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May Madness: 20% Off Everything at CherryCulture
2007-05-15 05:00:00
I've been away for several days (unexpectedly!), but I promise to get back on track this week. In the meantime, I appreciate your patience and welcome you to enjoy an exclusive discount just for you.Get on over to Cherry Culture.com and help celebrate May Makeup Madness where we get 20% off EVERYTHING, plus free shipping on any order over $40. Be sure to enter code MM20 when checking out.Have fun! And don't forget, this is where you can get one of GirlPaint's all-time favorite foundations for fabulous-looking skin, L.A. Colors Mystic Foundation, for $6 (minus 20%).
More About: Ever , Ness , Thing

Three for May: Benefit Dear John Face Cream & eyecon Eye Cream
2007-05-10 06:26:00
Benefit Cosmetics not only has great cosmetics, but they also have some decent skincare offerings. Unfortunately, I was not overly impressed with Dear John .The fine art of primping that Benefit promises doesn't seem to extend to this particular moisturizer. Although Dear John does a fine job of delivering nice, simple moisture, it tends to be a little waxy and for my taste, a tad heavy in texture.Plus at $30 for 2 oz. which ain't too bad, I struggle to find the value. Touted by Benefit as "Loaded with active ingredients...like a 'moisture magnet' for your skin...put lustre back into your complexion," I did an exhaustive search of the ingredients and could not really find one that was particularly 'active.'On the other hand, Benefit's eyecon eye cream with fading action offers tremendous benefits (ha, ha!), a nice, active list of ingredients, and a texture that is fluffy and truly beautiful.
More About: Skincare , Face , Bene , Three

Three for May: Building a Foundation
2007-05-05 07:50:00
As promised, my focus in May is on three makeup makers: Benefit, FACE atelier and Beauty Addicts. And why not get started at the foundation...literally?First up is Beauty Addicts' Mineral SheerTINT SPF20. A favorite of Oprah's, A lovely light-to-medium coverage, lightly moisturizing and oil-free 'foundation.' So many tinted moisturizers tend to leave me a little (or a lot) greasy, but not Mineral SheerTINT...just nice, even and natural coverage. But don't get me wrong, this 'foundation' is not drying, nor is it flat. It adds just the right touch of moisture and radiance. My favorite feature of Mineral SheerTINT is, in fact, the color--it's downright glow-y. It mirrors your skin perfectly while giving a just-right amount of coverage. Plus, it has a very lovely subtle shimmery quality. Beauty Addicts' Mineral SheerTINT is perfect for those days when you want a no-makeup look (while still having a nice boost of color and coverage). $35Next up is FACE atelier's Ultr...
More About: Building , Foundation , Build , Three , Dati

From Hotel Hilton to the Big House
2007-05-05 04:34:00
Looks like America's princess, Miss Paris Hilton , is off to jail. Jail in June...it's like a pop song, ain't it?Seriously though, after three times being stopped for wreckless or drunk driving, you might think Paris would get the message. It took her being sentenced to 45 days in jail (no substitutes, either...no house arrest, no 'electronic' jail and no work releases or furloughs), 36 months of probation and $1500 in fines for her to possibly realize that no matter how cute, rich or otherwise perfect you (and the rest of the world...in particular, your crazy mother) may think you are, you simply are not above the law.I have to say that I found her mother, Kathy's, reaction very strange. Perhaps the elder Hilton has been altering herself chemically, too. According to AP Reporter, Sandy Cohen, "As a city prosecutor said during closing arguments that Hilton deserved jail time, Hilton's mother, Kathy, laughed. When the judge ruled, Kathy Hilton then blurted out: "May I have ...
More About: House , Hotel , Ouse

