Ms. New Beauty - Living the Beautiful Life - A Beauty Blog

As Seen on MNB

2008-05-05T14:19:00.004-04:00

Ms. New Beauty has decidedly unique preferences in television. She loves Gossip Girl but will only watch episodes that have been recorded on her DVR, never the live broadcast and she can never watch repeats. But with any of the seasons or cities of the Real Housewives, MNB can watch over and over and over again. She also has an equally fickle relationship with some of her favorite Food Network chefs. She can only watch two episodes of Rachel Ray per week before the canned goofy/perkiness starts to wear her out - seriously, who really prefers to call a sandwich a sammie? Who? - but the absolutely divine over-the-top antics of the Neely's never fails to amuse Ms. New Beauty. Quite possibly her strangest tv habit is her love affair with infomercials. Since the time she got a television in her room as a child, MNB has delighted in watching these 30 minute long commercials. Her favorites tend to be any kind of cleaning or cooking products. Ms. New Beauty practically knows the dialogue for the Ron Popeil Showtime Rotisserie Grill and absolutely adores the perky redhead of a certain age who can always whip up a five course meal with just a can of soda, some frozen fruit and the latest stovetop cooking innovation. Of course, MNB enjoys a good skincare or mineral makeup informercial. Despite all this consumer-centric viewing, Ms. New Beauty has never bought anything off of an infomercial. Recently, she did find herself in the As Seen on TV aisle of her local Duane Reade and ended up picking up one little gadget that's going to be her savior for sandal season.

The Ped-Egg

When I first saw the very cheesy commercial for this little gadget, I immediately rolled my eyes and changed the channel. See, I've been scrubbing my feet with a pumice stone in the shower every day since I was about 14 years old. That few minutes followed by a good body cream and white cotton socks has been keeping my feet baby soft ever since. I had absolutely no intention of modifying or supplementing my pedi maintenance routine. But, after spending a good 30 minutes in a Duane Reade that only had 5 minutes worth of interesting products, I ended up wandering down the As Seen on TV aisle. And sitting right in front of me, looking innocent enough, was this little foot scraper. Since the price was cheap enough, I figured, why not?

I was actually very pleased with the results. First, this comes with a filing blade that looks like rows of menacing razors but is in fact quite gental. Just a simple back and forth motion gently filed the dead skin away and buffed the new skin soft and smooth. There's a collection cap on top that holds all of the filings and it can be a little jarring to see just how crusty your tootsies were. But be careful. I found that when I was particularly rigorous with the buffing, some of the dust fell through the holes and ended up on my floor. What I really liked about this was the fact that you use on dry skin, not in the shower. That means anytime your heels are looking a little ragged, you can handle the situation right on the spot - no waiting to get home or into your nail tech's chair.

$9.99, available at Target and drugstores

Keep those feet soft and smooth for your sandals, and don't be too scared to try what you see on TV, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Hit The Bricks

2008-04-29T22:34:00.004-04:00

Ms. New Beauty has spent the last six months or so anxiously, breathlessly, kid-on-Christmas-Eve-ly, waiting for the arrival of spring. This winter has just been full of gray dreary skies and rainy days and MNB was over it about three hours after it began. But, last week, it seemed that spring had finally sprung. The skies were blue and sunny. The birds in the tree by Ms. New Beauty's front door started chirping and 4 am and kept it going all day long. And, flowers had started to push their way up through the earth and bloom just outside her window. All was right in New Beautyland. Of course, MNB started adjusting both her clothing and cosmetic wardrobes to this welcomed change in climate. She started skipping the socks that had become a mandatory staple, regardless of footwear. Her heavy winter moisturizer was replaced by a heavenly light and refreshing new face lotion (new post on that later). Ms. New Beauty's favorite adjustment was to her bronzing routine. MNB gets helplessly pasty in winter (yes, brown girls get pasty too) and her regular golden bronzer was the only thing that kept her from looking like a victim of the Bubonic Plague. But, now that the weather's getting warmer, and her complexion is coming back into its own luminosity, Ms. New Beauty is adjusting with a finer shade of shimmer.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Apricot

When I first walked up to the Bobbi Brown counter, I knew this was the shimmer brick that I wanted. I have two or three other bronzers that work well, but they're all pretty much the same golden hue. Some have more shimmer, some have less, but they're all still gold - which is heavenly in winter for a nice natural glow. But for spring, I wanted something a little more understated and a little more fresh.

This palette of five shades achieves that look perfectly for me. Ranging from pure ivory to gold, bronze and the warmest peach, these colors blend so well and give the softest glow. Because all of the colors are peachy, they naturally have the yellow undertones that work with most complexions and especially complement brown skin. What I really and truly love about this is how finely milled the powder is. There are no big specks of glitter or chunky shimmer that just stands out on your face. The powder is so fine that just the quickest swipe of a fluffy brush is like creating your own mood lighting for your face. Just a few strokes across my cheekbones and temples, and I'm lit from within and absolutely glowing like I've just done three back to back Bikram yoga session followed by a restful nap that would make Sleeping Beauty jealous.

$38, available at Bobbi Brown counters

(hint, hint New Beauties - we are deep in the midst of retail's friends and family season. Last weekend was Lord & Taylor and Saks, and this weekend is Macy's. Check your emails or send out some requests to a few friends so you can print out the coupons and stock up on your beauty goodies on the cheap).

Put some spring in your step, and then put a little on your face, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

The Battle of the Primers

2008-04-20T09:13:00.003-04:00

More than a few times recently, Ms. New Beauty has had ridiculously long days. Most people wake up, go to work, and come back home. In MNB's life, it's been more like wake up, go to work, get dinner, maybe a few cocktails, head out to some social event, stumble in the house way past midnight, do it all over again the next day. With days this long, Ms. New Beauty of course has to rely on makeup that will go on easily in the morning and keep on kicking until it's time to take it off. Pressed powder and cheek stain pretty much keep her complexion in tact. Her mascara is so good, it doesn't come off unless she uses an eye makeup remover. But keeping her eye shadow in tact always proved to be a struggle. The color that looks great in the morning is creased and all but evaporated by evening, unless MNB gets a little help from her friends - her primer friends that is.

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly

I first told you about this amazing find a few months back. The paint pot is itself a cream eye shadow with a water base. Use your finger to smooth it on and it dries almost instantly and lasts all day. Painterly is a creamy shade that works beautifully as a primer under my darker eye shadow looks. I just smooth it on before applying my eye shadow and the color lasts all day. There is no creasing whatsoever with this on my lids, and that is a really big deal given how oily my lids can get after just a few hours.

But I do have one gripe with using this as a primer. Light eye shadow colors just don't read well when layered on top of this. Because this is actually meant to be used as an eye shadow on its own, the creamy white color doesn't disappear into your lids. And, given my cocoa complexion, it really stands out. Every time I've tried to do a light or shimmery look on top of this, the white still shows through. So of course, you know I went out looking for something that would work under any shadow and still last all day.

$16.50, available at MAC counters

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Priming Potion

I first heard of this primer when I stumbled upon this blog post about just how much product gets trapped in the oddly shaped tube. A few hours of web surfing later, and I realized two things - one, there are all kinds of makeup videos on youtube (seriously, I saw enthralled watching all kinds of different women doing all kinds of different eye shadow looks for at least three hours) and two, absolutely every one of these women primed their lids with this potion first. That was all it took for me to put this on my shopping list for my next trip out to the beauty counters.

This primer is very creamy and packs a big punch. It took me a few days of using it before I actually got the right amount onto my lids because it's very easy to apply too much. Too much of this primer will leave a white residue on your lids that really stands out if your complexion is on the deeper end of the spectrum. The creamy formula goes on really smooth so just a few pats with your ring finger will cover your entire eye lid. It does take about a minute or so for it to fully absorb and dry. Once it does, it's almost invisible and any color eye shadow goes on seamlessly on top of it. The important part is that the eye shadow really lasts throughout your day. I have found that there was just a little creasing, but seriously, just a little.

$16, available at Sephora

So, this post is titled the "Battle of the Primers" because I was really looking to find the best primer on the market. But, the truth is, I like and use them both. Neither is perfect and they both have their own strengths and uses. For my smokey eyes, I go for the MAC and for the light shimmery looks, it's the Urban Decay. If only more battles and wars could end like this.

Live a life as fast as you want, and know that your makeup will be able to keep up, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Drive-by Beauty

2008-04-12T12:32:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Ms. New Beauty had the longest day of her life. She left the house at 8 am and didn't make it back until 4 o' clock the next morning. MNB put in a full day at work and then had a full evening scheduled after. The plan was to meet her boyfriend for a quick drink and then head over to Radio City to see the Katt Williams comedy tour. After the drinks and jokes, next up was dinner and then a cab ride downtown to celebrate a friend's birthday at a club. Add in the fact that yesterday in New York was cold, cloudy, rainy day. Obviously, it took a herculean effort for Ms. New Beauty to find the right outfit that would work in the office and then carry her through her whirlwind night all the while keeping her looking chic despite the weather. MNB put together just the right look for the day but as she was leaving work and heading uptown for her cocktails and comedy, she realized that her makeup was badly in need of a refresh. Unfortunately, Ms. New Beauty had left her emergency cosmetics bag at home. So she did what any woman in her situation would do - she headed right to her nearby Sephora to touch up her look and to try some new products. And, she found some new favorites in the process.

Phyto Phyto 9 Daily Ultra Nourishing Botanical Cream

As any woman who straightens her hair will tell you, the weather is not your friend. Even the threat of rain can take you from smooth and silky to frizzy in an instant. Yesterday was no different for me. The rain and the fog undid all of the work that I put in with my curling iron as soon as I stepped out of the front door. The worst offender of all was the constant mist floating down from the sky all day. It's so fine that an umbrella is just no protection at all. Needless to say, my hair was at the top of the my to-do list when I walked into Sephora.

I was looking for a product that smooth and moisturize without drying up and leaving my hair hard and crunchy. This balm perfectly fit the bill. It delivered a power punch of moisture to my edges and roots, also known as the new growth. It left my hair softened without the slightest bit of greasiness and smoothed everything down without being too watery. My only regret is that I did not buy it right then and there because I was in such a rush. But this is definitely coming home with me the next time I step into Sephora.

$26, available at Sephora

Carol's Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey

Here's another hair product I needed yesterday. You thought I was joking, huh? I said that the weather completely did number on my hair and I was serious. My ends were so parched that every time I ran my finger through my hair I heard "me want agua" whispered in my ear. Clearly this got annoying after the third or fourth time. I knew after I got my front laid down, I had to find something to handle the back

At first I hesitated about using this kind of product on my hair. I have a lot of hair, but it's really fine. Anything with too much oil will weigh my strands down in a nanosecond and a lot of natural hair products, especially those marketed to women of color, can be too much for my hair. But I was pleasantly surprised by this pomade. It emulsified in my hands almost immediately and left a light citrus scent on my hair. Even more important, my ends drank it up! I swear I almost heard my hair belch afterwards. All the moisture I needed with no heaviness or greasiness. But be forewarned, less is definitely more. Just a dab'll do ya.

$9.50, available at Sephora

NARS Blush in Taos

The last thing I needed to ready myself for my whirlwind night was a boost to my complexion. In the morning, I typically use a quick dab of cheek stain to give a little color to my face because I can do it almost without looking. Just a few quicks dabs of product and then a quick blend with my fingers and I'm ready to go. It takes less than 30 seconds. But when I have more time, I love my powder blush and NARS Taos has been my go to color since I first discovered it four years ago. If you read magazines and beauty blogs a lot, you've probably heard of NARS Orgasm already. It's a pinky peach blush and while it's perfectly nice, it is not, and I repeat not, universally flattering as it has often been called. While I'm sure it works on plenty of women and changed lives around the globe, Orgasm does not look good on everyone, particularly me. For complexions on the deeper end of the color spectrum, Orgasm can be too shimmery and border on looking ashy.

This is where Taos steps in to fill the void. Taos is a rosy shade with just enough coral and peach to bring out of the warmth of a darker skin tone. And, it has a very fine milled hint of golden shimmer that just makes my skin glow. NARS blushes are very, very pigment rich so a big fluffy brush is a must to keep the look natural, which is why I normally skip it in the morning. But for evening, it always brings my look together. The challenge yesterday was applying it in Sephora without the aid of my favorite Kevin Aucoin brush. Ever the resourceful one, I found a way to use those cotton rounds to buff and blend the color to perfection.

$25, available at Sephora

Take yourself from early morning through late night, and make a quick stop to refresh the sexy if you need to, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Glow To Go

2008-04-08T21:59:00.004-04:00

As Ms. New Beauty mentioned before, she just started a new job. She's delighted to inform you all that she's really enjoying herself. The work is challenging. The people are nice. And, the culture could not be more suited to MNB's personality. But, she does have one small gripe. The lighting in the women's bathroom. On her first, Ms. New Beauty took extra care to spruce up her normal routine with a little extra coverage and color where she needed it only to be absolutely dismayed on her first run to the ladies' room. The lighting made her look like an absolute hag! Under the daylight outdoors she looked great. Under the flourescents at her desk, she was flawless. MNB looked great everywhere - except in that bathroom. She doesn't know how and she doesn't know why but somewhere along the line, Ms. New Beauty pissed that light bulb off and it was determined to make her pay for it. Each day, MNB subtly adjusted her daily routine to compensate for the horrors waiting for her in that bathroom mirror. A switch from gel bronzer to powder. Just a dab of liquid foundation instead of a few pats of her stick formula. And, just a few swirls of a fab new blush to bring it all together.

Three Custom Color Ski Bunny Lip & Cheek Stain

My all time favorite and most flattering shade of blush is always in the berry family. Something about that sheer red, with just subtle hints of pink and purple, always works wonders for my skin. And, that combo tends to be perfect for a million other complexions as well. This lip and cheek stain falls square into that raspberry color family. Though it looks decidedly crimson in the compact, it has just the right combination of other tones to look completely natural on my cheeks. The formula is quite sheer, so I can layer and blend and layer and blend until my heart's, and cheeks', content. This can double as a lip stain as well, though I only use it as a blush. I tend to like my lip color to be as close to my natural color as possible during the day.

Now, loyal New Beauties will know that Tarte Cheek Stain is one of my all time favorite products. Ever. It takes a lot for me to turn my back on my baby. The one thing that this has going for it over the Tarte is portability and a built in mirror. I can drop this in my bag on my way out the door and apply my blush on the my walk to the bus. Add in a quick slick of lip gloss and I'm fabulous and ready to start the day. Take that, you damned light in the bathroom!

$20.50, available at www.threecustom.com

Look good under any lighting, and take the products that help you do it with you wherever you go, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

It's Been A Long Time

2008-04-06T11:38:00.003-04:00

MNB shouldn't have left you, without a dope post to step to. Step to, step to, step to. Hey there New Beauties! Ms. New Beauty knows that it's been a month of Sundays since she's posted and she's tres sorry. Life has just been going a mile a minute, she started a new job the day after she interviewed for it. So, with trying to adjust to a new office and get up to speed on her new work, by the time she gets off, it's all MNB can do to wash off the day's makeup, let alone blog about it. But never fear, she's got a fresh new batch of posts coming this week - here's a quick teaser

Mascara Mania - reviewing a whole mess of mascaras
Tech Beauty - the latest in at home, high tech beauty treatments
The Perfect Hand Healer - finally found it!
Gobble Be Gone
The Clash of The Primers

So scoot back from the edge of your seats, the goodness is coming.

Even though sometimes it takes her a while, don't forget that Ms. New Beauty will always end up telling you!

The Oily Girl's Burden

2008-03-09T18:48:00.001-04:00

Ms. New Beauty is a firm believer in the motto "practice what you preach." And, she tries to do the best that she can. She recycles her plastic bottles because she announced her commitment to going green. She's following her passions because she's gotten on friends for ignoring their own. MNB is so committed to practicing what she preaches because she cannot stand hypocrites. Especially the hypocrites that tell women one thing and then do the other. Like the female celebrities who tone up and drop ten pounds by living on a combo of caffeine, cigarettes and five hour daily workouts, but then claim that they owe those abs all to yoga. Since Ms. New Beauty lovingly dispenses her own beauty advice, rantings and ravings to the world on this site, she has to admit the times when she's fallen short. Though she knows the importance, MNB sometimes skipped her sunscreen. It wasn't that she didn't want sun protection or just felt like being lazy. It was because as an oily girl, a lot of sunscreens just left her way too shiny to be a faithful user, even the ones billed as "oil free." It was the Oily Girl's Burden - skipping products you know you need just for the sake of not wanting to bring sand to the beach, so to speak. But Ms. New Beauty knew better. So instead of just skipping it altogether, she got serious about finding sunscreens that work for an oily complexion and she did!

Boscia Oil-Free Daily Hydration SPF 15

I'm sure this is a side effect of the world's favorite color being green lately, but I find myself paying natural and organic skin care lines a lot more attention. Recent news about the number of chemicals that the FDA bans from use in cosmetics (like 7) and the comparable number banned by the EU (like 300) has me being a lot more conscious about what I'm putting on my body. Boscia specializes in preservative-free products that are packed full of natural botanicals. And, since I'm always on the look out for a good sunscreen that won't leave me greasy, I tried this with very little hesitation.

