On occasion, I accept some fun fashion and beauty related items to review. (We moms like to look good too!) Below are a few notable items that I recently received:
Beauty
-Bare Escentuals
They launched their bareMinerals MATTE SPF 15 Foundation ($28) last month. I don’t normally wear foundation, but I tried this one for a couple of reasons. First, it seems like everyone is talking about mineral makeup, so I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Secondly, it’s in powder form. That makes it easier to use – you just brush it on. Lastly, I liked that it was easy to pick the right color. (You choose between light, medium, tan, dark and deep. Then, you choose the undertone of your skin – cool, neutral or golden. I ended up with the Medium Dark MATTE).
I don’t use the foundation every day. (I like for my skin to “breathe”.) I do use it when I want a more polished look though. It gives a natural finish to my skin. The color is nice. It’s a little deeper than my skin tone, but one of the closest matches that I have had (besides custom made foundation). The only thing that concerned me at first was that my face had a slight tingle when I first started using it. I attributed that to the minerals and hoped that it wouldn’t make my skin break out since I have sensitive skin. So far, it has not caused a breakout – which is always good!
-OPI ($7)
I mentioned in the 15 Picks from InStyle’s 15th Anniversary Issue that I liked the deep colored nail polishes trend for fall. OPI sent me two of their new nail lacquers from Nicole by OPI: You’re Blue-tiful (a royal blue glimmer) and Violet Vibe (a shimmery purple). I like both of them, but I especially love the purple. I’m actually considering wearing it on my fingernails as well as my toenails since purple is my favorite color for the fall. Actually purple and grey are my two favorite colors for fall clothing. The purple polish would also look great while wearing grey clothes. (Since I like the purple so much, I’m giving away the blue polish.)
-SWAC by Purple Lab
I was excited to learn about Purple Lab, a new beauty line that launched earlier this year. Created by long-time beauty insider Karen Robinovitz, the current focus of this line is the lipgloss. I love the personalized details that have gone into this brand. Each gloss has a cute little name and comes with notes including a kiss mark from Karen. I’m most excited about their SWAC (Sealed With a Cure) lipgloss. Especially since it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I like that 20% of the proceeds go to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. I was impressed by the story behind the gloss and the smooth (not sticky) feel. Best of all, it’s a pretty pink shade with gold flecks.
Fashion
-Avon Fashion
Every time that I interact with Avon, I always think, “This is NOT my mother’s Avon.” (My mom was an Avon lady while I was growing up.) Anyway, the company now has a lot of fashionable items that I would actually wear! In fact, I really like (and have been wearing) their “Wool Tote of the Town” ($39.99). It’s in one of my favorite fall colors (grey). It’s big enough to slip in things that I need for my kids without being super huge and bulky. It also has pockets and a zip divider in the middle. I like having different spaces within one bag for various things. (I lean towards larger bags, so that I don’t have to carry multiple ones when going out.) The handles and trim are faux-leather so I’ll be keeping an eye on them to make sure that they don’t fade/rip easily. So far, it has held up well.
-mark City Riding Hat
I love hats. I especially love them when I don’t feel like doing my hair. I have one particular friend who knows me well. Whenever she sees me with all of my hair under a hat, she asks, “So, what’s going on with your hair today?” Ha! Thankfully, caps are trendy this fall. I like these city riding hats and get a compliment each time that I wear one of them. The fit is very suitable to a variety of head shapes. Every time that I wear one, I think of a blogger Sugar Jones. (The first picture that I saw of her was in this style of hat and it has stuck in my mind.) They come in two shades – brown tweed and black. I like the brown tweed one the best – it’s very sporty. I actually cut the strap off the black one – it looks better that way to me. In any event, at $15.00, the hats are an easy trend to follow.
-Shusokumb Totes
Do you wear a pair of flats and take a pair of shoes with heels in your bag when you go out? I do – especially when I’m catching the subway. That’s why I like this new Shusokumb (pronounced Shu-Sock’ Em) tote bag ($44). It is very functional because it has a variety of compartments. There are pockets and zippers so that you can put a whole lot of things – cell phones, cosmetics, keys, shoes, etc. – inside. (See the visual.) What is good is that the shoulder strap is soft so that you don’t get sore from carrying around all of that stuff! On the charitable side, I also like that one dollar from the sale of each bag is donated to the American Heart Foundation. Since I have a gazillion bags at the moment, I’m giving one of their navy bags away.
Other Items That I’m Giving Away:
-Gather Up Fashion Scarf
-Can’t Bead It Cuff (Camelian)
-Fab Faux Semiprecious Ring (Tiger’s Eye)
To win the package (nail polish, Shusokumb tote, scarf, cuff, ring), please share your personal favorite fall fashion or beauty item in the “Comments” section below by November 15th.
