Archive for March, 2009

We get it.  Once you find that fragrance you love, it’s really hard to stray from it.  But there are a ton of new fragrances that have recently been launched that we think you should try!  We’ve been perusing fragrance reviews all over the web in order to find some of the best reviewed new perfumes.   We found that Tom Ford’s White Patchouli is being talked about a lot – and for good reason.  

Launched in September 2008 with Erykah Badu as its spokesperson, Tom Ford’s White Patchouli is the new definition of earthy chic.  While the fragrance has hints of patchouli (which is strongly associated to incense and the hippie eras of the 1960s and 70s), it is much more subtle than most other patchouli fragrances.  The perfume combines the patchouli scent with some very elegant smelling white flowers such as jasmine, peony, and rose.  Ford himself admitted that he “wanted to free Patchouli from that cliche, and present it in a truly innovative way.”  He has certainly achieved his goal.

What every one’s saying:

• W Magazine says it’s, “the most lady like patchouli-based scent ever.”
• Vogue UK called it a “fresh yet distinctive eau de parfum.”
• Now Smell This calls the fragrance, “minimalist chic…I’d dress white patchouli in New York black:”
• Click here for even more White Patchouli reviews

The 26th Annual NEBRA Show

 This weekend, DBC visited the 26th annual NEBRA event at the Sheraton Meadowlands in New Jersey.  (NEBRA stands for the Northeast Beauty Representatives Association.)  The two day baseball themed beauty event featured representatives from various haircare, cosmetic, skincare companies. 

The event took up two giant conference rooms and was lined with booths from participants such as Babyliss, Hot Tools, Barielle, Robanda, and Lord & Berry introducing all the great new and improved products that are coming out soon.  Representatives sported the NEBRA blue and white striped baseball jersey. 

We were introduced to a ton of cool and inventive new products.  Aside from a ton of  great samples for new products, we also received insider information and insight about the latest in beauty technology and formulas.

Check back with us soon for some great new product reviews and tutorials!

Every year, InStyle Magazine compiles a huge list of their top beauty buys.  The April Issue (in stores now) features opinions from some of the leading experts in the beauty industry.  The editors of the magazine also sampled thousands of products to complete their list, which contains products in all beauty categories including makeup, skincare, and haircare.  Lucky for you, Discount Beauty Center carries a ton of the products InStyle recommends!  Here are some highlights from the issue

Makeup: Lips

• Best inexpensive lipstick (with best color range): L’Oreal Paris Lip Colour Riche.  InStyle says,”No skin tone is short-changed by this massive collection of 54 vivid hues.”
• Best inexpensive lipstick: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick.  Makeup artist Rachel Goodwin says the lipstick is, “easy, wearable…very current, [and] very on  target of what women want.”
• Editor’s Pick for Lips: Cover Girl Wetslicks Amaze Mint.  InStyle says it’s a, “lightweight gloss [that] delivers breath-freshening peppermint oil.”
• Best inexpensive lip gloss (with best color range): Maybelline Shine Seduction.  Makeup artist Fiona Stiles said of the gloss, “it doesn’t smell like brownies or have glitter in it like a lot of other drugstore glosses.”

Makeup: Eyes

• Best inexpensive mascara: L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara.  InStyle says it’s, “a staple in virtually every makeup kit in Hollywood.”
• Best inexpensive eye shadow:  L’Oreal Paris HIP Powder.  Makeup artist Margot Boccia says, “they’re so easy to blend, you can apply them with your fingers.”

Makeup: Face

• Best inexpensive powder blush: L’Oreal Paris Bare Natural Mineral Blush.  InStyle says, “it lasts for hours, even on the most sweltering summer days.”
• Editor’s Pick in Coverups: Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil.  InStyle says, “[this] smudge free cover-up stick became a fast favorite…”
• Best inexpensive concealer: Max Factor Erace Cover Up.  InStyle says it, “has an ultra-creamy texture that won’t settle into fine lines or wrinkles”
• Best inexpensive foundation: L’Oreal Paris True Match Foundation.   “All 24 shades go on ultra-sheer and layer nicely for fuller coverage” says makeup artist Kerry Washington.
• Best Mineral Foundation: Bare Escentuals I.D. Mineral Foundation.  InStyle says it’s, “the first of its kind, and…still the best for quick, on-the-go makeup with a clean, sheer finish.”

Makeup: Nails

• Best neutral:  Essie Mademoiselle Nail Polish.  Charlize Theron’s nail polish pro said, “I have 300 polish shades in my kit, but this is the one I use 60% of the time.”
• Best red: OPI Big Red Apple.  InStyle says it’s, “not too blue and not too orange.”
• Best top coat/base coat: Seche Vite Top Coat / Seche Clear Base Coat.  InStyle says, “these gel-like formulas go on as smooth as glass to anchor color and keep nails flossy for up to a week.”
• Best dark:  OPI Lincoln Park After Dark. InStyle says, “a hint of plum prevents this deep hue from going totally goth.”
• Best nail strengthener:  Duri Rejuvacote Nail Growth System.  InStyle says, “the keratin rich formula thickens nails; vitamin B5 nourishes them to prevent splitting or peeling.”