I'm glad that I did because I love the results. This is the most lightweight and easily absorbed sunscreen that I have ever tried. At first, I was wary of the super light consistency. I was afraid that it would be too thin and leave certain areas of my face feeling dry against the winter air so I layered it over my normal moisturizer. Even then, the finish on my skin was still flawless. No shine, no heavy feeling, no greasy buildup after a few minutes. My face just felt clean and soft and it looked even better. My skin was matte with no shine, not even in my t-zone. Eventually, I moved to just using it by itself and I found that the results were the same. My skin was neither dry nor oily. It was that perfect flawless happy medium.

$27, available at Sephora

Cosmedicine Medi-Matte Oil Control Lotion SPF 20

If an absolutely matte finish is what you demand from your sunscreen, this is the ultimate choice. Medi-Matte is a thick, creamy white sunscreen that's about the consistency of Elmer's school glue. It actually feels just a little tacky on your fingers when you smooth it on. Normally, a texture that's anything but divine is enough for me to tell a product to hit the bricks. But, I can't with this one because it really delivers. It leaves my skin absolutely matte. Even my ever defiant nose, who just loves to get her little shine on right in the middle of my face, was no match for this sunscreen. And, after giving it a minute or two to really absorb, that tackiness goes away and leave a smooth finish behind. Plus the sun protection is right where it needs to be (anything above SPF 15 is good for everyday use) and the formula actually keeps oil and shine under control throughout the day.

Now, I do find that this is a little too thick to use on the hottest of hot days. It works, but the heaviness just makes my skin feel smothered and I soon start to "glow." (Ladies don't perspire, we glow). But this is perfect for days when the sun is high, but the temperature is still reasonable. I am going to be using this from now through the spring and right on until the beginning of summer. Any temperature below 75 would be perfect for this.

$42, available at Sephora

Protect your skin oily girls, and stop worrying about added the added burdens of most sunscreens, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

I Can't Believe It's Not Pudding

2008-03-04T23:51:00.001-05:00

One of Ms. New Beauty's greatest joys in life is eating and eating well. She's not so much a "foodie" as she is a "greedy" - meaning that she can rarely turn down the opportunity to eat really, really good food. Naturally, MNB loves to eat out. From 5 Star restaurants (on the cheap during restaurant week) to local Mom & Pops, if you cook it, Ms. New Beauty will come. She also loves eating out with friends and of course, tasting food from their plates. What never ceases to amaze MNB is some of her friends funny eating habits. Like one fabulous lawyer friend of hers who always wants to try something that the restaurant does not specialize in. She'll order Moet at a small town pub or even cheesecake from a greasy Thai joint. (In the latter instance, said cheesecake proved to be of the frozen Sara Lee variety and came to the table completely melted as the waiter had put it in the microwave to defrost). Ms. New Beauty has another close friend, we'll call her D, who is more predictable than Tyra "that's fierce/she's pretty, [dramatic pause] but is she a model?/you're dead behind the eyes" Banks on ANTM when it comes to eating. If a restaurant serves pancakes, that's what D will order. If you offer D pudding, she will eat it, even if she's full to the point of sickness. Well, Ms. New Beauty just found a delightful pudding for D that won't make her wish she could resist.

Epoch Baobab Body Butter

This body butter is perfect for dry, parched winter skin that hasn't quite adjusted to the slightly rising temperatures. Named for the African tree that's known for it's ability to survive droughts by storing water, this body butter is ridiculously moisturizing. It is packed with shea butter, which any person who has ever been ashy knows is one of the world most moisturizing ingredients, macadamia nut oil, and the actual fruit of the baobab tree. The texture is smooth and creamy without being too thin. It sinks right in and leaves my skin soft and supple without being greasy. I've found a lot of shea butter moisturizers leave trails of grease in their wakes that almost make you prefer being dry and ashy.

What I really love, and what D will die for, is the fact that it smells just like vanilla pudding. It's sweet, but for some reason, it doesn't make me want to chuck it, which is normally my reaction to the gourmand scents. This one smells like vanilla, but doesn't beat you over the head trying to make its point. It just kind of wafts up and lets you realize that all that smooth, creamy moisture smells good too. It's a humble body butter, if such a thing ever existed.

$29.50, available at nuskin.com

Find treats for your friends that treat their quirks too but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Surprise Sunshine!

2008-03-03T13:38:00.006-05:00

Ms. New Beauty really likes to entertain. From a simple dinner at home to a full out catered backyard barbecue with tents, MNB is in her element putting together a fun event. So it was only fitting that she decided to throw a birthday party this weekend for her boyfriend who has never celebrated his big day. Just to shake things up a bit, she decided to make this bash a surprise party and conspire with one of his friends to get him to the club after all the other guests had arrived. Sounds simple in theory but it actually required a lot of work. First, she had to send out a number of "semi" threatening emails to keep people in the loop without anyone spilling the beans. (Ms. New Beauty found that threatening a fine for violations was surprisingly effective). Then, on the day of the actual event, MNB's fingers were caught in a flurry of texting. Texting the friend who was bringing him to the club almost every other minute for location checks. Texting other friends who were having trouble at the door to hide out at the WaMu ATM so as not to ruin the surprise. All in all, the party was worth the trouble. Ms. New Beauty's boyfriend was completely surprised and had a great time. But, now, on the Monday after, MNB is looking down to find that all that furious texting has left her hands badly in need of a manicure. The polish is chipped, cuticles are dry, and those pesky hangnails are starting to creep up. So today, she's going to pamper her fingers and treat them to the newest trend in nail colors, just in time to bring in the spring.

OPI Need Sunglasses?

This bright, lemony yellow is the perfect shade to wear on your nails this spring. After what seems like an eternity of black, dark purple, and navy nails, this is like a breath of fresh air. Especially since it seems like everyone from 80 year old retirees to 8 year old elementary school kids had black nails this winter. This sounds incredibly snobby of me, but once a trend hits the masses, you really have to let it go.

With this, you get the same sense of the unexpected that made the dark nail polishes so interesting, but in a much newer way. Plus, the yellow will really stand out against most skin tones and give the same dramatic contrast. And, yellow just makes me happy. I see yellow and I want to smile and giggle and frolic. This will be my own personal springtime on my fingers.

Around $7.50, available in drugstores and at opidiva.com

Creative Nail Design Hot Pop Blue

This spring, both Chanel and Dior released their takes on the navy nail polish trend. And, while I normally love both companies' cosmetics, I couldn't help but think "too little, too late." Why would I pay $20 for dark blue polish released four months too late when OPI Russian Navy was only $7.50 and released while the trend was still relevant? But, I digress.

Navy nails were quite a beautiful take on the dark polish trend. Blue is such a new and different color for nails in a sea of reds and pinks. But after two dark winters, it's time to update that look for spring. Try this bright pop of blue instead. The opaque finish makes this color's statement much bolder than a shade in a shimmer or frost finish. This would look fabulous paired with some of this seasons neutral, safari-inspired pieces. It'll be just that touch of the unexpected that makes life interesting.

$5.95, available at enailsupply.com

OPI Goin Ape-ricot

First, don't you just love the names OPI gives their polishes? I know I can't be the only one laughing at bottles of nail polish at the salon. Moving on.

Want to get in on the bright nail trend but need to keep your nails a little more subdued for work? Try a pretty tangerine shade like this. It's just a little bolder than your average coral, but still not so left field that your manager will wonder if you lead a secret double life once the clock strikes 5. And, since this polish has the aforementioned pearl finish, the look is much softer and wearable.

The best part about wearing an orange shade is that you can always find one to suit your complexion. Since orange is a mix of yellow and red, you can just choose a shade that has more of one or the other to suit your undertones. My complexion is really yellow based, so this would work well on me. For those of you with more pink or red in your skin, look for a shade that's more like a ripe tomato.

About $7.50, available at opidiva.com and drugstores

Treat your fingers to bright burst of spring with your next manicure, and give the darks a much needed break, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Ice, Ice Baby

2008-02-28T19:15:00.003-05:00

Brrrr! It's colder than a mutha outside today! Here in New York, the temperature would not budge above 25 degrees today and the wind was whipping around corners like The Fast and The Furious. But, it's not just in the North that people are freezing, Ms. New Beauty heard from a friend in Miami that people down there had to bust out the parkas. Granted, Miami peeps put on the winter clothes when the temperature gets close to 60, but cold is cold. MNB has finally gotten herself back home and put her toes firmly in front of the heater. A status check shows that her tootsies are still cold, so a hot bath is going to be the only cure for this case of chills. Ms. New Beauty has the bad habit of making her bath so hot that her skin can barely take the heat. Once her skin does adjust to the water, it's the rest of MNB that starts to revolt. Her brow starts to sweat. Her throat gets dry and thirsty. She can't take the heat, but Ms. New Beauty won't get out of the kitchen, or bathroom as it were. Well, she's not going to run cooler bath water, so MNB will just bring herself a bottle of water and a tube of some very chilly face product into the bath with her.

Lumene Arctic Touch Deep Cleansing Peat Mask

As a general rule, I'm not really a mask girl. I'm all about exfoliating. All about toning and moisturizing. All about spot treatments and special attention for the eyes. With all of that everyday, I very rarely remember to use the masks that I have. And so, I pretty much rely on the drugstore offerings when it comes to face masks. If something's gonna sit in my medicine cabinet, largely untouched, I'd rather that something only cost me $9, and not $90. I was killing some time in a CVS a few months ago when I just picked this up on a whim. It looked interesting enough and the price was right, so I bought it.

The last time that I was planning a bath, I happened to reach for this. I wanted the whole "spa experience" and I knew that I was going to be sweating within five minutes, so this seemed the perfect pick from my product closet. This mask is thick and a brownish-gray like most clay masks. What I loved about it though was the icy cool feeling on my skin when I applied it. At first, I just figured that was the basic cool of any liquid, but the feeling lasted. It stayed cool and tingly for the entire 15 minutes that I had it on my face. So much so, I thought that the mask hadn't dried. The feeling was downright delightful and the perfect companion to an almost skin scorching bath. After rinsing, my skin was soft, but not anything out of the ordinary. It's the cool feeling that really makes this mask special.

About $8, available at CVS

Come in from the cold, but stay cool while you warm up, and this time tell a friend that Ms. New Beauty told you!

The J-List

2008-02-26T16:56:00.004-05:00

Ms. New Beauty knows that now is prime time to talk about all the A-list stars who floated down the red carpet at The Oscars on Sunday. But, MNB has got to let you all in on a little secret. Come close. Closer. Closer. This year, Ms. New Beauty didn't care! Maybe it was the writer's strike, or the fact she wasn't "rooting" for any one of the nominees to win, but whatever it was, MNB did not spend Sunday night watching the Oscars. And, from what she's read about it being the most boring broadcast in history, she's glad she skipped it and watched The Wire instead, which by the way was chocked full of excitement. (Omar's dead?!?! And killed by a child?!?! Who could have ever seen that one coming?) Nonetheless, Ms. New Beauty knows that the Hollywood fever still has a hold on beauty junkies, so instead of doing a red carpet wrap up, she's contributing in her own way - by singing the praises of a product that was proudly on The J-List, way before it hit The A-List.

Clarisonic Skin Care Brush

This holiday season, the Clarisonic brush was the hottest beauty commodity. Oprah mentioned it as one of her favorite things and then the shelves cleared out. But, I have to admit, it wasn't Lady O who first sang the praises of this brush. It was my girl Johnica, one of my first beauty blogging friends and the first that I actually knew in real life before the blog. She loved this brush almost a year and a half ago. Can we say way ahead of the curve?

Clarisonic is made by the same people who brought us the Sonicare Toothbrush, which I used from age 12 until about a few months ago when it finally died on me. The brush uses sonic waves to vibrate the bristles and clean your face deep down. The beauty of this brush is not just the vibrations or the extra clean feeling your skin has. It's the little extras that make it special. Unlike other face brushes that only work with that brand's cleanser, you can use anything with the Clarisonic. Just wet your face, smooth on your normal cleanser, and away you go. And, the brush also comes with two brush heads, two pressure settings and two timing options. It emits a subtle beep to let you know to move on to the next section of your face. I've already noticed that my chin and nose area which tend to get milia are cleared up from the extra exfoliation. My skin has never been softer or smoother.

$195, available at Clarisonic.com

Forget about boring old Hollywood and stay ahead of the curve on your own, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Plump, Plump, Plump It Up

2008-02-21T11:56:00.002-05:00

Well, Ms. New Beauty is finally back online. Despite losing absolutely everything that was on her hard drive - documents, pictures, music, everything - she's just glad to have a computer again and be able to spend endless hours in bed playing on the internet. You don't know just how hard it was for her to miss her almost daily dose of the Evil Eye Baby. But now she's back and ready to get back to blogging! MNB had lined a whole Valentine's beauty series that was going to be absolutely fabulous, featuring specific recommendations for ladies going out on dates, hanging with the girls, or staying home and pampering themselves, but sadly, that's no longer relevant. So she'll just jump right into a new product review just for you New Beauties that want a little more pout for your pucker.

Physicians Formula Plump Potion

I got this lip plumper in a gift bag for an event I attended. Whenever I get beauty products in gift bags, I follow the same little ritual. I dump everything out onto the floor and thoroughly review what I got and what I'm going to use. For makeup, I try it right on the spot to decide if I want to keep it, give or throw it away. Then, I use that time to edit my current collection to see if anything I already have needs to get thrown out too.

So, by the time I tried this lip plumper, I had already been under my sink, reaching into the depths of my product stash pulling things out, rearranging and throwing stuff away. I swiped some on my lips and then stopped in my tracks trying to figure out what the horrible smell was that had just overtaken my bathroom. I was sure that it was something in the plumbing under the sink that I had mistakenly let loose. It took me a good minute to realize that that strong chemical/plain old funky smell was coming from the lip plumper. That alone was enough for me to drop it in the trash. But then, my lips started burning. Not a friendly tingle, a straight up burn. There must be cinnamon extract or oil in this formula because it felt as if an entire jumbo pack of Big Red had been crushed up and put on my lips. Obviously, I didn't let the burning continue to see if it did make my lips plumper. If you have a weaker sense of smell and a higher tolerance for pain that I do, you might still be intrigued. But I recommend just skipping this one altogether.

$8.95, available at drugstores

Now, onto a much more satisfying plumping experience.

Freeze 24/7 PlumpLips

I think I may actually be addicted to this lip plumper. I keep one in my purse and another by the side of my bed. I actually slick a little bit on before bed, a habit that my boyfriend thinks is completely ridiculous. But I can't help it. I just love the way it makes my lips feel. This tingles a little when you first apply it, but unlike the Physicians Formula, it's not painful. It's just a pleasant little tingle that makes you go "hmm, that was nice." No mad dashes to the sink to wash off your lips and definitely no weird eerie smells.

What I love so much about this is the texture and staying power. This isn't thick and isn't goopy. But it's also not too thin or runny. It falls right into that happy medium area. The texture reminds me of BioSilk or another hair serum serum - thick enough to get the job done, but thin enough not to be heavy. But it also leaves my lips crazy shiny but stays on all day. The only time I need to reapply is after eating or drinking.

I am actually quite happy with the fullness of my lips. In the lip lottery, I feel like I hit the big one. I love the shape, size and fullness of my lips. So, I can't say that I've ever noticed a real plumping effect on me with this. But I have seen it work on other people's lips and make them fuller and pinker.

$40, available at Saks

Plump up your pout, but skip the stinking and the burning, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

After These Messages

2008-02-17T21:33:00.002-05:00

Hey there New Beauties! MNB knows she's been MIA for a while, but trust her, it's not her fault. She recently discovered that she got a rotten apple. Not the fruit - the computer. Her semi-brand new MacBook froze last week and her entire hard drive had to be replaced, which, by the way, means she lost all of the pictures, documents and software that was on the computer (the lesson here is "always back your isht up!").

So the laptop is in the shop, and Ms. New Beauty is spending her time playing Wii Tennis. And, since her arms are ridiculously sore right now, at least it counts as exercise. She'll be back with new products and new posts as soon as her computer gets fixed.

Stay tuned, and just wait a few more days for Ms. New Beauty to tell you!

Sexy Time

2008-02-13T13:29:00.002-05:00

February is here. That means all of Coupledom is aflutter arranging plans for the 14th - Valentine's Day. Lots of twosomes are scrambling to get reservations to the city's most romantic candlelit eatery or tickets to the hottest show in town. Of course, some guys will just present the obligatory bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolate or maybe even tiny boxes only big enough to hold pretty, little things that sparkle. For others, Valentine's Day will bring intimate nights at home showering each other in love. If your plan involves hanging the "Do Not Disturb" sign on your front door, Ms. New Beauty knows being everyday beautiful might not be enough to really set the mood. This night might be the night that Pretty Paula wants to vamp it up a bit and Sexy Susan for a night. So MNB encourages you to try some of these products to make the most of that sexy night with your special someone.