Three for May
2007-05-04 05:06:00
May...Mother's Day, Memorial Day, International Nurse's Day (not familiar? It's on May 12th). May...it's the only month in which a President of the United States has not died (okay, weird, I know, but true).May...a month of focus, the fifth month. In May, GirlPaint will focus on three. Three what? Three cosmetics manufacturers, what else?! FACE atelier, Beauty Addicts and Benefit Cosmetics will take center stage this month.Benefit Cosmetics? Well everyone knows them, right? But I intend to cover some of the skincare products that don't get as much attention as their famous cosmetics. Included will be Dear John, a face cream for "movin' on;" Eyecon, brightening eye cream and Jiffy Tan, which if you didn't gather from the name is a self-tanner...for the body, not the face.FACE atelier, the official makeup sponsor of Madonna's True Confessions tour (hello!), is a cosmetics company that believes that we, as women, need cosmetics assistance and that all this fancy 'natu...
More About: Skincare

Brill-iance for Your Eyes...
2007-05-01 00:41:00
The BRILLIANT Diane Brill, author, pop-icon, ?It Girl,? and self-promoter extraordinaire, is also a cosmetics magnate.Her line, not surprisingly, is geared towards an evening look, all about re-inventing yourself. I recently checked out her eye shadows and, although the shades are sultry, fabulous and rich, I found my new day-time favorite shade, Tiara Lace, that I now use every day, without fail.Tiara Lace is that perfect, light champagne-y shade. Upon opening the pretty ?lace embossed? compact, the shadow appears very glittery. But upon application, you find a soft, subtle shimmer with the right amount of sparkle?it actually subtracts the look of tiredness and age! A little below your eyebrows, a dot in the inner corners of your eyes...voila, fabulous! Tiara Lace also makes an ideal highlighter--cheekbones, chin and Cupid's bow look lovelier with just a touch. Quite remarkable. Plus, the shadow?s formulation is perfectly smooth and, better yet, NOT tested on animals.I must ...
More About: Eyes

Glossifed and Glorious
2007-04-27 05:21:00
I'm a lipgloss junkie...well, addict anyway. And I would be remiss if I didn't share how great one of my favorite stand-by glosses is. It's by a well-known purveyor...one I'm sure you're all familiar with, but with all the amazing glosses out there, it sometimes gets pushed by the wayside, forgotten, unfairly.Every day (well, almost), I grab my Sephora Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss in my favorite shade Golden Rose 16. I think of it like Nars Orgasm, only for my lips. It has that same great 'perfect' glow-y balance of pink and coral with a beautiful, but subtle, golden shimmer. And it glossifies like no other. Shiny, fabulous.And it lasts. I'm notorious for alway having my triple latte, water (no ice) or mint herbal tea handy, so I've got to have staying power when it comes to my lip products. Many have tried. Tried and failed? No, tried and died. But not Sephora Ultra-Shine. It's formula, while not too gloppy or gooey, is a powerhouse.And with 24 amazing shades to choo...
More About: Loss , Ossi

She Drew #1
2007-04-26 08:00:00
Congratulations to Drew Barrymore for being named #1 Most Beautiful person by People. What I find even cooler is that she is one of seven beauties that agreed to have a photo published without makeup...with faces exposed!Now that's beautiful.photo courtesy of people.com

Love Handbags? Wanna Be Famous for Designing One?
2007-04-25 05:17:00
Marie Claire and Glam Media have joined forces to create a competition for aspiring handbag designers. Starting today aspiring designers can submit their handbag sketches on Glam.com, where the fashion community will vote for their favorites.The lucky winner will receive a trip to New York, a one-night stay at a posh New York hotel, and the MOST EXCITING part of all is that she (or he) will be a Marie Claire "accessories editor for a day." Additionally, the final eight (8) bags will be auctioned off on E-bay.com with all the proceeds going to charity.To enter, simply submit your handbag design. From there, Marie Claire and Glam.com readers will vote online for their favorite handbags each week, and the top eight finalists will have the opportunity to create the handbag they've sketched. Our panel of judges will then pick the top handbag, and the winner will be flown to New York to be a guest accessories editor at Marie Claire for the day. After the competition, the final eight b...
More About: Love , Handbags , Designing , Famous , Anna