Makeup: Tools

• Best tweezers: Tweezerman Slant.  InStyle says, “they pluck exactly where you aim them”

Skin

• Best cleanser: Cetaphil Daily Gentle Skin Facial Cleanser.  InStyle says, “this ultra-gentle, milky cleanser gets a standing ovation year after year from dermatologists.”
• Best anti-aging spot treatment: Murad Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Gel.  Dermatologist Elissa Lunder says it has, “glycolic acid to get rid of dead skin, so the gel penetrates deeper.”
• Best wrinkle treatment: Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Treatment.  Dermatologist Melanie Grossman claims its active ingredient, Idebenone is, “the best antioxidant around.”

Hair

• Best anti-frizz product: John Frieda Frizz-Ease.  “This one will battle the worst humidity and frizz and still hold a curl,” says hair stylist Carla Gentry Osorio.
• Best at-home color kit for red, blond, or black hair: L’Oreal Paris Feria.  InStyle says, “the easy-to-use applicator and low levels of ammonia earn praise from Paris colorist Yiotis Panayiotou, who works with Kate Beckinsale and Victoria Beckham.”
• Best Blow-Dryer: T3 Bespoke Tourmaline Featherweight Hair Dryer.  InStyle says, “this lightweight machine dries hair more quickly – and with less damaging heat – than conventional dryers.”
• Best paddle brush: Mason Pearson Popular Brush.  According to hairstylist Ken Paves, “this is the only brush in the world.”
• Best curling iron: Hot Tools Marcel 1″ Curling Iron.  LA Hairstylist Robert Ramos says, “this iron has a gauge, so you can make it as hot as you want…it’s gentle on hair and lasts forever.”
• Editor’s Pick: Conair Mini Pro Ceramic Flat Iron.  InStyle says its, “Ideal for travel or stashing in your desk at work.”

For all this year’s picks, pick up a copy of the April issue of InStyle featuring Salma Hayek on the cover.

Your Daily Beauty Routine, Simplified!

These days, getting everything that needs to get done in a single day seems impossible. Who has time for an extensive beauty regime with the millions of other projects, events, and deadlines that we have going on! To help you speed up the process, Oprah Magazine gives 50 tips to save time with your beauty routine.

Fifty tips!? By the time you’re done reading them, you’ll be even more behind schedule! Luckily, we’ve narrowed the list down to their best recommendations plus a few product suggestions that will save you even more time!

1. Set up an area on your vanity or bathroom counter to lay out your makeup and tools. We like makeup organizers and mirrored vanity trays. This way, you can have all your makeup in one spot in a drawer so it’s not in the way.
2. Swipe on a tinted lip balm or gloss with SPF. Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss has SPF 15 is perfect for protecting lips from the sun, and is also enriched with vitamins C and E to give your lips plenty of moisture throughout the day!
3. Switch to a tinted moisturizer with SPF. Try Borghese Summer Glow Tinted Moisturizer its oil free formula with SPF 20 is the perfect on-the-go combo of moisturizer, sunscreen, and foundation.
4. Skip foundation and powder; instead, dust bronzer on your cheeks, chin, and around your hairline. We like Physician’s Formula Correct Bronzer Powder because it combines several different shades of bronze to create a natural, soft skin tone.
5. Don’t use mascara on your lower lashes. Maybelline Great Lash Washable Mascara is America’s No. 1 selling mascara, and it goes on easily with no smudging or clumping! One sweep is all it takes to beautify your lashes. You’ll be out the door in no time!
6. Choose neutral rather than trendy makeup colors so you don’t have to spend time trying to coordinate them. Also you’ll spend less time trying to make the trendy colors blend together! Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips provide just the right amount of shimmer, but give you natural hues that are specific to your eye color.
7. Work a dollop of mousse through your just-washed hair…The alcohol content speeds up drying.  Alterna Caviar Mousse not only will speed up your hair drying, but it also restores vibrancy and vitality to your hair.
8. When you’re too pooped for soap and water, reach for a cleansing wipe to take off your makeup. Almay Eye Make Up Remover Pads are perfect for that stubborn eye makeup. For a quick full face makeup removal, we recommend Bare Escentuals Make Up Remover Wipes.

Something the article did not mention which we think is a convenient hair tool to have when you’re in a rush is the T3 Tourmaline Wet to Dry Flat Iron. Why spend the time blow drying your hair when you can straighten it while it’s still wet!

Another way to save time – order all your time-saving products in one spot. Check out our easy shipping rates and timetables to see how quickly you can get your products!

 Good Morning Baltimore!

The hair trends of the 1960′s would not have been possible without the help of some fantastically strong hairspray.   Again, in the 80′s, when hair was back in style, hairspray was practically a necessity for every trendsetting woman (and man)!

Hair trends fade in and out of style, but until recently, it seemed that “big hair” had died right along with eighties hair bands.  While hair trends typically go in and out on their own, there’s a good chance the absence of big hair in the fashion world has had something to with the hairspray industry itself.