Laura Mercier Diamond Duster

One of the most indisputable laws of sexy is "when you feel sexy, you look sexy." That subtle shot of confidence, just knowing you are hot stuff, is enough to let the rest of the world know it too. Start your night off right but treating yourself to the sexy delicate touch of this light duster. It has all the glamour of a feather boa without the all the hooker/brothel-esque connotations. Lightly dip this into your favorite loose shimmer powder, like this one from Too Faced. Then, dust along all the places where you want his eye to travel, like your collarbone and sternum, gently along your shoulders, and just atop your cheekbones. This brush will tickle both your skin and your inner goddess.

$22, available at Sephora

Victoria's Secret So Sexy Natural Hold Hairspray

To make sure sexy is the first thing he thinks when he sees you, you definitely want to have a head full of sexy, shiny hair. Regardless of what your texture is or the style that you choose, you absolutely want to have hair that moves. Helmet head is never sexy. But if your hair needs a little more help to stay in place, reach for this hairspray. It'll give your hair and style the volume and definition that it needs but it's flexible enough so that your lucky guy can run his hands through it without getting stuck. This will also make your locks look shiny and healthy. Remember, with hairspray, less is always more. I prefer to spray a mist up in the air and let it settle down onto my hair rather than spray it directly on my head. For any flyways, spray a quick shot on comb and gently slide through to tame without making your hair sticky and tacky.

$8.50, available at Victoria's Secret

Trish McEvoy Sexy #9

For Valentine's Day, you want to smell as sexy as can be. For some women, that means wearing a heady musky scent. For others, it can be something light, fruity and floral. But regardless of your choice, you certainly don't want to rely on that old reliable scent that you wear day in and day out. The last thing you need to be reminded of at Valentine's is sitting in your cubicle and staring at a computer screen. Try this sensual scent that is a complete break from everyday and will get you in a sexy kind of mood. Even the bottle is a departure from the average and is a throwback to those days of Old Hollywood glamour when women got done up for dinner regardless of whether it was downstairs in the kitchen or uptown at the Russian Tea Room.

$95, available at Saks

Agent Provocateur Titillation Lip and Nipple Balm

The sexy lingerie brand known for its exquisitely detailed pieces and cult-like celeb following also makes sexy little fragrance and beauty offerings. This kitschy, tongue-in-cheek duo is the perfect beauty gift to give your man. One of these black orbs is packed with a rich and moisturizing lip balm to keep you kissable. The other, well it's got a nipple balm inside to moisturize and, ahem, stimulate your senses. I bet you never knew your nipples needed balm until now. And, I'm sure your date for the night will enjoy kissing both balms off of you!

$40, available at Bloomingdale's

Feel sexy, look sexy, and stay sexy all night long, and you don't have to tell your man that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Oh, and just in case "sexy" isn't in your Valentine's vocab, stay tuned for a beauty recommendations for a night out with the girls, a date with someone special, and for a night in with numero uno.

Almost Perfect

2008-02-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

A while ago, Ms. New Beauty went to beauty blogger event at Space.NK. There, she met and chatted it up with the beautiful faces behind some of her favorite blogs. Of course, she also picked herself up some pretty little things from all the offering at the hip, Soho apothecary. Ms. New Beauty should have known that the question "what else should I buy?" would be met with so many raves about so many different products, lines, and brands. The one that stood out came from Elke, the fabulous, bi-coastal makeup artist. She picked up a makeup brush and said, "get this, it makes you perfect!" That was all MNB had to hear - she took the brush from Elke's hand and headed straight to the register. And, after following her advice on how to use it, Ms. New Beauty can positively report that she is now perfect, when it comes to her makeup that is - she still has the habit of starting laundry and taking a week to finish it. But, this post is just about that wonderfully perfecting brush, and an even cheaper version that still gets the job done.

Fiber Optic Face Brushes

Laura Mercier Finishing Brush, $42

vs.

Sephora Brand Professional Stippling Brush, $35

Fiber optic face brushes are so amazing, and I had never even heard of them until Elke insisted that I get it. The brushes are made up of two layers of bristles, as you can see. The short black bristles are tightly packed goat hairs that are design to hold onto product while the longer white bristles are synthetic, meant to come behind and smooth everything out. This is the tool to reach for when you're applying your fine shimmer powders and don't want to end up looking too Disco Fever.

I use it differently though. First, I do my entire face of makeup - primer, foundation, concealer, blush, loose powder. Then, I grab this brush and my trusty Evian Brumisateur (honestly, how many uses are there for that that can of water? I swear I could figure out a way to decorate my house with it). I spray a light mist to just dampen the bristles of the brush and then I buff it over my entire face. What this does is blend out my makeup and pick up just enough to that everything looks really sheer and natural, exactly the way makeup should look. You can say goodbye to harsh lines and that tell tale border along your jaw once you use this. And, both brushes do the same job, it's just that one costs less.

Stay perfect, or get that way if you're not already, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Normally a Neimans Girl

2008-01-30T20:14:00.000-05:00

There are so many choices in life that the beautiful woman has to make. Closed or peep toe for the Louboutins. Lawyer or investment banker for dinner. Cash or credit for those new jeans. Neiman Marcus or Saks for luxury purchases. Almost all her life, Ms. New Beauty has fallen squarely on the Neimans side of that last decision. Neimans has always seemed to be the younger, hipper, punky sister of the luxury family, while Saks was the old and uptight conservative one. MNB has faithfully purchased most of her handbags, DVF dresses, and elegant evening wear from Neimans since high school. She normally only ventures into Saks when accompanying someone else on a shopping trip. Ms. New Beauty always figured that anything Saks had, Neimans had better. That is until she was literally wearing Saks Fifth Avenue.

Bond No. 9 Saks Fifth Avenue

I had absolutely no intentions of buying this fragrance. None. It was a cold winter day and the wind was whipping all around me. As my mother would say, the hawk was out. I had walked all the way to Saks from Bergdorf's (which is actually only seven blocks, and not the long New York avenue blocks, the short blocks) in search of - well, actually, I don't quite remember what I was on a quest for, but just imagine me marching down 5th Avenue, bracing myself against the cold, hard wind and finding my refuge at Saks. It may not have happened that way, but hey, I'm painting a picture here.

During my obligatory course around the beauty floor, I stopped over at the Bond counter. I was planning to pick up a bottle of Bleecker Street - a unisex scent with a distinct masculine vibe. To me, Bleecker Street smells like Marlene Dietrich, wide-leg tweed menswear trousers, and the captain of Team Take No Shit all in one bottle. It's very "I'm a woman in a man's world." Given all of that, it's exactly the kind of scent I'd wear with pretty pink makeup and a flowy girly dress - I'm all about the juxtopositions. But the sales lady insisted that I smell Saks Fifth Avenue since I was, in fact, inside Saks Fifth Avenue.

Here's where you have to forgive me for my tendency to exaggerate. The sales woman sprayed Saks Fifth Avenue on the tester card since my arms were already covered in Bleecker Street. I inhaled and time stopped. It was literally the most beautiful and downright pretty scent to cross the threshold of my nostrils and reach the olfactory receptors in my brain. And, I normally don't go for the pretty scents, like I said, I love the contrasts of a pretty outfit with a fragrance that's totally unexpected. But SFA is just so pretty and so ladylike, it's my new Sunday-go-to-meeting scent. Every time I wear it, I get so many compliments and people asking me what it is. It's really just that pretty. I won't get into the base notes and top notes and such because I'm not a perfumer - I know what smells good and this definitely does.

$185, available at Saks Fifth Avenue, of course!

Stay loyal to your favorite luxury department store, but embrace the sweet smell of the competition, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Conditioner Snob

2008-01-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Ms. New Beauty has always had a pretty good relationship with her hair. She's never really had to deal with any hair traumas and dramas and the reason for that is because MNB is a slave to routine. Ms. New Beauty and her hair have figured out the kind of routine that normally only couples that have been married for at least 25 years can fall into. Ms. New Beauty makes sure she gives her hair what it needs and her hair does the same for her. MNB keeps her often dry hair moisturized and her hair makes sure it falls right into place every morning when she wakes up with just a few strokes of a big paddle brush. In working out this symbiotic relationship, Ms. New Beauty has learned that she has a scalp full of thousands upon thousands of conditioner snobs. If MNB tries to slather on the cheap stuff, her hair will out and out revolt and make sure that there is a permanent cowlick or fury of frizz in her future until she comes back with the good stuff. It's every hair mother's nightmare - in trying to treat her babies to the good stuff, Ms. New Beauty has turned her hair into snobs that simply cannot take the generic. Luckily, Ms. New Beauty and her hair both agree on the perfect one-two combo of moisture and strength that these two conditioners give.

Frederic Fekkai Moisturizing Conditioner with Shea Butter

I am literally in love with this conditioner. For real. I asked for a bottle of this for Christmas because I had just run out. Nope, not a new iPod or a gift card to Neiman's, but a bottle of conditioner. (FYI - if anyone ever wants to pick up a little something special for me, grab up a bottle of this. I will love you forever. Seriously).

This is the most moisturizing conditioner that I have ever used. At first though, I was a little wary of trying it because of the shea butter. Yes, we all know that shea butter is ridiculously moisturizing. If dry skin is any part of your reality, I highly recommend that you pick up something with shea butter in it. But shea butter is a pretty thick substance so a lot of hair products that use it tend to be heavy. I have a lot of hairs on my head, but they are all quite fine. Anything heavy weighs my hair down and makes it look like a stringy, greased-up mop. But my last hair stylist, my beloved Will, taught me a quick little trick to figure out if a product will be too heavy or sticky for your hair. Squeeze a little onto your finger tips and rub together. If the product absorbs into your skin quickly and feels light to the touch, it'll do the same for you hair. So I tried it with this conditioner and after the quick test, I put a bottle in my cart and never looked back. This leaves my hair soft, moisturized and heavy-looking without any residue or heavyness. The smell is divine and my hair literally drinks it up like fruity cocktail at a beach side resort.

$22.50, available at Ulta

Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Anti-Breakage Treatment Mask

I learned a long time ago that beautiful hair, just like beautiful women, requires the perfect combination of softness and strength. Too many of the moisturizing products that make hair soft can leave it limp and lifeless. Too much of the protein that makes it strong can leave hair brittle and broken. So, I use this rich protein mask in tandem with the ulta-moisturizing conditioner above. Normally, I let the conditioner above penetrate while I handle the rest of my shower business. Then, right before getting out, I rinse it out and comb a liberal dollop of this through and cover with a plastic cap for at least 20 minutes for deep conditioning treatment.

This mask is ideal for women with color treated or chemically processed hair that's prone to breakage. For the first time since I was 17, I've stopped coloring my relaxed hair which has left my ends more processed than my roots and so prone to split ends and breakage. Fortunately, weekly treatments with this give my hair the strength that it needs and keeps it from breaking off. Even better, it rinses away clean and the fabulous scent lets my scalp know that mama brought home the goods. No bad hair days when this is in the rotation.

$28.50, available at Ulta

Give your hair the good stuff, and nurture it despite its sometimes snobby way, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Mustang Sally

2008-01-25T00:44:00.000-05:00

In some aspects of life, Ms. New Beauty can be the walking definition of the marketing term "brand loyalty." When MNB finds something she likes, she sticks with it and accepts no substitutes. Like, she will reach into the depths of her wardrobe for clean clothes before she does laundry with anything less than Tide. The taste of any orange juice but Tropicana just assaults MNB's palate. When it comes to her beauty products, Ms. New Beauty is a little more willing to venture out and try new things. She can't afford to pledge her utmost loyalty to any one brand because not every product works for her every time. She may love a company's moisturizer but find their face scrub not "scrubby" enough. Normally, MNB finds that of the brands she love, their products always work, but sometimes they just don't work for her. Except for one brand in particular - Sally Hansen. Sally Hansen has the peculiar ability to create products that Ms. New Beauty absolutely loves, like this dark polish from fall, and simultaneously promote products that are just plain old crap and do not work, like this so-called "colorless"airbrush foundation. (Notice how "no color" certainly has a color that is a shade that wouldn't even match most fair-skinned New Beauties). So, this post brings us both an all-star product and an absolute Money Saver from a brand that's as hit or miss with beauty as a 6-year-old little leaguer.

Sally Hansen Hair Remover Wax Strip Kit

This is one product by Sally that I always have on hand. Anyone who's been waxed regularly realizes that the waxing process is pretty straight forward. Submit yourself to an esthetician's spatula enough times and you'll have the procedure down pat. And, you'll realize that only certain areas take real skill to make hairless. When it comes to eyebrows and bikini lines, it pays to let a professional handle those hairs. Anywhere else though, you can do it yourself. And, this kit makes that so easy.

There's no mess from goopy wax that needs to be microwaved or cotton strips that shed strands. In this kit, you'll pre-waxed plastic strips that are pretty much ready to go. Just rub between your palms to warm the wax a little and pull the plastic apart to give yourself two strips that are ready to rip. Smooth them on in the direction of your hair growth, grab the skin tight, and pull quick in the opposite direction. You'll end up smooth and hairless. Rub on a little bit of the included oil to remove any stray wax and you're good to go. The best part is, you can wax your whole body for way less than you would pay to just get your brows done at a salon or spa.

Around $8, available at drugstores

Sally Hansen Gentle Peel for Rough Lips

Any loyal New Beauty knows that dry skin is my declared nemesis. I never leave the house without lotion and lip balm lest my mortal enemy catches me slipping. I am also known to vigorously overscrub my lips with a toothbrush in pursuit of a perfectly soft pucker. So, when I first saw this product featured in a magazine, I thought it could be the cure to my toothbrush lip scrubs and just knew I had to have it. I went right out to the drugstore, searched the beauty section until I found it and had swiped it on my lips before even pulling out of the parking space.

This treatment is a fruit acid based peel that gently exfoliates lips to get rid of dry, chapped skin. It comes in a small tube that makes it simple to give your lips a peeling treatment any time. The concept behind it is great! Sadly, the exclamation points of excitement stop there. The concept is wonderful, but the result could not be more disappointing. After using this religiously for weeks, it made no difference. I actually didn't notice any less dry skin after the first use, but I stuck with it for a few more weeks just to be fair. And, I can fairly say it didn't do a damn thing. It actually felt like my lips were a little drier than before after each application. What's worse, this product comes with a felt tip applicator that started to smell bad after a week or so. Something in the formula made the applicator smell like gym socks after repeated use and that is absolutely the last thing I want to smell as I'm approaching my face with a product. This could have been revolutionary if only Sally had gotten right. If only.

About $10, but save it and buy the wax strips instead

Love Sally Hansen when she's lovable, but save your money when she comes with the crap, and this time, tell a friend that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Back to Basics

2008-01-24T00:22:00.000-05:00

Ms. New Beauty both loves and hates the arrival of new spring collections in early winter. Because she is a Northeastern girl, born and bred, it is always far too cold for her to truly partake in the lovely little dresses and pretty printed delicate fabrics that typically march down the runways in fall and hit the stores right around now. On the beauty front, MNB is always delighted by the return of petal pinks and cream corals that are often included in spring cosmetic collections. Fall and winter collections have been so loaded down with deep, dark hues that the release of spring looks is such a welcome change of pace by late January. But something just isn't right about looking like Miami when you live in a tundra-like town. To Ms. New Beauty, some of those bright colors are simply a tease to her, reminding her that they won't be fitting the temperature or mood of her environment for quite a few months. Rather than swear off spring's pretty palettes or be forced to stick with the dark and heavy makeup looks that she's so tired of by now, Ms. New Beauty has found the perfect compromise - nothing!

M.A.C. N Collection

N Collection is an idea so simple, it's genius! This is a collection of face, eye, lip and nail color designed to give you the perfect nude look. Now, we all know that you can always get the products you need for a nude face, lips or eyes. But instead of wandering all over the beauty department trying to find that lipstick that looks like you're not wearing lipstick from, say, 35 different cosmetic counters, M.A.C. has put them all here together at once. This collection is essentially the building block of any respectable train case or cosmetic pouch. These are the Little Black Dresses and White Button Down shirts of your cosmetic wardrobes - those basics that are so simple yet stunning and go with absolutely everything else that you own.

The N Color Collection features the lipsticks, glosses, nail polishes, eye shadows and lip liners that will perfectly complement any stronger cosmetic looks. Use the lip colors when you're doing a dark or heavy eye and switch out to the nude eyeshadows when you're sporting a bold lip. My favorite, favorite from this collection though are the polishes. The naturally rich is actually the perfect shade of brown to just blend in with my complexion and the Demi Blanc is the prettiest metallic oyster. It's light enough to be perfectly conservative but the metallic sheen gives it enough depth not to be boring.

The N Face Collection brings back those absolutely coveted Mineralize Skin Finish baked powder foundations and bronzers to make your skin look perfect yet completely natural and untouched.

N Collection is on counter now, but for a limited time so get it while the gettin is good.