A Foundation for An Improved You
2007-04-23 05:08:00
I recently had the good fortune to try a new foundation from a line I was not familiar with. The line? L.A. Colors, a division of Beauty 21. who create makeup ?to target the diverse beauty needs of women of every demographic at an affordable price.? The foundation? Mystic Foundation , which claims ?natural looking coverage and a creamy formula that evens out skin tone and improves skin texture.?I have long been a fan of cream foundations. Unlike liquid foundations that tend to be tricky to apply, difficult to blend and can rub off after a few short hours of wear, cream foundations tend to solve those challenges and still give a nice, natural finish, usually with better coverage.You will be pleased to know that my experience with L.A. Colors Mystic Foundation was a fantastic one! It has a smooth, creamy and dense consistency--I liken it to Becca?s stick foundation, but with a creamier texture and less ?drag?. However, unlike many stick or cream-style foundations, Mystic Foundat...
More About: Improve , Rove , Improv , Prove

SpringWidgets: GirlPaint
2007-04-22 09:32:00
One of the nicest widgets available...read more | digg story
More About: Ring , Gets , Paint

Before and After
2007-04-22 06:59:00
I busted out Photoshop this weekend and gave this pretty young lady a makeover. By manipulating the layers and lighting, and by airbrushing a little makup on her face, I gave her a whole new look. Whattaya think? I think I like it.
More About: After , Fore , Before and After

I Won...
2007-04-20 06:17:00
WINNER: The Coolest Conduit

I Cheated...
2007-04-20 05:42:00
Yes, that is right. I admit it. Me, a typically-loyal Leo. What did I do, you ask? Well, I have been using (and loving) Blinc's Kiss Me Mascara , almost exclusively for the past two years...and not much else has touched my finicky lashes (except of course warm water and my finger tips--gotta remove the stuff before beddie-bye time).Only...well. Kiss Me doesn't quite give me those lovely, flirty, curly lashes that I wish for somedays.So, for some reason, today I broke out a tube of purple irridescent snakeskin-wrapped mascara that I got a couple of weeks ago...as a gift. At the time, I was like, "oh, thank you. is that mascara? oh, it sure it. how 'bout that?" all the while thinking, "by the looks of it, this must be the stuff that those guys from Poison and Motley Crue used in the '80s."I took a closer look. tarte mascara Lights, Camera, Lashes!. Well, aside from one single not-so-great experience with a Tarte eyeliner (my eyes are soooo sensitive), I LOVE anything an...
More About: Heat , Heated

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
2007-04-19 05:24:00
Sanjaya, the stickiest of all American Idol finalists, has finally taken his bow. Geez, who would've ever thought he'd last this long?So long, Hair Boy.Little known fact: Sanjaya has his own Wikipedia entry. Lord! If nothing else, you have to check it out, if only for the strangest phoenetic pronunciation listing.GirlPaint out.
More About: Today , Gone , Tomorrow , Morrow

Firm Up for Bikini Season...or Just for Fun
2007-04-19 02:15:00
All right, Ladies. How many of you can honestly say you're ready for beach weather? Do you have a beach bod? My guess is that you may need a little help. Luckily, I have that little bit of help, and I'm going to share my little secret helper.Flirty Little Secret, a revolutionary new firming cream from Booty Parlour, contains a wheat protein which acts as the firming agent, a collagen booster to create the appearance of smooth skin and Bio-Bustyle, a targeted enhancer to firm and tone the bust.Does it really work? Well, I've been putting it to the test for the past three weeks, and I can honestly (and quite happily) say that yes, it does! Listen, I'm thirty-something, work indoors--primarily behind a desk, could lose about 10 pounds. And Flirty Little Secret has me excited about wearing shorts...and even my bathing suit.The texture is nice and dense, but not greasy. It smells lightly of apricots...nice, but not overwhelming, so it won't overpower your favorite fragrance....
More About: Bikini , Season , Seas

