a flap). And to ensure that the color goes into the hair shaft, it is combined with oil right before application. The result is gentler to both the hair and the scalp, and the color is completely odorless and more resistant to fading. “What makes this hair color revolutionary is that it is not water-based—a significant departure from traditional coloring systems,” says Hammer. “The oil-based system provides excellent color penetration into the hair, which should reduce fading, and the process is far more mild, odorless, and nondamaging.” lorealprofessionnel.com.

 

 

 

 

for more information on any of these products, please visit here

 

xo,
Lauren

Hall of Fame

I once read an article highlighting the satisfaction purchasing a new lipstick brings into a woman’s life- and the correlation between the surge in sales of high end lipstick during an economic downturn.  Instead of a fancy pair of designer shoes, woman turn to designer lipsticks and lipgloss to gain the same sense of pampering- both items are considered  ‘high end,’ require a trip to the department store and come in fancy, expensive packaging.  All this without breaking the bank. 

Interesting but not so much relevant to my daily life.  No matter how the economy is doing I love seeking out a new lipgloss, eyeshadow, mascara, pressed powder ANY day.  I confess I am a fullblown product junkie and I always feel a satisfactory thrill everytime a new product is purchased- whether its from the drug store, department store or online.  Despite my love of trying new products and constantly carrying about 12 lip products on my person at all times, there are several products that have really stood the test of time with me – these are products I rave to my friends about, force them to try knowing they’ll become addicted too because they’re just better than the rest.  Here’s my list of products I can’t and will never live without:

Under concealer corrector:

For Darkest undereye circles (welcome to my world) this amazing product goes on UNDER your concealer- its so opaque I swear it could cover a tattoo but so creamy it melts right into your skin without a second thought. Minimal creasing also.

For Brows:

Such a natural filler- I never considered doing anything to my brows until I started noticing in pictures they looked patchy at times bc my hair is blonde.

 Hair:

I have slightly oily hair so I'm hesitant to put product in when it's dry but my ends don't always want to cooperate- this stuff makes them shiny, not greasy and never weighs my hair down.

Cheeks:

Mac Powder Blush in Well Dressed - the perfect baby pink to compliment any skin tone.

Nails:

OPI: BubbleBath Neutral, pale pink perfection

 Face: BB Skin Foundation SPF15

Face:This stuff makes your skin look like skin, just better. SO light but the coverage is better than even the most expensive foundations out there (I've tried them all)

 Eye Liner: Mac Small Angle Brush

Line your eyes with this error proof brush- and use any eyeshadow as a liner

xxo,

Lauren