Indulge in a new spring treat without looking out of place while it's still winter, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

(Photo courtesy of Specktra)

Centennial Wishes and Champagne Dreams

2008-01-16T13:30:00.000-05:00

Ms. New Beauty was so busy yesterday that it seems like she was only home long enough to change clothes. See, yesterday was a very special day for Ms. New Beauty and about 200,000 other ladies on this planet. January 15, 2008 was the 100th anniversary of the creation of the nation's first and finest organization founded for and by black college women - Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. (You absolutely must learn more about AKA's contributions and history if you don't know already by clicking here!) To commemorate the occasion, MNB and several of her sorority sisters threw a nice little social hour (that grew into a social four hours!) at the wonderful Honey in New York City. It was a night of singing, chanting, socializing and celebrating. MNB and the girls also enjoyed some of Honey's amazing martinis, including the group favorite called the Champagne Dream. But, after all the celebrating, and mad cap shopping that occurred beforehand, Ms. New Beauty was definitely looking worse for the wear when she woke up this morning. Luckily for her, MNB knows that the easiest way to disguise the effects of a long night is by using less, not more, makeup and using only the shades that will brighten and freshen her complexion.

DiorBlush in Peachy Keen

My typical blush choice tends to be my never fail Flush, a deep raspberry shade that gives me a subtle windkissed look. But, on days when I'm not 100%, that berry can a little too much color for my face. That berry can get a little garish on my off days. The secret to not looking sick, or tired, or hung over, or whatever, is by keeping your makeup as understated as possible. Use as little makeup as you can get away with and keep the look as natural as you can. Just cover the imperfections and leave the rest alone.

So, on days like these, this light peachy blush is perfect. It gives my cheeks just a hint of color to keep my complexion from falling flat. It warms up my face and highlights my cheek bones. What I really love about this blush is that it comes with two peach shades - one is richer and the other has a little more shimmer. You could use just one or the other, but I just swirl a big fluffy brush through them both and sweep it on. With my complexion, it seems like I can never use too much. I can layer it on and layer it on and the look still works. But that just could be my coloring, I'd suggest that you start with one application and go from there.

$34, available at Sephora (oh, and I know that the picture on Sephora's website makes this shade look like a garish purple and brown combo, but just ignore that. The pic above is much more representative of what it really looks like).

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit

On days like this, I skip the foundation and just go for concealer in the spots where I need it. When you're out of it, a whole face of makeup tends to just draw attention to the fact that you're out of it. I go with blush, like I said above, big mascara, and creamy concealer under my eyes. Typically that's all I need to look fresh and natural, despite what I may really be feeling.

This is the only concealer I use on my eye area. The creamy texture literally melts right into my skin and brightens my under eye area. I swear by this on days like this, when I'd rather bury myself under the covers than be awake and in the land of the living. What I really love is that this is pretty much mistake proof. Just use your ring finger (it's the weakest finger on you hand), swirl it into the concealer and then just tap it under your eyes. It melts right into your skin and looks ridiculously natural. This concealer kit also comes with the loose yellow setting powder in a sifter connected to the concealer compact. Just take an eye brush and sweep a little of this powder on top of the concealer to lock it in all day long. I love Bobbi's eye blender brush for that part.

$32, available at Bobbi Brown counters and the Bobbi Brown website

Happy Centennial to all my Alpha Kappa Alpha sorors, and stay looking great throughout all the celebrations, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Matte-r of Fact

2008-01-07T15:54:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2008 New Beauties! After a whirlwind week in Vegas with the girls, Ms. New Beauty is finally back to posting. (MNB would normally dish and give you all the details, but as they say, "what happens in Vegas, didn't happen" so she'll respect the code of Sin City and let all those scandalous secrets come with her to the grave). This reader question came in a long, long, ignorantly long time ago. And, MNB actually had this all typed up and ready to go, but life and holidays got in the way, so she's just now posting it.

MNB,

I need your help! By the end of the day, my skin gets very oily and my makeup just slid right off my face. I need a solution for this problem so I can avoid being so shiny and greasy. (Please don't say blot paper -- it doesn't work for me). I want the same effect at 8:00 in the morning as well as 8:00 at night. Help!

Oily Skin in Overdrive

My darling Overdrive, Ms. New Beauty is here to help.

Foundation Fixes

First thing's first. If your skin is oily and shiny, make "oil free" your two favorite words. Any foundation you use should be completely oil free. You don't need any extra oil when your face is producing plenty of its own. Also, try to use as little foundation or concealer as you can. The less makeup you put on your face, the less that'll be there to melt away. A cakey concealer right on any blemishes or discoloration will help you achieve the same look without the extra layer of product to feel heavy on your skin.

Smashbox Photo Finish Light Foundation Primer

Here's the point where most people would recommend a foundation primer. And, I have to be completely honest with you, I didn't like them. Every one that I've used goes on matte and looks like it's barely there, but they always make my skin feel incredibly oily since most formulas tend to be silicone based. I don't care what it looks like. If I feel like I've been dipped in grease right along with the Colonel's extra crispy, I'll pass. Or, I used to pass.

Smashbox is one of the innovators when it comes to foundation primer. Their formulas are beloved by makeup artists and cosmetic junkies alike. But, typically, for us oily girls, the results were just like what I described - looks matte, but feels greasy. This new light formula corrects that problem. The result is still the same - a matter finish for your face - but the feel is better. It's much thinner than typical primers and feels like it almost evaporates on contact so your skin doesn't feel bogged down.

My only gripe with this new one is the bottle. The original Smashbox foundation primers came in frosted glass bottles and the look was a little more elegant. This one is in a plastic bottle and though sort of the same style, it really just looks like the regular primers' broke down, cheap little sister. Hopefully, Smashbox isn't transitioning to cheaper plastic packaging all around for the rest of the line.

$36, available at Sephora

Too Faced Absolutely Invisible Pressed Powder

Most fashion and beauty magazines I read tend to shy away from recommending pressed powder, claiming that it can make your skin look cakey. But when you're really oily, your skin will just eat that powder up before it has time to cake. What I love about this powder is that it actually lives up to its name. Don't let that pale peachy color fool you, it is absolutely invisible once you put it on. I am quite brown-skinned and I use this everyday without looking like a geisha. Just make sure you only apply to your oiliest areas, like your forehead and nose. A completely matte face just isn't natural looking, even if you can't see the powder. This also keeps your skin feeling good while it looks good. It's light and won't make you feel weighed down under a pound of product.

This compact comes with its own application sponge to make applying on the go really easy. But, unless you want to throw your money away, pay special attention to the way you put the sponge away. Make sure you always place the side you rub against your face up, facing the mirror. This powder is so oil-absorbent, if you put the sponge face side down, it will absorb the oil from your face that's now on the sponge, harden up and be unusable.

$22.50, available at Sephora

Stay shine free while keeping your skin feeling great, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Beauty Late Than Never

2007-12-27T08:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays New Beauties! Yes, MNB knows that she's a few days late with those yuletide greetings, but you must be forgiving of her since she knows you still have oodles and oodles of holiday cheer still in your system. Ms. New Beauty was busy shopping for presents (at the last minute!) and then came home only to pick up a head cold on Christmas Eve, and then woke up early to hit the stores on the day after Christmas on a search for the perfect outfits for New Year's Eve in Las Vegas. MNB had been on a quest for party dresses and planning to enjoy the warm weather, though now she's just learned that Vegas won't be any warmer than New York for the New Year. But, in all that time spent scouring the malls, Ms. New Beauty did happen upon some great new makeup purchases. And though she planned to do a makeup gift post, this one will just have to be for the post-holiday goodies you can treat yourself to!

Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener

Did making your list and checking it twice leave you looking tired sleeping and a morning that started early enough to be at the mall right as Neiman's opened left my eyes looking worn out and haggard. I'd seen this tube around Sephora for ages but that "flesh toned" color of the product made me think that it would never, ever, ever, ever, ever blend in with my skin and leave me looking like a reverse raccoon. But, with as tired as I looked, I figured I try this. Couldn't hurt could it?

Quite the opposite. It worked. The formula is ridiculously sheer and blends in immediately. At first I didn't think it did much, but when and ragged instead of give you a holiday glow? I know that yesterday morning the result of a night spent sniffling instead ofI applied it under just one eye the result was undeniable. My dark circles were noticeably diminished and my eyes were definitely brighter. Plus, the tiny, purse-friendly tube and low price had me hooked. Now this little find lives at the bottom of my bag, next to the sunscreen and lip balm.

$18, available at Sephora

Too Faced Border Line Anti-Feathering Lip Pencil

Did your lip color run for the border during your marathon of holiday parties? My perfect holiday red gloss suits my complexion beautifully but tends to leave only a trace by the end of the night. Well, since you still have to gear up for this weekend of pre-New Year's celebrations and then your actual New Year's celebrations, pick up this lip liner to keep your color in tact. Wait, wait, I know you just got ready to navigate away from the page thinking "Ms. New Beauty has lost her mind, she's recommending lip liners!" but trust me, this is a great one. Banish those horrible memories of mouths outlined in black and filled in with frosty silver lipstick. (Ugh, just typing that took something out of me!) This is a colorless matte lip liner. And, you don't use it on your actual lips; you trace this just outside your lip line. It creates a border to keep your lip stick or even your goopiest gloss from feathering and migrating past your lips to the rest of your face. You'll stay pout perfect from now until next year.

$18.50, available at Sephora

Sugar Perfect 10 Palette

Did your day-to-night beauty transition go about as smoothly as Britney's transition to motherhood? Magazines and talk shows will make you think that going from work/daytime appropriate to party perfect is as easy as another coat of mascara. But anyone who's actually done it knows that it takes a lot more thought than that. You have to consider your ensemble and make sure that your clothes and accessories are simple enough for day but not so simple that your fellow party goers think that you're on staff for the venue. You have to change your subdued daytime makeup look to something party appropriate in just a few minutes in an office bathroom under fluorescent lighting (eek!). Most importantly, you have to be able to fit everything you need for this kind of quick change into your purse without breaking your back.

And, while you'll still have to handle the outfit woes, this palette can seamlessly take you from day to night without taking up much room. Most holiday eye palettes are big, honking gifts meant to display at home. This one had to be designed to drop in a tiny clutch. Narrow and sleek, inside the palette are ten small eyeshadows in every shade a girl needs, from ivory and gold to navy, black and bronze. Use the lighter shades for work and then just blend the darker ones on top for an evening smokey eye.

$28, available at Sephora

Stay beautiful through the rest of the holiday season, and finally pick up something for yourself, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Give Skin

2007-12-17T12:41:00.000-05:00

Here we are, just a week before Christmas, and Ms. New Beauty still has presents to get. Between long work hours and ridiculous crowds at every store, boutique, and mall that she passes, it's been easy for MNB to completely put off shopping until the last minute. Especially since she's had the hardest time thinking of what to get for her family and friends. But, last week, she went to the most delightful launch part at one of the most amazing beauty boutiques around. TotalBeauty.com gathered some of the best beauty bloggers and online editors at Space NK to tour the site and go shopping at the store. Space NK is much more a beauty boutique than it is a regular old apothecary. The store has such a well-edited and selected collection of the top brands in beauty. Needless to say, the back of MNB's hands were covered in product from all the testing and trying she did. And, whenever you have that many product junkies and outright beauty fiends in one room at one time, you get the best product recommendations. Ms. New Beauty left that event with some great goodies for myself and all the info she needed for a great beauty post just in time for the holidays. And here we have the best products out there to give the gift of beautiful skin.

Eve Lom Deluxe Collection

Skincare is a tricky thing to gift. Give someone a jar of wrinkle cream a few years too soon and you risk telling them they look like hell without actually telling them they look like hell. So, when you give skincare, it is only appropriate to give something uber-luxe and completely universal that anyone could use. Enter Eve Lom.

This was a brand I'd never tried before but apparently, I was the only one who'd missed the Eve Lom boat. This line has such a huge cult following. The sales girl at the store told me that this is one of the products that women try and then can't live without. This Deluxe Collection gives you the best of the brand all in one box and at one price. Included are the cleanser, the eye serum, mask, moisturizer, SPF 15 sunscreen, hand cream and lip balm. The cleanser is the product that you'll probably fall hardest for. It's a very emollient scrub that's used totally differently from most cleansers on the market. On dry skin, you simply smooth on a good dollop of this cleanser and let it sit for a few minutes. This will remove makeup and surface dirt and oil. Then, you use the included muslin cloth and dampen it with hot water. Use the cloth to gently massage and rinse the cleanser away and you have your own at home cleansing and exfoliating facial. The Rescue Mask is just as luxurious and intensely hydrating for dryed out winter skin. This is the perfect gift for your spa-junkie mother or your best girlfriend with the glowing skin.

$400, available at Space NK

Space.NK Luxury Collection Enrapture

Giving bath and body sets as holiday gifts has gotten terribly cliched. People pick up any three body products and put them together thinking they've hit the nail on the head when it comes to gift giving and completely forget that gifts are supposed to make the recipient feel special and loved. I know it's the thought that counts, but if I open up a box of sickeningly sweet smelling shower gel, I wonder how much you really think of me. Honestly, who really wants to walk around smelling like food? Ranting over. Gift suggestion begins.

If you want to give the gift of body care, do it with a brand that is high quality, a scent that's widely pleasing, and packaging that's adorable. This gift set from Space.NK's own house brand is much more like something you'd get after a luxurious spa service and not in a Secret Santa trade. The Enrapture scent is subtely sexy and absolutely pampering. Plus, it comes in this adorable box and not shrink wrapped to a cheap basket filled with tinsel. This is the kind of gift set that any woman, like a boss or co-worker would be happy to display in her boudoir.

$195, only at Space.NK

Laura Mercier Almond Coconut Milk Trio

Now I know I just went on a whole rant about how much I hate those foodie scent bath products. (I know the proper term is gourmand, but that sounds too nice to describe things that often smell so bad). But, at the same time, I know that many women all over the world love, love, love those products that smell like delicious, delectable desserts. My 90 plus year old grandmother loves stuff like that. And, I try to keep my product snobbery to myself. I don't judge others for their taste in beauty (unless it's just downright tacky, but tacky people deserve to be judged don't they?).

So, if you love those scents or know someone who absolutely does, gift them with something that they truly will love. But do with a gift that's far more fabulous than your average drugstore offerings. Laura Mercier's bath and body line feels divine. It would share space in my bath with all my other goodies if I enjoyed the scent. Her creme brulee scent is the most popular, but even in my most non-judgmental state I can't recommend something that smells like frosting. The Almond Coconut Milk Trio has a sweet scent but it's not so overpowering that people on the street will stop you and ask you what you were baking. So you can give this gift in good conscious. And, your sweet smelling grandmother, or maybe even your kids' teacher, will love the honey bath (with wooden dipper!), body cream, and body scrub.

$65, wherever Laura Mercier is sold

Give beautiful skincare gifts, or maybe pick up something great for yourself, but don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. MNB knows this post was ridiculously late, but she promises the rest of the gift guide will be posted soon. And you know you haven't finished your shopping anyway!

The Nose Knows

2007-12-10T20:29:00.000-05:00

This holiday season has completely snuck up on Ms. New Beauty. This is her most favorite time of year, so she normally relishes every bit of the season. From the almost coma-inducing meal at Thanksgiving to decorating the house and staying up all night to watch the 24-hour Christmas Story marathon on TNT. But this year, the marathon may be the only part of the holiday season where MNB can just sit back and drink the merriment in. With a busy work schedule and a fresh, new apartment to decorate, she just hasn't had the time. And, forget about Christmas shopping. Ms. New Beauty just realized that she has presents to buy, make, and mail. At least she can try to help the other New Beauties of the world get their shopping done before the big day with a multi-part gift guide. This will be the first installation and totally devoted to the one beauty sector that gets the most love from stores and customers - Fragrance! And since MNB knows that sometimes her taste is too expensive for her readers, she's offering gifts for every wallet and budget.

Bond No. 9 I Love New York Double Decker Sampler Box

When I opened my email last week to find information about this new set from Bond No. 9, I almost died!!!! Bond No. 9 has pulled some of their sweetest smelling and best loved scents together for this gift set. Can you imagine - 12 bottles of Bond No. 9's absolutely luscious and luxurious scents, all in one box???? It definitely includes some of my favorites - Chinatown, The Scent of Peaces, Bleecker Street, Bryant Park, and Fire Island. Just the prospect of pulling this out from underneath the Christmas tree makes me squeal already (hint, hint - family, friends, and loves who secretly read my blog and think I don't know). Now, I know that the price of this is (understatement of the century alert!) a little much for some of you, but there are plenty that would willingly part with their money for this. Knock the socks off your young, trendy and glamorous sister or BFF with this amazing gift set.

$1600 (yes, that's two zeros), available at bondno9.com

Estee Lauder Fluttering Feather Perfume Compact

Every holiday season, Estee Lauder releases these pretty and precious little baubles filled with their best scents and powders. And every holiday season, I smile at them for weeks and weeks and hope someone who loves me will take notice.

How beautiful is this one??? This encrusted little feather houses a solid perfume compact of Estee's classic, signature scent White Linen. The solid form makes this scents so easy to reapply. This is the perfect pretty little thing to drop in your bag on your way out for a night on the town. And, it will surely dazzle whichever lucky young lady you love enough to give it to. This would make the perfect present for your elegant mother or grandmother.