Flawless Eyeshadow...Primer-Free!
2007-04-18 06:50:00
The brilliant beauties at Benefit bring us Creaseless Cream Shadow s. These babies are THE shadow for low-maintenance days (or gals) when you just want to swipe a quick daub of color across their lids and run out the door...and still look amazing (and like you spent more than a few seconds on your makeup)!The texture is light and a bit spongey or spring-y. Cooling to the touch and smooth as silk, Creaseless Cream Shadows come in a lovely assortment of soft shades, perfect for spring...or for those of us with fair-to-medium complexions.Flexible? CCS's are wonderful for lining. The smooth-as-silk texture whips on quickly, and the soft formula helps prevent smudgey mess-ups. Oh, and they also make FABULOUS highlighters for cheeks, chins, decolletes...you find a spot you want to highlight and Benefit's gotcha covered...pun, intended.Another great feature? Plain and simple, Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadows work well on bare, un-primed skin.Ease of application, flexibility and s...
More About: Free , Eyeshadow , Less , Lawless

Nirvana for Heat-Styled Hair
2007-04-16 00:58:00
For those of you who are heat-styling mavens (blow dryers, flat irons and curling irons), you need to stop whatever you're doing - and run to the nearest location carrying the ThermaFuse product line. I can tell you from experience (and I've got tons of experience with different lines of haircare products) that the ThermaFuse products are among the best for those of us who live by our heat stylers! The magic is the Heat Smart Complex - a "scientifically proven formula" that works with the heat of a blow dryer.I recently tried the ThermaFuse Strength formula Shampoo and Conditioner. Its fortifying formula is terrific. The Shampoo is sulfate-free--worry not, Folks, 'cuz you can still count on a rich, sumptuous lather here--and works to rebuild and fortify hair with lots of potent proteins. The Conditioner is also rich, bathing your hair in proteins, and leaves your hair strong, shiny and manageable.Is your hair particularly overstressed? Good news! There's also a treatment (...
More About: Nirvana , Hair

The Daily Obsession Celebrates One Year...Give-Away Alert!
2007-04-14 06:13:00
Ya'll take advantage of the amazing one-year anniversary celebration taking place over at The Daily Obsession :Hello!In celebration of our first anniversary, we're doing a jam-packed giveaway for our readers! All you need to do is comment in the giveaway entry and one lucky winner will be picked at random. Readers have until Tuesday, Apr. 17 at midnight (PST). We've got fabulous goodies from Tocca, CoverGirl, Banana Republic, Essencia, Jurlique, Foot Petals, Azalea Online and more! More information can be found here.Thanks for your kindness & support!xo,The girls at The Daily ObsessionCongrats on your first year, Ladies! Best wishes for many more to come!
More About: Alert , Give , Sion

Champagne Wishes, and Lemonade Dreamzzzzzzz
2007-04-12 04:27:00
Spring is officially upon us (although if you live anywhere in the U.S., you might be wondering...), and it's time to spruce up that wintery hair.Sudzz FX comes to the rescue with Lemonade Dream zz, a lucious, lemony souffle made for all hair types, lengths and conditions. Dreamzz is a great shaping and texturizing cream. Great for all types of hair including fine hair, you can use it for blow drying volume into the style, as a leave in fixative for both straight and curly hair. Plus, it holds shape of your brush when blow drying.For you stylists out there, Lemonade Dreamzz makes a great cutting lotion when mixed with Zenyth Frizz Eliminator, giving hair shape and body in the cutting process. It leaves curl soft and sleek if using diffuser. It can be used for dressing long hair into up-do styles.And it's also great for finishing details. Lemonade Dreamzz adds shine, body, and volume. $15.95 for 2oz.
More About: Champagne , Wish , Wishes

Burning for Luxury, Purity, Health
2007-04-11 05:02:00
Via Candles are hand crafted by artisans in Connecticut from natural soy wax, natural unbleached hemp, high quality fragrance, and they do not include any synthetic colorants. This keeps impurities to a minimum and your environment as clean as possible.What does this mean? Well, if you're a friend of Al's, then this is THE candle for you. If, however, you do not consider yourself a tree-hugging, Prius-driving (or bicycle-peddling) guardian of Mother Earth, it simply means that...this is THE candle for you.Via Candles are not only made from 100% natural soy wax, which burns cooler and minus the carcinogenic soot (unlike paraffin), they are also scented with the finest aroma-therapeutic fragrances. The wicks used in these luxurious candles is cotton-wrapped hemp, so again, they're very healthy and burn naturally, without chemicals.If the healthy benefits don't entice you to try a Via Candle, well, the beautiful clear glass container and clean, relaxation-inducing scents, like L...
More About: Health , Luxury , Burning , Purity , Heal