Hairspray and the Environment

You’ve probably heard that hairspray and aerosol cans are harmful to the ozone layer.  Research in the 1980′s found that VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds), found in most hairspray formulas were responsible for adding to the amount of smog in the environment and destroying the ozone layer.

In 1990, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) passed the Clean Air Act, which required states to create laws that reduced the amount of VOCs in various household products (including hair spray).  CARB (The California Air Resource Board) was the first state to enact such a plan, which was made effective in January 1993.  The regulation lowered the amount of acceptable VOC in hairsprays to 80%.  The law then re-lowered the percentage to 55% in 2005.  A similar law was passed in New York soon after, and many other states followed suit.

In compliance with the new laws, hair spray manufacturers were required to change their formulas.  Their main problem was that by lowering the percentage of VOC’s, they were in many cases substituting important hairspray ingredients with water.  This dramatically changed the effectiveness of their products.  Subsequently, almost the entire hairspray industry was drenched with ineffective, sticky, and heavy hair spray products.

New Hairspray Technology, finally!

Faster Plus is the new generation of hair sprays!  The company (a division of Mastey Products) is one of the first companies to develop a hair spray formula that is much more like those used in the 80′s.   Their products are made without added water (regular hair sprays can be up to 45% water)!  Faster Plus hairspray dries fast, keeps hair in place, but is not sticky or heavy.   They are also 100% in compliance with the VOC laws and do not harm the environment. 

Do we think that big 80′s hair might be coming back, now that there are products to help it along?  Something tells us, history may repeat itself sooner than you think.

Thanks to the blog Chirstina Loves…, we were reminded that the CEW announced their finalists for their annual Insider’s Choice Beauty Awards. 

The CEW (stands for Cosmetic Executive Women) is a nonprofit organization that joins together professional women in the cosmetics industry.  It acts as a networking outlet as well as provides education and philanthropic acts to the community.

Some of the finalists this year ‘s awards include:

• Jergens Natural Glow Express Body Moisturizer - for best body treatment (mass)
• Ahava Dermud Intensive Nourishing Body Cream – for best body treatment (prestige)
• L’Oreal Paris Double Extend Tubes Mascara - best eye product (mass)
• Maybelline Mineral Powder Foundation - best face product (mass)
• Physicians Formula Organic Wear Face Powder – best face product (mass)
• Bare Escentuals Bareminerals Hydrating Mineral Veil - best face product (prestige)
• Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Lip Gloss - best lip product (mass)
• L’Oreal Paris Infallible Lip Gloss – best lip product (mass)
• Emporio Armani Diamonds for Men – best men’s scent
• Prada Infusion d’Homme Eau de Toilette Spray – best men’s scent
• Sean John I am King Spray – best men’s scent
• Harajuku Lovers Fragrance, “G” – best women’s scent (prestige)

Click here for a complete list of finalists.  The CEW awards will be held on May 1, 2009 in New York City.  We promise to keep you updated on the winners from the event!

Ahava Dead Sea Minerals is an Israeli based company that has created a plethora of different moisturizers, cleansers, sunscreens, and other skin care products that utilize minerals from the Dead Sea.  Their products are all natural, in addition to being paraben and sulfate free.

History and Facts about the Dead Sea

• At 32%, the Dead Sea has the highest concentration of natural minerals in the entire world
• It’s the lowest point on Earth (about 400 meters below sea level)
• It’s called the “Dead” sea because there is almost no marine or plant life because of its high concentration of minerals.  In fact, the sea is so saturated, that you actually float when you’re in there
• Since the days of Cleopatra, people have been using the minerals from the sea for their beauty regimes.

How do the minerals work?

• As we age, our skin loses some of its power to moisturize naturally.  The minerals from the Dead Sea help this along.  The minerals enable the skin cells to communicate better and faster than they would without them.
• A study published by the International Journal of Cosmetic Science showed that Dead Sea minerals are effective in smoothing the skin’s surface.  Specifically, a product with only 1% Dead Sea minerals is 46% more effective in reducing skin roughness
• The mud from the sea also has minerals within it that are helpful in treating all types of skin, muscle, and joint problems.
• For more information on the effectiveness of Ahava, you can visit their website where they refer to various studies and research on the minerals within the Dead Sea.

Media Buzz

• Kristin Davis from Sex and the City has recently signed on as the newest spokesperson for the brand.  She tells WWD, “It’s not about being the cheapest, necessarily – it’s about delivery quality products for a reasonable price…Ahava does that – they’re not just creating a marketing story.”
• In the February 2009 issue of Fit Yoga, Ahava Dead Sea Mineral Mud is recommended to readers to, “relax while the therapeutic ingredients revitalize, moisturize, cleanse, soften, and remove impurities.”
• Men’s Fitness recommended the Men’s Mineral collection in its December 2008 issue.  (Ahava Press Release) 

We urge you to test out some of the most mineral induced skin care products in the world!  We’ll have you booking your next vacation to one of the Dead Sea spas before the end of the year!