$250, available at Neiman Marcus

Jo Malone Cologne Coffret Set

Jo Malone is the elegant British fragrance brand that brought the classic sensibilities of the single note scent combined with the thrill of infinite possibilities to fabulous women on this side of the Atlantic. This gift set combines six of the brand's fragrance sprays in deluxe combinations for ultimate mix-and-matchability. Unfortunalely, JM didn't put my absolute favorite (and probably her most popular) scent, French Lime, in this gift set. But there are still plenty of other scents to make your creative and classically beautiful big sister smell delightful. Buy this one in stores so that you can mix up your own fragrance recipes especially for the recipient to make her feel extra special this holiday.

$90, available at Neiman Marcus

Sephora Scent Sampler Certificate for Her

I recommended this ingenious gift idea and I'm doing it again this year because I think this is just such a perfect gift. What you get in this box is sample-sized bottles of Sephora's best selling perfumes. And, since popularity comes and goes, the scents included this year are completely different from the ones included last year. This time around, your fickle friend will get to test try scents like Vera Wang Princess, Guerlain My Insolence, and With Love . . . Hillary Duff to figure out which one is her favorite. When she finally has her heart set on the one she loves, all she has to do is take the included certificate into any Sephora store to redeem for a full-sized bottle of the perfume. It takes out the trouble of sniffing and smelling scents with someone else in mind for you and gives your friend the chance to get a gift she'll really love.

$50, available at Sephora

Phew!, well take a deep whiff something beautiful, and then give it to someone you love, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

And stay tuned for the best in cosmetics, skincare, and gifts for him this holiday!

Return to the Scene of the Crime

2007-12-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

Ms. New Beauty takes keeping her skin soft and smooth very seriously during the winter months. Just a few posts ago, she extolled the virtues of moisturizing in the shower before even drying off. One component of that "winterizing" process that MNB had to leave out of that post was regular exfoliation. Unfortunately, Ms. New Beauty picked up a tub of body scrub that was so not up to her standards that it earned the dubious Money Saver distinction on this blog. So, she headed back to Target, hell bent on redeeming herself and her innate ability to pick up great product. She happened upon a tube of scrub so cute that she just couldn't resist and Ms. New Beauty was even happier when she got it home and felt how wonderfully it worked on her skin.

Soap & Glory Scrub of Your Life

Soap & Glory is a new brand created by the woman behind all of those wonderful, yet cheeky skincare solutions from Bliss. So, now you can get great product in cute packaging with funny little names for a lot less money. Even the brand's name gives you a little hint that this is going to be a line of fun and functional cosmetics. And everything comes in this cute, slightly retro, but ridiculously girly pink packaging.

The description of this scrub on the tube is written like the answer to all of your love problems. And for good reason - once you try it, you'll certainly fall for it. The texture is thick and gummy, so it won't run all over your tub. But, it's still packed with tons of exfoliators to slough off that dry, scaly skin that can easily make your itch in cold weather and rose oil to soften and moisturize. I've gone through almost my whole tube in less than a month because I've been scrubbing down my entire body daily. But, at a price this low, I can afford to stock up and keep enough on hand to make it through the winter.

$14.99, available at Target

Scrub down and fall in love with your scrub in the process, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Bright Eyed and Beauty Tailed

2007-12-05T22:17:00.001-05:00

Ms. New Beauty has been cooped up in the house for the past few days fighting a ridiculous stomach bug. In that time, she's learned a few things. First, she now knows that the Chinese takeout place around the corner from her is completely off limits, lets there be a repeat of this stomach bug disaster. MNB also knows that a trash can by the bed is an absolute necessity when sick. And, since she spent the greater part of her sick time in bed and watching Bravo, Ms. New Beauty's picked up a host of tips and tidbits courtesy of the fabulous Tim Gunn via countless episodes of both Project Runway and his namesake Guide to Style. The basic tenets of style are pretty much ingrained in MNB's DNA, but one rule of Tim's kept MNB firmly planted under her covers - when you dress like you don't feel like getting out of bed, don't get out of bed. So, Ms. New Beauty heeded his words and resisted venturing out into the world of the living and healthy. But tomorrow, she must get up and go to work, and though her clothes won't show any signs of sickness, her tired eyes might. So, Ms. New Beauty is digging into her bag of tricks to make sure she looks better than she feels.

Sephora Brand Eyeliner in White

White eyeliner is one of those makeup offerings that most people just pass by. If you have pale skin, it completely disappears on your upper lids and if you are darker, you risk looking like Babs from Diddy's first, ill-fated musically, yet completely riveting on television Band. (That pic might not show it, but trust me - she wore a thick band of white eyeliner all through the first and second seasons of that show that completely vexed my college sophomore/junior soul.) In seasons past, magazines told us to line the inner corners of our eyes with white. This looks great in photos, but way too editorial and "I'm ready for any paparazzi cameras" in real life. So most of the time, the poor white eyeliner just sits on the makeup shelves waiting to be snatched up and completely misused and abused by Babs wannabes.

But, I keep white eyeliner in my makeup bag for times just like these, when I need to look more fresh faced than I really am. White eyeliner is perfect on your lower lids. Just carefully line your inner lower lids. That subtle line of white blends in and makes the white of your eyes look bigger and brighter. Just be careful not to get any on your lashes. If you do, you'll have to cover it with dark mascara and dark mascara on your lower lashes just closes in your eyes and completely undoes the work of the white eyeliner. Though I normally prefer kohl liners because they smudge more easily, I always get a traditional pencil for white because smudging is the opposite of what I want it to do.

$4, only at Sephora

Benefit BADGal Blue

Benefit BADGal is one of those classic cult mascaras. The formula is thick without being clumpy and the brush has those big fat bristles that really pack on the volume for skinny lashes. (Ms. New Beauty mascara hint - big fat brush equals big fat lashes).

What's so special about this mascara is that it's Benefit's classic BADGal, but in a deep indigo blue. This is a product I've been using and loving for months and months and been meaning to blog about. Now, I know that blue mascara may immediately make you think of some reincarnation of horrible frosty blue eyeshadow, but this is nowhere close. The color is ridiculously subtle. When you put it on, the effect under normal light is quite the same as traditional black mascara. But, that subtle hint of color will make the whites of your eyes look whiter and brighter. And, no one will notice that your mascara isn't black. Using this in tandem with the white eyeliner trick will erase any signs of fatigue or flu from your eyes.

$19, available at Sephora

Cover up that cold, show up looking better and brighter than you did before, and this time, tell a friend that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Red Hot

2007-12-01T13:02:00.000-05:00

As a general rule, Ms. New Beauty doesn't make a habit out of posting on the weekends. For one, MNB's weekends are normally pretty full. She can either be busy with organizational meetings and community service or a packed with social events and late nights out. Some days, like today, Ms. New Beauty likes to stay under her covers and hunker down for good TV and good food, like the Project Runway marathon that she's currently three episodes into and the leftover smoked gouda and bacon mac 'n cheese from Cafeteria. And, Ms. New Beauty also realizes one inherent truth about most of her readers - that the New Beauties of the world typical get their doses of MNB while at work (when they should be working). But today is a special day, a day Ms. New Beauty holds close to her heart, so she must recognize it - Saturday or not. Today, December 1, is World AIDS Day. A day when we remember those affected by the disease and when we recommit ourselves to fighting and funding a cure. And so, we honor this day here at Ms. New Beauty by showing our support for this cause by wearing red.

M.A.C. Viva Glam

Last year for World AIDS Day, I encouraged you all to support M.A.C. Viva Glam lipstick and today I will do the same again. Unlike breast cancer awareness, AIDS doesn't get an outpouring of support from the beauty and cosmetics community. But M.A.C. was one of the first lines to pledge their support to finding a cure and one of the few to remain steadfast in that commitment. In 1994, M.A.C. introduced the first Viva Glam lipstick and pledged every cent that it raised to the M.A.C. AIDS Fund. Since then, the company has introduced five new Viva Glam shades and the M.A.C. AIDS Fund has raised over $100 million to support this cause.

Originally, the first Viva Glam was not my style, but now there are so many shades and there's a color that will look good on everyone. So, please go out and pick up a tube. You're gonna buy lipstick anyway, so at least buy one that can help change the world.

$14, available at M.A.C. cosmetics stores and counters

NARS Lip Lacquer in Diablo

Unfortunately, M.A.C. is the only cosmetics firm that I've found pledging its support to the AIDS cause. But after you've supported Viva Glam, made your own donation to an AIDS charity and most importantly, GOT TESTED!, you can still wear red to draw attention to the AIDS crisis.

NARS Lip Lacquer is impossibly shiny and glossy without being messy or goopy. Diablo is a deep apple red shade that I believe will work on a multitude of skin tones. This shade is classic and can take any outfit or makeup look from everyday to Old Hollywood Glam with just one quick slick. The second I tried it on in Sephora, I knew I'd be taking it home with me. It instantly upgraded by Sunday afternoon jeans and sweater ensemble. I only wish that it came in a tube to make application easier. The small pot makes application something that must be done with a lip brush and a mirror, so there'll be no touch-ups in the backseat of a speeding taxi as you jet from one party to another.

$23, available at Sephora

Essie A-List

The best way to really make a statement today is to match your classic red lip with classic red nails. In keeping with the Old Hollywood glam feel, give your nails a swipe of Essie nail polish in A-List. It's a similar shade of red, like a deep red apple. This is a little bluer in its undertones than the NARS Lip Lacquer but it's still just as flattering. I normally go for really trendy darks (like Russian Navy or Noir Ceramic) or almost completely bare with clear polishes or very, very pale pinks. But, this is a nice change of pace for me. I actually got a lot of compliments on it at the salon yesterday where the nail tech offered me a free manicure, looked down and saw my nails, and instantly retracted the offer because I didn't need it.

With such bold color on your lips and nails, someone is sure to comment. Make sure you accept the compliments graciously and remind your admirer what today is and why you chose a double dose of red. Use this chance to educate yourself and others about the global AIDS crisis. Why not offer a little tidbit like "despite the heavy coverage of AIDS in Africa, the disease is also having devastating effects in India, China and Latin America."

$7, available at drugstores.

Wear red today and show your support for the fight against AIDS, but just don't forget to get tested and that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Ho Ho Ho

2007-11-30T10:28:00.000-05:00

Beauty Claus is coming to town for Miss Tiya in Lexington, Kentucky!!!!

Tiya won the M.A.C. Holiday Collections and will be looking ridiculously fabulous from now until the new year (at least!) with cosmetics from the Finery, Royal Assets, Viva Glamourous, and Curiositease collections. Even though it's free, it pays to be a Ms. New Beauty subscriber.

Milia-naire

2007-11-28T19:59:00.000-05:00

Ms. New Beauty knows that her lack of posts lately is just horrible. She tries to add something fresh and new to the beauty blog world at least twice a week, but sometimes life just gets in the way. And since her last post, a big project at work, scrambling to find a fried turkey for Thanksgiving, moving into a new apartment, and a reinvigoration of her workout routine have surely gotten in the way. And, it's quite shameful since MNB has quite a few posts bouncing around her mind and a backlog of reader questions to answer but she hasn't been able to get her fingers to the keyboard to get it to all make sense. But today, she's finally going to post on a pesky skin problem that she's been intending to write about forever, and the timing couldn't be more perfect since she just got this email in her mailbox.

Hey Ms. New Beauty!

I have a question about this darned acne. I get these pimples that look like they are under the skin and they almost never come to a head. It is beyond fusterating. I heard that this happens because my "root" (?) is too small for the amount of sebum that I have in it, therefore it causes the sebum to erupt the root, causing a scar on my otherwise, decent face. What say you msnewbeauty?

Small Roots, Big Acne

Milia

As, we all know (or at least we should by now), Ms. New Beauty is nobody's dermatologist. But this is one skin issue that I feel pretty confident in diagnosing, simply because I've dealt with this problem myself. Your roots aren't too small, your sebum isn't too big. These bumps sound to me like milia. Milia are those little white bumps that never seem to pop and never seem to go away. What causes them is a lack of natual exfoliation by your skin. The bump forms when your skin cells get trapped rather than slough off naturally.

Instead of trying to pop them, the best way to address milia is to simply over-compensate for you skin by stepping up your exfoliation. I was having a full out battle with this annoyances earlier in the fall, but incorporating a daily scrub to my routine solved the problem. These two scrubs combine both chemical and physical exfoliants and help ward off these tiny little problems.

Proactiv Solution Deep Cleansing Wash

This cleanser is a great exfoliator that also prevents acne and breakouts. Though it's very thick and smooth, it is absolutely packed with tiny little scrubbers that are effective enough to really get your skin clean deep down but are gently enough to use everyday. You can really go to town with the scrubbing and your skin won't be the slightest bit irritated or dried out. Its also a salicylic acid based exfoliant. Salicylic acid is one of the most common ingredients in acne cleansers and gels because it is a powerful exfoliant. You'll get the benefits of clear skin and you'll be able to prevent those bumps from forming. I always pay special attention to the area around my chin and mouth which I find are particularly prone to milia.

This retails for about $30 at various online stores, but you should know how I feel about buying Proactiv on eBay (if you don't know or haven't been reading Ms. New Beauty faithfully - how could you not? - I love it and I only buy Proactiv from eBay!). Currently, this cleanser's going for about $15 (including shipping!) on eBay.

Peter Thomas Roth Blemish Buffing Beads

Peter Thomas Roth is one of the few men in my life who can do absolutely no wrong. I really love him. (And by him, I mean all the products that bear his name, and by his, I mean the name of the company because who really knows if a "Peter Thomas Roth" really exists). This scrub is by far one of PTR's standout products. Combining both salicylic glycolic acids, it really does exfoliate, unclog your pores, and prevent acne. Again, it's very gentle and you can use it everyday. The added benefit of this scrub is that you can use it on your face to prevent breakouts and milia and you can also use it on your shoulders if back-ne is a problem for you too.

$36, available only at Sephora

DERMAdoctor has a great in-depth article on milia that you can check out for more information. You should also know, DERMAdoctor is one of the best skincare sites on the web. You can buy Dd products and other great skincare brands, plus you get the benefit of a whole library of articles written by the real dermatologist behind the brand, not just some random MD who lent out their name for the money.

Scrub your skin clear, and learn a little bit more about it in the process, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

And, if you have signed up for a FeedBlitz subscription in the right sidebar to enter to win the M.A.C. holiday collections, what the Hell are you waiting for? The contest ends tomorrow!

Winterize Your Shower

2007-11-19T11:43:00.000-05:00

Ms. New Beauty is from that part of the Northeast where around this time of year (or about a month earlier in pre-global warming times), most people talk about "winterizing." Family and neighbors are all abuzz with discussions of what it's going to take to get ready for winter. The cars need to be winterized. Meaning, snow chains need to get put on the tires, fresh anti-freeze goes into the engine or battery or whatever receptacle under the hood that holds the anti-freeze. Fresh ice scrapers go in the back seat and heavy duty windshield wipers get put on the windshield. Those particularly well adapted to cold weather crises even stock a five pound bag of sand or no frills kitty litter in the trunk for icy days. The house needs to be winterized too. Drafty windows get repaired or lined. Space heaters get pulled out of the basement. And, those heavy duty blankets get toseed on the bed. All this talk of winterizing and Ms. New Beauty is always amazed at how people neglect to winterize their skin. A true ash-phobe like MNB just cannot sit idly by and let the harsh winds and cold air suck the moisture out of the knuckles, knees, and lips that walk past her everyday. This post is now dedicated to preparing your skin to weather a weary winter without drying out.

In The Shower

The first step to keeping your skin soft, smooth and sexy this winter is in your shower. Moisturizing your situation is more than just slapping on some lotion before you get dressed. You've got to think about the end from the beginning and adjust accordingly. So, the products in this post will help keep you moisturized before you even towel off.

Now, most dermatolgists and women's magazines will advise you to take a lukewarm, not hot, shower this winter since high temperatures can dry your skin out even more. I, on the other hand, love a piping hot shower when the temperatures are dropping, so I've figured out others ways to compensate for it.

Carees Exotic Oil Infusion Body Wash

The first step to keeping your skin soft and smooth is to use a moisturizing body wash. As a rule of thumb, you only want to use opaque body washes in winter because they contain more moisturizers and are less drying. If you can see through it, don't use it.

The most moisturizing body washes I've used are the latest cream oil formulas and this one is my favorite. The texture is rich and creamy. It almost looks like a thick lotion or body cream. When I first squeezed this onto my loofah, I almost didn't expect it to lather up. But it did. It produces a really rich lather with a great scent. The best part is that it is such a gentle cleanser that doesn't leave your skin stripped. This body wash features a blend of cassis cream and starflower oil. I'd be lying if I told you I knew what those are. I do know that whatever they are and where ever they're from, they work. After using this, you'll feel clean and moisturized, but not the slightest bit greasy.

About $5.99, available at drugstores

Neutrogena Body Oil

A lot of people like to mix a little bit of body oil in with their lotion in winter for extra hydration. But, by the time you've dried off and wrapped up in a towel, you've already lost the benefit of all the water you just doused yourself with in the shower. Before you step one foot out onto your bathmat, reach for this oil.