Look Younger!
2007-04-10 00:26:00
According to the geniuses over at Elle, there really are a few (fairly simple) things you can do besides resorting to going under the scalpel, or having facial injections of Restalyn or Botox --eee-yikes!--to look younger.#1: Curl your lashes.Curling your lashes opens up your eyes. Follow with a coat of mascaral. Tarte Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler#2: Use an illuminizer.Give your eyes an instant lift by dabbing illuminizer on the center of the brow bone under the arch of the eyebrow. Vincent Longo Water Canvas Highlighter Aura Passion#3: Brighten your smile.Take years off by whitening your teeth. You can do it yourself at home by mixing baking soda and hydrogen peroxide into the consistency of toothpaste. Brush your teeth in circular motions and the paste will remove surface stains. GoSMILE Touch Up Refillable Compact Mint-licious On-The-Go Smile Refresher#4: Dab on blush.A moist, creamy blush will light up your face. Use a neutral pink on cheeks and lips for no-fuss natural beauty...
More About: Skincare , Young , Look

Sol LeWitt, Great American Artist, Dies
2007-04-09 07:09:00
Sol LeWitt, one of America's pre-eminent visual artists, passed away Sunday at the age of 78. Sol, you will be missed.Mr. LeWitt's work, described as playful, simple and full of logic and essential esthetic, lives on indeed.AP photo courtesy of Keystone, Walter Bieri
More About: Artist , Great , American , Sol Lewitt , Dies

Laura Poretzsky brings Abaete to Payless
2007-04-09 06:32:00
Forget the Easter bonnet...I'd rather have new shoes! And I love, love, love these cute flats from the Abaete for Payless Collection.Payless Shoes has revamped (hahahaha) their image, along with many of their shoes, and needless to say, "GirlPaint likey."Get these adorable Ana Maria Flats in bone (shown), red or bronze from the Abaete for Payless collection for $20.
More About: Ring , Rings , Aura , Less , Laura

Olive Pits Make You Beautiful
2007-04-08 07:20:00
Korres Natural Products, well known for it's amazing body butters--my favorite is the Guava--and their Vanilla Cinnamon Showergel (yum!), is a pre-eminent skin care manufacturer in Greece. Heck, they established themselves in 1989 and within two years became THE center of homeopathic medicine in their native country.From the moment I tried Korres's 3-in-1 Milk Proteins Facial Cleanser and their Pomegranate Balancing Moisturizer, I was hooked. Simple, essential, natural products that do the job they claim to do are Korres's specialty. Gotta love that.So when I recently ran out of my regular exfoliant, I decided I'd give Korres Natural Products Olive Stones Scrub a try. I'm glad to report that it didn't disappoint. Simple and effective, this creamy, densely-textured cleanser loaded with medium-coarse scrubbies clears away all the gnarly buildup on your skin without stripping it or drying it out, revealing softer, smoother, clean and healthy-looking skin. Just like a baby'...
More About: Skincare , Beautiful , Live , Make , Beau

Yahoo! Answers: GirlPaint Q&A "Best"
2007-04-08 06:54:00
I always thought I knew the answers...at least some of them. Turns out I was right. I recently joined Yahoo ! Answers and started sharing some answers from the pool of knowledge I have accumulated over the years about hair, skin care and of course, makeup.And you know what? My answers have been selected as "Best " answers 17% of the time. I'd say that's pretty good. I earn points on Yahoo Answers for each answer posted, plus I get bonus points for Best answers. Incidentally, answers are deemed the 'Best' by the individual who posed the question. Now, I'm not quite sure what happens with these accumulated points, other than the I have the right to brag about them. Granted, I'm a newbie in this world of Answers, but my competitive nature drives me to earn more and more points...hence I work hard to give good answers. What can I say, it's fun...and maybe a little silly...but there a lots of questions to answer. Here's wishing you all a Happy Easter and Happiness and Toget...
More About: Paint