This nourishing sesame oil is the lightest oil I've ever used and has a decidedly pleasant scent. Just smooth it all over your skin before you get out of the shower. The oil locks in the moisture from the shower without leaving your skin coated in a heavy layer of grease. I find that by the time I'm done, I barely even need to towel off. Just be careful in applying it. Oil plus a wet shower floor can equal you busting your ass.

You can also skip your normal body cream or lotion after you're done smoothing on this oil, but that just feels so unnatural to me. I still use a lotion afterward, but I'm delighted by the fact that I don't really need to. In my mind, my lotion is just an added layer of protection and who couldn't use a little extra help in the War on Ash?

About $10.99, available at drugstores

Now, I know a lot of people swear by baby oil and this new body oil gel that are out on the market. I've tried them myself and I'll let you know why I chose to recommend this liquid formula instead. Baby oil and the Cocoa Butter Gel are mineral oil based formulas. And, though it coats your skin and leaves it feeling soft (if not, greasy), mineral oil cannot penetrate your skin. What it does is leave a soft layer on top of it. In doing so, it clogs up your pores and actually inhibits your skin's own system of moisturizing itself. Eventually, you'll find that the more you use these oils, the dryer your skin feels, and then the more you need to use them. So, I prefer to use only natural oils that are thinner and penetrate better.

Winterize your skin right in the shower, and standout as a soft, smooth beacon of light in this wintertime world of ashiness and dry skin, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

And please don't forget to sign up for the M.A.C. Holiday Collection Giveaway! There's only a little over a week left to sign up and win.

Liking It Rough

2007-11-15T15:50:00.000-05:00

Ms. New Beauty is really not one for the roughness of modern life. She prefers things soft and gentle. She simple adores her uber-soft high thread count sheets. She consistently wears an almost neon pink sweatshirt because the inside is as soft as egyptian cotton. And, MNB does not go for those harsh physical assaults that some spas call a massage. She'd much rather have a gentle rub down with hot stones placed strategically on her back and limbs. But, there is one place where Ms. New Beauty likes it rough. (No, not the bedroom, all you Filthy McNasties). MNB likes a little roughness from her scrubs. She fell in love with a rough body scrub when she had an authentic Tunisian gommage that made her skin feel as if it was being sandpapered off during the procedure and then instantly clean and softened after it was over. Since then, she's always taken pleasure in a rough body scrub in the shower. With the temperatures changing and wintertime dry skin just around the corner, Ms. New Beauty is in the market for an expanded repertoire of rough but just gentle enough body scrubs. Sadly, the last one she tried just isn't going to cut it.

Boots Mediterranean Olive, Bergamot & Walnut Body Scrub

I picked this up at Target about a month ago when I was there scoping out the Alice Temperly Collection. The price was so low and the jar was so big that I just knew it was going to become my new favorite shower staple. Whenever the weather turns cold, I always like to have a good body scrub in the shower to help exfoliate that dead, dry skin that often turns itchy. I typically go for a sugar or salt scrub with an oil based, like my lovely Brown Sugar Body Polish, but this one had me intrigued. With a base of creamy moisturizing olive, bergamot and walnut oils, I thought it could get the same job done for a lot less money. I was wrong.

The first thing that turned me off once I got this home was the texture. Initially the creamy texture made me think this would be like an in-shower lotion and body scrub all in one. Wrong. This scrub is really, really runny. It's way too runny to be in a big tub like this and would be better suited for a squeeze bottle. When I first used it, it ends up splattered all over my tub. Given it's pale yellowish-green color and brown scrubbing particles, it really looks like I've come down with a mid-shower case of the flu and vomited all over my tub. But, the worst part is that the scrubby particles meant to exfoliate are far too fine and far too few. I generally like big exfoliators that I can see, but I'll use a finer formula if it gets the job done. This does not because there really aren't enough particles here to exfoliate your body well. This really wouldn't even do much for your face either. This scrub isn't even as good as trusty old St. Ives Apricot Scrub. Boots needs to at least double or triple the amount of scrubbers in the formula for it to really have any impact. You can get a better exfoliation by rubbing yourself down with a loofah than you can get from this.

I'm not heartbroken that this was disappointing, but next time I'll surely spend my ten bucks on something that will make me happy, like the new L'Oreal H.I.P. Color Truth Cream Eyeliner in Purple or Navy.

$9.99, available at Target and CVS.

Save your money for something's that rough just the way you like it, and get your mind out of the gutter, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. There's still time to sign up to win a ridiculous amount of M.A.C. goodies from the Holiday Collections, so don't forget to enter for your chance to win.

Hand It Over

2007-11-12T13:17:00.000-05:00

One of Ms. New Beauty's favorite people on earth, her Partner in Crime, is about to turn 25. It's going to be a glorious celebration in Las Vegas replete with late nights, ignorant amounts of champagne, lots of short skirts and long legs, and one pair of fabulous Chanel shoes. MNB is quite excited to take part in the festivities especially since her Partner in Crime's birthday is the day before New Year's Eve. But in thinking about her friend turning 25, MNB came to the realization that this event means she'll soon be turning 25 too, since their birthdays are only about a month apart. For a beauty junkie like MNB, turning 25 means only that now she will officially fall within the target market for anti-aging skin care products and treatments. Now, Ms. New Beauty knows that she doesn't quite need wrinkle cream yet. Mama New Beauty still looks 10-15 years younger than she is, so MNB knows that her face won't be cracking any time soon. What she was surprised to learn is that her hands may not be so lucky. Since her hands have been wrinkled since birth, Ms. New Beauty can only imagine what they will look like once the signs of aging add to what genetics has already done. Not one to lay down and give up without a fight, MNB is taking matters into her own, for lack of a better word, hands.

Freeze 24-7 IceCrystals Anti-Aging Prep and Polish

Most anti-aging skin care products are far too rich and emollient for my face. My skin tends to be dry on my body and annoyingly oily on my face. So wrinkle creams and cleansers often make me break out. But, I recently learned that those creams that my face can't handle my body will readily drink up. So, I've been using traditional face creams on my hands and I'm quite happy with the results.

IceCrystals Prep and Polish is one of the scrubbiest exfoliants I have ever tried. The particles are small and fine but ridiculously powerful at their task. They scrub, scrub, scrub to get rid of layers or dead, dry skin without being too harsh or abrasive. What I really love about this scrub and what sets it apart from others I've tried is that it's creamy and moisturizing without being greasy. Many body scrubs are just way too oily to be effective for the hands. Unlike the skin on our bodies that really doesn't have much to do once we get dressed, your hands are constantly at work. And, anyone who's ever tried to open a door after applying a greasy lotion learned this lesson the hard way. IceCrystals is special in that it gives you the level of moisture you want and need in the most ingenious way. Within the scrub are encapsulated beads of jojoba oil. The beads help to exfoliate and during the course of the wash, they burst and leave behind soothing moisture. If you use it on your face, the jojoba beads actually let you skip your moisturizer afterwards. And, because this is an anti-aging product, it actually helps to reduce age and liver spots so your hands look younger.

$65, available at Freeze247.com

Freeze 24-7 IceCream Double Scoop Smoothing Anti-Aging Moisturizer

After I'm done giving my hands their nightly scrub down before bed, I like to follow with this thick, rich moisturizer. This also is traditionally meant to be used on your face but I love the way it makes my hands feel. It's thick but sinks right in. It's rich but not the slightest bit greasy. I had been using Creme de La Mer on my hands right before bed, but I found that a little too greasy for me. (So, I'm using it on my feet instead. How ridiculously indulgent of me!) When I wake up in the morning, my persistently dry hands are softer and smoother and feel glorious.

Since the weather is changing, I've noticed that certain parts of my face are drier than normal, particularly right around my nose and mouth. So, I've also been putting on just a touch after my normal moisturizer has had a chance to sink in and absorb. All that dry tightness is gone but this doesn't make me any oilier. I really love that because any girl with oily skin will tell you that eradicating any bit of excess oil or shine in products or on your face quickly becomes your life's mission. I also have to admit that I get a bit of an Erica Kane rush of glamour by displaying a luxury face cream on my night stand and say "oh that, it's just for my hands" when friends ask what it is.

$105, available at Freeze247.com

Neutrogena Illuminating Whip Moisturizer with SPF 20

The last part of my Young Fingers Forever trifecta was going to be a face cream with SPF that I can carry with me and use on my hands throughout the day. I am constantly washing my hands (germaphobe + small bladder = hands washed at least 15 times a day) and all that soap and water is really drying. Plus, I know that sun ages skin more than anything else and my hands are the one part of my body that is always unprotected and exposed to sun damage. The commercials for this product really got me excited, enough so that I scoured three drugstores looking for it. When I finally found it, I was in love with the texture. It's so light and whipped that it feels like applying some kind of moisturizing frosting to your hands. The jar is a little big for toting around, but I figured that I carry enough other crap in my purse all day that one more thing won't hurt. Well, I really have no need to carry it with me anymore because it only took one day to leave me unimpressed.

Now, the first word of the product's name is Illuminating, so that should have been a tip off for me. But, after reading it, I didn't think that illuminating meant tons of shimmery gold sparkles more fit for a disco than daytime wear. After I put this on, I looked down to find the palms of my hands almost completely shining with gold. I know that it's supposed to add radiance, but this much shimmer is a little too much. I thought maybe the effect was harsh just because it was on my hands, but I was similarly unimpressed after trying it on my face. The shimmer is more obvious than it ought to be and just not right to be used all over as a sunscreen. This would be better suited as highlighting cream for certain spots only. I also hate the smell. When you open the jar, it's overly perfumey and enough to send anyone with allergies into a fit of sneezing and headaches. Plus, I found that something in the formula reacted with the silver of my ring to produce a really horrible aroma. It's a nice idea in theory, but definitely needs more work to be a product worth investing in.

About $14.99, availabe at drugstores

Keep time off your hands, and be a little indulgent in the process, but remember that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. If you haven't already, sign up for the M.A.C. Holiday Collection giveaway. Don't let all that goodness go to somebody else.

Blending In

2007-11-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

Ms. New Beauty had a weird day yesterday. She was tired but she wasn't sleepy. She felt like a cold was coming on, but she wasn't congested. She was hungry but didn't know what she wanted to eat. She was thirsty but barely drank her favorite bottle water. MNB actually sat at her desk having to use the bathroom for an hour before she finally got up to do it. It was just a weird icky day. So, when the clock finally struck quitting time, she headed to the only place that could make her feel better - the Beauty Basement at Bergdorf Goodman. The fact that she works on the same block as BG is both a gift and a curse for Ms. New Beauty. She can head there for quick purchases whenever she needs to or she can be drawn in by the powerful magnetic shoppers field that emanates from the building and run up her credit cards. MNB had been good about avoiding the store for the past few weeks, but yesterday she knew that's where she need to go and she knew exactly what she needed to get.

Prescriptives Custom Blend Foundation

I've been a fan of Prescriptives just about all my life. As a child, the only one of her perfumes that my mother would let me wear was Calyx, the sweetest fruitiest scent that's just perfect for a 10 year old heading to church on Sunday. It's always been a brand that I've respected and since the changeover from summer to fall always mandates a new foundation for me, I knew I'd give this a try. Recently, Beauty Bloggerville (which, of course, is the mystical land where all beauty bloggers reside) has been all aflutter and atwitter about Prescriptives Custom Blended Foundation. I've read reviews by some of my faves, like Tia Williams and the Beauty Snobs, that just gushed about the wonders of this foundation. Normally, I try to offer up reviews on products that haven't been reviewed a bunch of times before. I figure there's only so many times a person needs to read that Rosebud Salve works on dry lips. So, I was going to just get my foundation and post about something else. But, I just had to write my own review because it was just so beautiful on me!

At Bergdorf's, Jason was my mix master. After talking with him, I realized that he's also the mix master that Julia and Nichelle went to. All it took was a quick swipe to determine my undertones, though I suspect he knew my base color as soon as he saw me, and then he started mixing up my foundation. I expected some kind of scanning device to spit out an exact formula for him (didn't Prescriptives used to do that back in the day?). But he after he determined my correct base, he mixed my foundation by hand. He asked me what coverage level I'd like (sheer for me) and what additives would be best. I went with the mattifying shine absorber to complement the already oil-free formula since my skin gets oilier as the day goes on. He then added a bunch of different things and some colors that I never would have expected, like mustard yellow and ketchup red. I was certain that he would have to go back and tweak it to get things just right. My mind was thinking "come on, there's no way this'll match on the first try." But it did!

Once he shook the bottle and blended all the colors together, it went on seamlessly. It matched my skin perfectly! And when I say perfect, I mean PER-FECT. Not that "well this blends well enough because no one foundation is invisible" kind of perfect that we've started expecting from products that underperform. This was the "I'm sitting under the lighting on Oprah" perfect. You know that Oprah has the right lights and filters so everyone on her show looks amazing and ten years younger. That's what I looked like, but it real life. It's like I have my own personal airbrusher and photoshop whiz following me around and editing out the discoloration, the post-acne scars, the dark circles, the everything that's standing in between me and skin perfection.

The Custom Blend foundation automatically comes with a travel size bottle of your formula so that you can take it with you where ever you go. And, once the service is done, they keep your recipe on file so that you can get refills with ease. They can also use your foundation recipe to mix up all-over face concealers and powders to give you a complete regimen. The price is higher than most foundations, but it is well worth it.

$62, available at Prescriptives counters.

Look like you're under those Oprah lights all day, every day, and remember to sign up for the M.A.C. Holiday Collections Giveaway, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Take Your Baggage

2007-11-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

Ms. New Beauty has always felt a real connection with the elderly. She loves to spend a lazy afternoon with a person of a certain age soaking up that wisdom and insight that only comes from having lived quite a long time. As a child, MNB spent almost every weekend with her grandmother, just asking questions like "Mom mom, why they do that?" and listening to the thoughtfulness of the response. The one thing that Ms. New Beauty has always loved about the elderly is the seemingly bottomless pit of platitudes that they all seem to have. Those simple sayings always make her laugh. A response to stay out past 10 met with a "ain't nothing open that late but 7-11 and legs!" will make Ms. New Beauty crack up on the spot. And, she carries the sageness of "when you see crazy walking towards you, cross the street" with her everyday. One of her favorites though is "when you put the devil out, make him take his baggage." It's so simple on its face, but much more profound after some consideration. MNB never thought this saying would relate to her skin care issues, but she's found that as a brown girl who gets a pimple that lasts for two day followed by a scar that lasts for two years, it's come in quite handy. She'd found the ways to get rid of her acne and now she's searching for the products that will get rid of the baggage those horrible blemishes left behind.

DERMAdoctor Immaculate Correction

There's been a big debate lately about the use of hydroquinone in cosmetics. One study showed that the chemical is a carcinogen and led the EU to ban its use and the FDA may be following suit. This has led to a big backlash from dermatologists claiming that people who use it in beauty products will not be applying it in levels high enough to cause cancer. The derms seem quite adamant about protecting the use of hydroquinone in over the counter skin treatments. Now, I'm nobody's doctor or scientist, so I'm not about to analyze each side for the merits of their arguments. But, it's enough for me that hydroquinone was carcinogenic under any condition. Whether a study can support it or not, I do believe that what you put on your body will eventually end up in your body. So, I spent a lot of time wandering around Sephora looking for a hydroquinone-free treatment to combat the post-acne scars that I have.

What I ended up getting is this and I've been very impressed with the results so far. The package suggests that optimal results will take 6-12 months, but I swear a pimple scar I have above my lip is getting lighter already. The day before my sister's wedding, I felt a pimple coming up so I tried to pop it in a preemptive strike. It didn't come up and look horrible on my face for the wedding, but in the days after I had a huge scab and following that, a very dark scar. Since then, I've been applying Immaculate Correction every morning and evening to the spot and it's getting lighter by the day. But, that may just be me, you definitely have to give skin lighteners at least a month or two to judge the results.

$62, available at Sephora

Bliss Sleeping Peel Liver Spot Lifter

This peel is intended for age spots and sun spots and not necessarily post-acne scars. But, I figured melanin is melanin so it should work. Wrong. This has been sitting in my medicine cabinet for months. When I first bought it, I slavishly applied it to my dark spots every night before. And, every morning I woke up and did not see one bit of progress. I don't know if there truly is a difference between dark spots caused by different skin damage, but this just did nothing for me. And, for the price, I need it to do something besides take up space in my already crowded bathroom. I also found the texture a little too runny and watery. With one pump, it became a race against time to get the serum onto my face before it all ran through my fingers and into the sink. All in all, nothing about this impressed me. Luckily, I bought it at Sephora, so I can take it back and treat myself to something else. Save your money on this one girls.

$52, available at Sephora

Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Acne Mark Fading Peel

Unlike most post-acne treatments, this is an exfoliant and not a skin lightener. This is a salicylic acid based peel that gently exfoliates your skin to leave it smoother and clearer. Over time, all that exfoliationg brings the dark spots up to the surface and then off of your face. Although the smell is a little weird to me (not bad, just weird), I really do enjoy using this on my face. It leaves my skin so soft and smooth afterwards and makes the perfect little at home skin indulgence. Plus, it really does help clear those marks up. Using this in tandem with the DERMAdoctor has left me needing less and less on the spot concealer in the morning.

About $14.99, available at drugstores.

Rx For Brown Skin Naturally Flawless Advanced Botanical Brightener

I wish I could give you a full review of this product, but I can't. And, here's why. As a Philly girl, I was so excited when this line launched at Sephora. Dr. Susan Taylor is a Philadelphia dermatologist and basically the first doctor to pay any attention to the special needs of skin of color. Before her, cosmetic companies didn't differentiate or even recognize the skin issues that are specific to women of color. She changed all that.

So, I went into the Center City Philadelphia Sephora, which I must note is about three blocks from Dr. Taylor's offices, looking for this line to try it and support. And, it was nowhere to be found. Not sold out, not out of stock, they just don't carry it. Considering that Rx for Brown Skin is a Sephora-exclusive line, Philadelphia is a city full of women with brown skin, and like I said, the store is right near Dr. Taylor's office, there's only one word that I can use to describe this situation - Travesty!!!! So, I can't review this product yet and it's all the Chestnut Street Sephora's fault. Hopefully, I'll be able to grab one in New York with no problem.

$34, available at Sephora (well, at least it's supposed to be)

Put your acne out, and get rid of its baggage too, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

And, make sure you don't forget to sign up for the M.A.C. Holiday Collection giveaway! It's too much goodness to miss.

Tis The Season

2007-10-31T22:39:00.000-04:00

The holiday season is finally upon and Ms. New Beauty couldn't be happier! She's looking forward to the big family gatherings with so much food that she'll either have to wear pants with an elastic waistband or a long tunic to conceal her undone top button. She cannot wait to hit the stores and start shopping for perfect presents. And, her favorite part is heading out to pick out a Christmas tree and then coming home to decorate it. Now, she knows you're thinking - "MNB it was just Halloween, it really tisn't the season!" Well, for Ms. New Beauty, as soon as Macy's hangs up those red and gold garlands, the holiday season is here. And, MNB knows she's been a little MIA lately, so she definitely wants to start celebrating early by giving back and showering New Beauties with gifts. That's right, just like any other absentee relative, Ms. New Beauty is planning to make up for neglecting you and buy back your love with a big old gift!!!! MNB is packing her present box with all kinds of goodies from the M.A.C. Holiday Collections and she's giving them away! Read below to see just what you could get and what you have to do to win.

The M.A.C. Holiday Collections

Finery

These lipcolors are just so perfect for day and even better for night. It took a lot of real selflessness to part with them but I had to. My cup, and the lip color sections of my makeup case, runneth over. But you can enjoy these four petite purses each filled with three lipcolors in Plum, Coral, Tan or Pink color schemes.

$32 each

Curiositease

Curiositease is a collection of five unique canisters filled with your M.A.C. favorites - Lipglass, Lustreglass, Plushglass, Pigments and SoftSparkle Eye Pencils. These would make perfect gifts for any fab lady in your life because they come in the prettiest packaging and all of the colors are so flattering.

$29.50 each

Viva Glamourous

Viva Glamourous is the special holiday edition of M.A.C.'s best selling and charity giving lip color - Viva Glam. As part of the giveaway, you'll get three cool toned shades of M.A.C.'s signature Viva Glam lip colors in a beautiful burgundy compact that benefits that M.A.C. Aids Fund.

$22.50

Heirlooms

The tools of the trade can really make a difference between a sultry and sexy smokey eye and looking like you got your ass kicked for trying to hold onto your lunch money at the jungle gym. Heirloom will make sure the former is in your future with this metallic clutch purse filled with five basic beauty brush essentials.

$48

Royal Assets

Now, we all know how much a sucker I am for pretty packaging. These metal compacts look like something passed down to you by your dear great-great-Aunt Margaret (because aren't great aunts always named Margaret?). The giftbox will include three eye palettes featuring six shades each in Cool, Warm, and Smokey shades and three lip palettes featuring three shades each in Coral, Red, and Pink shades.

$36 each for the eye palettes and $22.50 each for the lip palettes

So far, that's a retail value of over $500! And, that's not counting some other M.A.C. goodies I'm including from the Antiquitease collection and a few from this season's Smoke Signals collection. These holiday collections are beautiful to look at, beautiful to wear, and make beautiful gifts. You'll definitely want to win this one.

The rules couldn't be simpler - just sign up for an email subscription on the sidebar to the right. That's all you have to do. And, if you're already a Ms. New Beauty subscriber, you'll be automatically entered to win. The only stipulation is that if you've won a previous Ms. New Beauty giveaway within the past 12 months, you won't be eligible for this one. Gotta give everyone a fair shot to win. I'll be announcing the winner on November 30 so you have between now and 11:59 pm on November 29 to enter to win.

Enter to win, and remember that you always get more by giving away, and never forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Looking for a Master Plan

2007-10-19T10:47:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty has a pretty standard routine when it comes to checking her email. First, she checks the personal and chats back and forth with the girls about whatever random goings on are taking place in their lives. Next, it's the spam mail. Ms. New Beauty has one email address dedicated to all of her online purchasing, banking and mailing lists. Life is so much easier when all the spam is grouped together and not getting mixed in with messages that are actually important. Finally, she checks the Ms. New Beauty address. Most times, she gets messages from publicists about the newest products coming out or emails from other member of the fabulous Beauty Blog Network about the latest innovations in beauty blogging. This week, she got a message from a New Beauty in need of a little help and the perfect issue to tackle in this installment of Ask Ms. New Beauty.

Ok Ms. New Beauty here is the dilemma.

I am a 26 year old woman who has never understood the complexities of makeup. I don't know how to use it, how to apply it, what brushes to use, etc. You must be asking "How could you have made is so far in life without learning these skills?" I honestly don't know. Anywhoo, I am in the process of giving myself an image makeover (think tomboy to girly girl as seen on any generic makeover show.) I am starting a new career, and this is one of the final touches. Right now I just need to understand the basics. Are there any tips you can give me or books you can recommend? Thanks in advance.

Makeup Master(Less)

First things first, no one is born knowing all the intricacies of cosmetics. Some of us just start a little earlier than others. Take me for example, by age 10, I was preening around the house in my mother's red lipstick and begging her to let me wear one of her wigs to school. The kitchen was about as far as I got, as this picture proves. But other New Beauties don't hit their makeup stride until much later, and there's not a damn thing wrong with that.

In an effort to keep this post from blowing up into a full grown treatise (which could easily happen since I have the day off), I'm going to consolidate the answer into just the basics that any woman needs to get started and the books that can help her on her way.

Reading Material

When I first heard that the editors of Allure, the first magazine truly dedicated to beauty, were publishing a book, I was elated. I rushed out to the store, purchased Confessions of a Beauty Editor and then came home and blogged about it. I thoroughly recommend this book, and a subscription to Allure, as a great primer on the basics of makeup. It'll take you through starting a skincare regimen (which is the most important step because glowing skin makes makeup so simple) and then how to apply and use a myriad of cosmetics.

For women of color, I really think you should complement your beauty library with The Beauty of Color by Iman. It gives you the same primer through skincare and cosmetics application, but does so with a focus on the special needs that brown skin can have like finding a foundation that doesn't look ashy or picking out the right red for your lips.

Both about $15, available at bookstores

The Great Triumvirate of Cosmetics

Now that you've learned about all the beauty options available to you by reading, let me boil it down and give you the bottom line. There are three beauty products that will take care of 99% of your cosmetic needs. And here they are - Foundation, Mascara and Blush. These three couldn't be easier to get and to get right.

Foundation

Here is the one area where I will always recommend paying for the better brands, especially for women of color. Drugstore brands don't let you test the color or coverage and for women of color, the pickings are normally pretty slim. Most brands only offer three shades for brown skin and some don't even offer that. So, head to the nicest department store in your area and go to a beauty counter to find the right foundation for you. The brands that offer the best options for women of all skin tone are MAC, BECCA, and Prescriptives. MAC and BECCA have enough shades to make your brain boggle so you'll definitely find the one that's a perfect match for you. Prescriptives offers the fabulous color matching service that allows you to perfectly customize any foundation to match your color and lets you add in any number of skin soothing benefits.

About $25-40, at better department stores.

Mascara

To start, all you need is Maybelline Great Lash. The formula is thin enough not to clump but still thick enough to give your lashes a boost. This is a basic mascara formula that will let you see exactly what kind of lashes you are working with. Use this and you might find it does every thing you need it to do. Or, you might find you want a little more and move on to another mascara that focuses on volumizing, lengthening, or reaching the teeniest tiniest lashes. And, the best part is you can always find a great mascara in the drugstore for no more than a few bucks.

About $5, available at drugstores

Blush

Blush adds just the right hint of color to your face to keep things from being boring. And, when it comes to blush for novices and vets, I just have three words - Tarte. Cheek. Stain. I just blogged about this last week and here I am again. But that's because it really is just perfect. This is the easiest blush to ever use. You literally just dab it on your cheeks for the sheerest most natural color. Flush truly works for every woman of every shade. It's a deep raspberry red that is ridiculously sheer. A few dabs and you look like you've been giggling with your girlfriends.

$28, available at Sephora

You might me thinking, but MNB "you left out my lips." I didn't. There are no rules for lipgloss. Buy whatever shades you love and make you feel pretty, whether they cost $2 or $20. And there you have everything get your Geek-to-Chic/Stacey & Clinton/Tim & Veronica full fab girly makeover on.

Go ahead, make yourself over into whatever you want to be, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Gimme, Gimme More

2007-10-11T17:43:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty has been getting a lot of feedback lately about nail color trends for fall. A few weeks ago, MNB definitively declared the black nail trend of last fall dead, dead, dead. It's been done, it's over, let it go, move on. In the meantime, New Beauties have been asking her "if not black, then what?" The beautiful blue shade from M.A.C. that Ms. New Beauty raved about was part of a limited edition collection and sold out faster that Spice Girls Reunion Tour tickets. Other New Beauties have complained that dark blue nails are no better off in their conservative workplaces than the black tips of seasons past. They need something traditional enough to avoid the ire of stuffy higher-ups but still trendy enough to let other women in the know see that the latest beauty styles have not escaped them. Basically, the New Beauties are singing like Britney and need MNB to offer up more nail options for this fall. Well, Ms. New Beauty aims to please, so she's giving you more shades to suit more tastes.

Sally Hansen Salon in Cerise Noir

This shade is perfect for New Beauties who can't sacrifice a 9-to-5 for their nails. Rest assured, you can still stay on trend and be perfectly corporate acceptable. Cerise Noir is a deep burgundy brown shade. It's deeper and darker than your average burgundy and more interesting than most chocolate browns. And, it's a hue that will flatter a variety of skin tones. Unlike a lot of dark nail polishes, this will work on the fairest and the darkest complexions. Some of the other shades of dark polish look good on fair fingers, but some ebony-hued New Beauties can't pull that look off.

The best part is that this shade is still all occasion appropriate. It's not so far out there that it would stand out in an office or conservative environment. It's close enough to the original shades to be comfortable, yet dark enough to still be on trend and fashionable. I wore this on my toes to my sister's wedding last weekend and it fit right in. Lucky me that her colors were shades of brown, so it blended beautifully. I actually got a few compliments from people who noticed it peeking out beneath the layers of chiffon on my dress.

Everything in this post is about $5, available at drugstores

OPI in Russian Navy

Like I told you before, this season blue is the new black. Beautiful navy nails are going to be everywhere this fall, which means beautiful navy nail polishes are disappearing off of store shelves quickly. M.A.C.'s Whirlwind is already sold out and going for more than twice the retail price on eBay. So, it's time to find replacement shades that will still achieve the interesting indigo look.

Enter OPI in Russian Navy. Part of the Russian Collection, Navy is a deep, midnight blue that will look beautiful when painted on. It is still as interesting as other dark polishes, but has a deep inky, almost purple feel to it. This will perfectly complement all of the charcoal clothes that you will no doubt be wearing this season. Just a touch of navy like this can keep gray from going dowdy, which is gray is oft prone to do.

This shade is getting a lot of hype around it, so scoop it up if you see it otherwise someone else will. Just in case you can't find it, also keep your eyes open for Sally Hansen Salon in After Midnight. The shades are quite similar and achieve the same look.

OPI in Lincoln Park at Midnight

OPI has done it again so they get two hits on this post. Lincoln Park at Midnight is this season's update on last fall's tremendous Lincoln Park After Dark. This keeps all the mysterious beauty of the original deep purple shade, but takes it up a notch. It's deliciously dark but softer and more feminine than deep blue shades.

What I love best about this shade is that it is a more red-based, as opposed to blue-based purple. That means that it will complement a lot more skin tones, especially my beautiful New Beauties with the darkest ebony and mahogany complexions. Sometimes, dark blues and grays don't read well on dark fingers. The contrast that makes this nail trend so beautiful isn't there and it just looks, for lack of a better words, bad. But this shade will actually complement darker skin tones. The purple will pick up on the undertones of your brown skin and look fabulous. If you have a little more leeway at your job, you can probably get away with this one at work too. Though, I would save this for relaxed offices or more creative industries.

Satisfy your cravings for dark nails with even more options, and know that MNB tries her best to address your concerns, but don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Faux Naturale

2007-10-09T13:07:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty is not really one for assumptions. She tries not to assume too many things about other people and she certainly is no fan of people making assumptions about her. Often, when those assumptions are based on nothing but outward appearances, she doesn't even correct them. MNB will let people continue on assuming things about her just for her amusement. She found it particularly funny her a few of her college classmates assumed that the $7 sneakers she found in Marshall's were by some famous Italian designer. When they stopped to complement her on her new "Moschino" shoes, she simply smiled and said thank you, giggling to herself as she walked away. And, when people remark on how beautiful she looks with no makeup even when her cosmetics bag is filled to the brim, she does the same. Ms. New Beauty really likes the latter assumption because it means two things - one, that she's applied everything with the right, light touch, and two, that her products are doing exactly what they should, blending in and letting MNB's natural beauty shine through. So, today's post is all about those products that are so good, the results look completely natural.

Tarte Cheek Stain in Sunkissed

If you know me, then you know I've been in love with Tarte Cheek Stain for years. I've convinced most of my friends and even some of their mothers to try it. Flush is my go to shade and was one of the first products I blogged about. It gives me the perfect hint of just-ran-up-the-stairs color and goes on so smooth and so easy. I've been using it for so long that I can apply it without out a mirror. But now, I'm totally in love with Flush's chocolatey caramel sister.

Sunkissed is the perfect bronzer shade. It's a rich caramel that is impossibly sheer. It's almost the color of a self-tanner, just without the cheek-staining, streaky palms, lasts for two weeks side effects. Just a dab on cheekbones gives the most authentic looking, back from the beach hint of color. But what really makes it stand out is the one thing that it doesn't have - shimmer! Most bronzers have some sort of shimmer or glitter in them that looks flattering on skin but completely ruins the "what? I wake up looking like this" effect we're talking about today. But this one is all color and no glitter to even out your skin and give you a subtle glow. For brown girls, it can even take the place of your foundation. Just apply and blend and it'll even out any discoloration or uneven complexion problems you may have.

$28, available at Sephora.

I know at first glance, almost thirty bucks might be a little much to pay for blush/bronzer, but trust me it's worth it. The color is fabulous and it lasts forever. I bought my first Flush four years ago and I'm still barely halfway through it.

Bourjois Glossy Wet-Look Mascara Top Coat

This little tube is one of the cutest cosmetics in my case. It's designed to snap right into any Bourjois Mascara and give a shiny top coat but I like it way better all by itself. Just glide onto clean lashes for a subtle yet defined look. The clear formula gives you all the benefits of mascara but without the black lashes that are a dead giveaway that you're wearing makeup. This tube doesn't come with a brush, just a slim rod that you run against your lashes, so make sure you curl and separate before application. Just use an eyelash curler and a clean mascara brush or comb to separate and then use this on top. It makes me eyes look wide open and clean. And, don't let that shimmery blue scare you, it goes on completely clear.

For an extra bright-eyed and bushy-tailed feel, line just your lower lashes with a white or fleshtoned eye liner to really open everything up. This is the perfect look for New Beauties who never leave the house without makeup but don't want to feel too high-maintenanced or pretentions by wearing a full face to something like a spinning class or a Habitat for Humanity build.

$7.50, available at Ulta.

Go faux naturale, but make sure you're wearing the right cosmetics when you do, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Marathon Makeup

2007-10-07T12:06:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty has been leading an incredibly busy life lately. Most days, she's up by 5:45, out of the house by 6:30, and doesn't come back until 9 pm, if she's lucky. With that kind of schedule, she's pared her daily makeup routine down to just the basics - concealer where needed, a dab of blush, and a quick slick of lipgloss. These were the only cosmetics that MNB could count on to stand up to her long and sometimes grueling days. But where's the fun in that? Ms. New Beauty is a girly girl. She likes to do different things with her look everyday. She wants to do a deep and dark smokey eye one day and then sport a bright wash of color the next. She longed for a way to look done without having to lug a million cosmetics in her already back-breaking bag. Luckily, she found two things in her makeup that claimed to do just that. And, to her surprise, Ms. New Beauty found that they really did work.