Beauty Blender Sponge + Cleanser Duo Pack
2007-04-07 08:07:00
Sick of your dirty, makeup filled cosmetics sponge but still yearn for the blending and natural texture you get from it? You're in luck! Beau ty Blend er , created by two talented makeup-artists-to-the-stars, Rea Ann Silva and Veronica Lorenz, will help YOU look like a movie star without paying for the pricey services of a high-end makeup artist.This egg-shaped wonder sponge, used to 'stipple' ('stippling' is bouncing the sponge lightly on your face as you apply your makeup), blend and soften your cosmetics application, has so many pro's they're hard to count. Let's just say that NO makeup sponge even comes close to BeautyBlender's ability to create a flawless, natural texture. You can use it wet or dry to apply, blend and soften makeup primer, foundation, concealer, blush, highlighter and powder--and you can probably find some additional applications by just playing with it! It's pretty, it's fun and guess what else? It's CLEAN! Clean means better skin, ya'll, anywa...
More About: Tools

M'Eye Disappointment
2007-04-06 03:23:00
This week I received the newest product from Tarte, one of my all-time favorite cosmetics specialists. The product? It's called EmphasEYES and it's Tarte's answer to the age-old question "how do I get my eyeliner pencil to last, especially when I line the inner rims of my lovely eyes?" I must say, my dear Painters, that I have not had a 'lasting' experience with EmphasEYES. Application is difficult because the pencil is VERY thin and it's hard to control. On top of that, EmphasEYES has one of those flat-end, twist up designs that does not lend itself to tightlining. It was made to 'emphasize' the inner rims which it does nicely...for about 30 minutes. However (and this is one pretty big 'however'), the formula, for me anyway, slid and smudged and ended up completely gone by the end of the day. By Noon, I looked racoon-ish, and by five, well...let's just say it was not pretty. I was so plagued with fallout under my eyes that I rubbed it all away (along the tedious...
More About: Point , Disappointment , Sapp

The Art of Lip Balm
2007-04-03 02:16:00
Australians Dianna Burmas (a supremely talented merchandiser) and Dion St. Mor (renowned interior designer) met in Melborne, hit it off and combined their efforts to create MOR. The name, serendipitously discovered on a New Delhi street sign on one of the many trips the duo took together, means ?peacock? in Hindi. Their foray into beauty products began with a shared fondness for traditional apothecary, the art and science of making health-enhancing beauty products.From there, a line of candles and soaps was born. In keeping with the exquisite beauty associated with the cavalier peacock, today MOR features over 250 sophisticated and artistic products custom created for their discriminating clientele.MOR Lip Silk is like a lip balm ?experience.? It incorporates almost all your senses. Elegant luxury packaging in the tradition of Chinoiserie exhibits an antique design style inspired by the culture and art of China. Even the little ladylike paper ?purse? that encloses the chic acryl...
More About: The A , The Art

No Foolin': If You?re Second Rate, Admit It
2007-04-02 02:24:00
If You?re Second Rate , Admit It: Donna M.C. Johnson (Startup.com article link)Donna Maria Coles Johnson, a lawyer and entrepreneur better known by her business name "Donna Maria," has a passion for home made beauty products. Years ago, she started her own handmade products company--unfortunately, to little fanfare. She found that her business was 2nd best in an ocean of 1st bests.But she was familiar with all the 1st bests in this business of hand made beauty products, both wholesale and retail, and since she knew she was 1st best in business and entreprenerial success (and they were not--many were struggling despite the fabulousness of their products), she channeled her passion for hand made beauty products into her own 1st best business, the Indie Beauty Network.What the IBN does is helps all these little indie businesses maximize their potential by coming together, centralizing their ideas and marketing efforts, and growing their businesses cooperatively and collaboratively. ...
More About: Skincare , Fool , Econ