M.A.C. Painterly Paint Pots

I got the painterly eyeshadows about two months ago and I instantly fell in love with the colors and the smooth textures. But, it wasn't until this past week when I realized how wonderful they really are. My eyelids get hopelessly oily. It really is just ridiculous. By the end of the day, powder eyeshadow basically just evaporates off of my lids. There only remains just the slightest hint of eyeshadow past in my creases. So, I either have to bring my shadows to reapply them throughout the day or just go without it all together. Considering that I hate those little sponge applicators and don't want to lug my whole brush collection in my purse, I typically just skip eyeshadow for all but the most important events. Not anymore.

The Paint Pots really do last all day long. I mean ALL DAY. Thursday, I gave my eyes a sweep of a pretty aqua blue at 6 am and the color was still exactly where I applied it when I got home at 8:30 that night. Yesterday, I used a lovely pearly chocolate shade and it lasted through my sister's wedding ceremony and all night reception. I've even had success in using some of the neutral shades as a eyeshadow base and layering other colors on top of them. I am truly in love!

I'm no cosmetic chemist, but I think what makes the color last is its light and smooth texture. Most cream shadows feel a little oily and heavy, but this one feels like its formula is water, not oil, based. Whatever the science, I can truly say that these colors last until you take them off. And, that is so helpful in preserving my sexy and keeping my look together. The best part is that these Paint Pots are now part of the permanent M.A.C. Collection so you'll be able to use and love them for years and years to come.

$16.50, available at M.A.C. counters

Prescriptives Here to Stay 24-Hour Longwear Mascara

My eyelids don't just stop at melting away my eyeshadows. Sometimes, especially those long tiring days when I'm given to rubbing my sleepy eyes like a toddler, my mascara tags along with the eyeshadow on Destination Evaporation. So, I definitely need to find formulas that will last all day long too, lest I end up looking like I expend absolutely no effort on my face in the morning.

Prescriptives has introduced what they call the first 24-Hour Mascara. The formula is waterproof itself and can be used on top of other mascaras to make them water resistant. It also comes with the flexible fiber brush that really hits each lash with no clumps that I absolutely love. It really separates and lengthens my lashes without clumping at all. I used three coats yesterday to prepare for the wedding and it went on smooth with no clumps or spidery lashes.

Now, I put this mascara through its paces to see if it really does all that it claims. I went swimming with it on and it was gone by the time I was done doing my laps. I slept in it and my lashes were clean when I woke up. But, it certainly does last through normal, awake, non-aquatic use.

$19.50, available at Prescriptives counters

Put your eyes on in the morning, and have them last throughout the night, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Straighten It Out

2007-09-27T16:41:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty puts a lot of effort into the writing process of reviewing and raving about beauty products here. It typically starts with her trying the product thoroughly, deciding whether she loves it or not, and then figuring out the best way to present that information here. Naturally, the first two steps come rather easily to MNB, but sometimes it's the last one that requires the most effort. Sometimes, the words just flow right through her fingertips to the keyboard and then onto the screen. And, other times, when something is just so wonderful, it works so well, and the results are so fabulous that it completely knocks Ms. New Beauty flat on her ass and she just has to get to the review. Guess which time it is today? MNB was going to start this post with a reference to Steel Magnolias, then a quote from Dolly Parton about not trusting women who do their own hair, and then segue into the product review. But not today. No pop culture references. No anecdotes. No witty repartee. Ms. New Beauty is just diving right into this one because she's so high in love with this product she doesn't want to come down and think of an appropriate blog post intro. So, she won't.

PhytoSpecific PHYTORELAXER

I normally have my relaxer touched up by a professional stylist whom I completely trust. It normally takes me at least five visits getting a basic wash and curl and intently observing the stylist doing other clients' heads before I get to the point where I trust him or her to apply chemicals to my own. But since I spent most of this summer being too lazy to lazy to really look for a new stylist and chose to go to the local Dominican shop for a $20 wash and curl, I haven't found a new person I trust enough to do my touch up. I'd heard a lot about the PhytoSpecific relaxer before and since I love Phyto products, I figured I'd try this one out on myself. After all, I've been getting regular touch ups since I was 13 so I know how it's done pretty well. And, I figured, if I messed up and lost all my hair, I'd have nobody to blame but myself, so I went for it.

Ladies, trust me when I tell you, this relaxer is AMAZING!!!!! It truly is! The formula contains no harsh or irritating chemicals and is based in an egg and soya complex instead of lye. Now, I never went to "hair school" so I don't know all about the ingredients, and pH, and the rest of that. I do know that it straightened my hair gently and actually left it feeling healthier and better than before, which usually doesn't happen with chemical procedures. The best part of this relaxer is that it doesn't burn your natural curl pattern into limp and lifeless submission. It just gently eases it out a bit leaving you with soft, shiny, and bouncy hair that still has some texture. I love it because it still allows me to wear my hair wash n' go curly when I want and also roller set straight.

If you've done your own relaxer before or are familiar with the process, this kit is pretty easy to use and comes with everything you need. The basic process is the same - base your scalp, mix the relaxer, smooth it on, rinse it out. It's the after care that comes in this kit that truly stand out. Neutralizing is the most important part of relaxing because it stops the chemical from continuing to process. This Neutralizing and Cleansing shampoo has a color changing effect that makes this part so easy. When the lather is pink, there is still perm in the hair. Once it turns white, you know you've gotten everything out. The last step is to apply the Milky Restructurer conditioning cream. I don't know what's in this stuff but I am completely in love with it. I applied it and combed it through and there was barely any hair on the comb. Seriously. There were about 10 strands of hair in the comb. I lost less hair after a relaxer than I normally lose in just a regular shampooing. I already checked and Phyto doesn't sell the Milky Restructurer separate from the relaxing kit and I really wish they did. I would use this conditioner all the time because it left my hair so soft and strong.

PHYTORELAXER comes in two strengths. Index 1 is for delicate hair but works on all but the thickest, coarsest, most relaxer resistant hair. If a normal strength relaxer isn't strong enough for you, try Index 2. But, even then, I'd suggest starting with the lower strength and moving up only after you see the results.

$60, available where ever PhytoSpecific is sold.

Straighten your own hair, or bring it in and have your stylist apply it for you, but please don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. MNB understands that relaxers and straight hair can be a hot button issue for women of color, but Ms. New Beauty is a proud graduate of the "It's Just Hair" School of Thought. So, she's not going to entertain any personal attacks or cantankerous debate about the benefits and burdens of our hair. Wear your hair the way you love it and tell anyone who wants to questions you on it, "Thank you, but I've already been raised."

Fake It Til You Make It

2007-09-24T21:40:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty can be quite the beauty guinea pig. When it comes to beauty, MNB will try almost anything at least once. Sometimes that means facials so aggressive she's left with bruises for a week. Other times, it means trying procedures with absolutely no scientific support just for the hell of it. Like tomorrow, Ms. New Beauty is getting a detox foot bath even though she's gotten absolute confirmation from The Beauty Brains that it's no more detoxifying than that snake oil people used to buy 100 years ago. But MNB figures a 30 minute foot soak can't hurt, even if it can't heal her either. The one thing Ms. New Beauty hadn't tried in a while was false lashes. She'd found it easier just to put on a few coats of mascara rather than try to affix falsies as close as possible to her lash line. But when she got this call last week, she knew she had to try fake lashes again and give the lowdown to the other New Beauties in the world who have yet to master the technique.

Dear Ms. New Beauty,

I don't really need them, but I want to try false lashes. My friend wears them every time we go out and she always looks fabulous!!!! Meanwhile, I feel like the less-lashed step sister. MNB, I wanna fake it til I make too!

Lashless at the Lounge

Andrea Perma-Lash

There are certain beauty products you invest in, and others where you save. For me, lashes are where you save. Unless you are J-Lo and you're going to get noticed for wearing those mink Shu Uemura, save your money and try your first foray into Falsie-Land with these individual lash clusters. This set comes with 56 lash clusters and is available in two different lengths. The short length is best for filling in sparse lashes while the medium will put a little umph! in lashes. (I totally hate to quote that horrible Ashanti song, but if the shoe fits, eh). The Medium Black shade will work for most New Beauties, but a lighter shade is probably best for the blondies.

I know some people swear by the full strip of lashes. But, I think individual lash clusters are far more versatile. They can either be dramatic or more subtle and natural, depending on how many you use and where you place them.

$3.29, available at drugstores.

Now, picking out the lashes is the easy part. Getting them adhered to your eyes is the challenge, so onto the technique. It's Ms. New Beauty approved!

First, wash your face and clean your eyes. You want to remove any dirt or oil that might keep the glue from sticking.
Apply your eyeliner, this will be your guide so you know where to place your lashes and it will help disguise the plugs at the tip. And, if you don't put it on now, you won't be able to later without disturbing the falsies. If lashes are a little flat, curl them now with an eyelash curler.
Dispense a dollop of lash glue on a clean surface. You can use a piece of tine foil, but I just put it on the back of my hand. A dark glue like this also helps the lashes blend into your lashline.
Dip the lash cluster into the glue getting it on the plug and the base of the actual lash. Wait 30 seconds for the glue to get tacky.
Close your eye or look down and then starting at the outer corner, lay the base of the lash right on top of your actual lashes with the plug just barely touching your eyelid. This makes sure that the individual cluster blends with your lashes. Repeat with about 4 - 6 clusters.
Finish with a coat of mascara to blend the real and the fake and you're ready to go.

A few final tips - focusing the individual clusters at the outer corners of your eyes will give you a sexier, cat-eyed look while focusing on the center will make your eyes look alert and bright. To remove, just press a cotton ball soaked in eye makeup remover on lashes until lashes fall off. Don't pull or you'll pull your own lashes out with them.

Don't be jealous of your friends, lash out with them, and just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Blue is The New Black

2007-09-18T19:04:00.000-04:00

Every season, fashion writers and critics announce that some other color is the "new black." And every season, Ms. New Beauty reads such proclamations in magazines and select fashion blogs and rolls her eyes and shakes her head. MNB has always considered the "new black" to be nothing but rubbish. No other color, shade, or hue will ever take its place. Black is neutral yet bold, classic but refreshing, sleek and sensual all at the same time. Nothing can be the new black because black never gets old. It's not trendy, it just is. Except when it comes to nail polish. Last fall, with CHANEL's one-two punch combination of Black Satin and Noir Ceramic polishes, black nails were the epitome of fall's trends. Every fashionista with money to spare raced to CHANEL counters to snap up the few remaining bottles. Ms. New Beauty herself even got into quite the eBay bidding war over a bottle of Noir Ceramic when her local Neiman's was sold out. But with all the fanfare, black nails soon ended up on everyone and just as quickly went the way of the rooster bangs and goopy lipgloss. With this fall, dark nails still fit the feel of the season just with a different, but no less edgy and fashionable, hue - Blue!

M.A.C. Nail Lacquer in Whirlwind

I'll readily admit that I fell hard for the black nail polish last year. It was such a new and thoughtful look, I had to have it. And, I did. For every night out, special event, or burrito run, Noir Ceramic was on my nails and it definitely made even my schlubbiest sweats feel chic. And, then it was over. By around February, I was just so tired of it and couldn't stand to see it anymore. Even now, I occasionally spy black nail polish on women and just think, "that's sooooo 2006!" But it was a wonderful look, which is why I am so glad to see black nail polish in its latest reincarnation, as a deep, inky, midnight on the ocean blue.

Photo Courtesy of All Lacquered Up

This polish is part of the limited edition Blue Storm collection and it is the perfect answer to this season's dark feel without feeling like you got in on it just a tad too late to still be stylish. At first glance, it does almost look like black polish because it is so dark. But then the light catches it and you can see the blue, the subtle hints of green, and just enough shimmer to keep it from looking flat. The color has so much depth. See. My only gripe about this polish is the handle on the bottle. It's the same size as the bottle which makes it a little unwieldy for someone who barely paints their own nails like me. I got the hang of it by just giving up on any attempts at precision and slapping the polish all over my nails knowing that I'd come back with a q-tip dipped in polish remover to clean up my mistakes.

Blue Storm is a limited edition collection and this polish is one of the standout pieces of the collection, so it's going fast. It's already sold out online but you can still get it at many M.A.C. counters.

$10, available where M.A.C. is sold.

Remember that nothing can ever take the place of black, but this season's dark blue will get the job done, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Excuse Me While I Spray My Nose

2007-09-10T15:25:00.000-04:00

What a weekend Ms. New Beauty had! Fashion Week is in full swing and for the first time ever(!), MNB made it into the hallowed tents at Bryant Park. She and the girls had a ball! They hit up the M.A.C. reception and met a bunch of other beauty bloggers. They got their photos snapped by a photographer for a Japanese magazine, which at first they thought might be Black Tail Japan but turned out to be a reputable publication. And, they saw the so-fine-it-ought-to-be-criminal Nigel Barker in person. That man is nothing less than 6+ feet of walking deliciousness. Best of all, Ms. New Beauty and the girls got inside the tents and witnessed their first real fashion show. The energy was amazing, the music was perfect, and the clothes were fabulous. There were celebrity sightings aplenty, but MNB is such a fashion whore that the people she was most excited to see were Robert Verdi and Lauren Ezersky. She can officially die a happy woman now. But with all the excitement, and fashionistas, and it-bags, and swag, the humidity almost knocked Ms. New Beauty and her girls over. Obviously, New York didn't get the memo that it's September and summer is over. Always prepared for a makeup meltdown, Ms. New Beauty kept her face fashionable in tact with just a few pumps of a spray bottle.

Cosmedicine Medi-Matte Oil Control Spray

The first time I pulled this out of my bag for a quick spray touch up, I know the girls were thinking "here we go again" and probably rolling their eyes while mine were closed. I will readily admit it, I am a product junkie. Actually, I think I surpassed junkie at 19 and would now be considered a true fiend. I love products and am willing to try as many as my bank account will allow, so I know that about 90% of the things that I tote around with me on a daily basis are probably unnecessary. But this one is totally essential.

This spray is just perfect for those hot, swelteringly humid days when you feel like your skin is ready to revolt at any given second. For years and years, hot and bothered women cooled off with a quick mist of Evian. It's perfect for cooling off skin and refreshing your makeup. But really, what does Evian do but make you all wet? There's nothing in it but water, so why not get all of the cooling and refreshing benefits from a product that's still willing to do more? Enter Medi-Matte. This little bottle delivers the perfect superfine mist with just one pump. It offers the same purified water as Evian, but also adds in shine absorption and pore minimizing to its resume. Even in the thick and oppressive New York humidity, this spray gave me a shine-free yet natural and refreshed complexion. And, by the end of the weekend, my friend who I lovingly call Nikki Hilton was going through my bag and searching for it on her own.

$35, available only at Sephora

Live a fashionable and beautiful life, but keep that skin shine free, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Fun With Foam

2007-09-04T18:48:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty is obsessed with quite a few things in life. Finding really good salads in every city she visits, keeping up on the latest happenings with LC and Heidi on The Hills, and the newest innovations in kitchen and bathroom design are among her chief obsessions lately. Clearly, beauty products and regimes will always have a spot near the top of her list. MNB's been scrubbing her feet to remove all traces of dry skin since she was about 12 years old. She's had a standing weekly hair appointment just as long. And, she started exfoliating her lips at 19 and has been taking a toothbrush to them daily since then. But, Ms. New Beauty had resisted adopting a routine to deal with her pores. Truthfully, MNB was never quite sure what her pores did and why they looked the way they looked. She avoided looking up the information and looking at them because she knew that as soon as she did, she'd be adopting another routine to coerce those tiny holes into perfect submission. Unfortunately, Ms. New Beauty could only ignore her pores for so long before they started screaming out for attention. Luckily, she happened upon a new product to take away all of the guesswork and whip her pores into shape with hardly any effort.

Olay Pore Refining Mousse

I had no idea that I'd been neglecting my pores so badly. Last week, I was in my mother's bathroom, which is really a room where you can settle in and enjoy any pampering experience, and I was checking the results of a severely botched eyebrow waxing in her super magnifying mirror. I could barely concentrate on my brows once I caught a glimpse of my pores blown up 1000% in that mirror. I was so ashamed and totally had an "it's a wonder people still talk to me with pores like these" moment a la Winona from Daddy Likey's mom. After I got over my shock, and the temptation to call and curse out my best girls for letting me walk around looking like a golfball with all of these craters on my face, I went and washed with this fabulous foamy cleanser.

This is almost like shaving cream for women. You just shake the can and push the button to dispense a fistful of foam. Then just smooth it on and rinse it off. There's no scrubbing, no buffing, no circular motions required. Simply smoothing it on is enough to deep clean your pores and snap them back to normal size. It leaves your skin squeaky clean but isn't drying at all. Follow with your normal moisturizer and a soft, smooth poreless complexion will be in your five day forecast. Oh, and just for fun, if you apply only to the bottom half of your face, you can completely freak out the man in your life and have him watching your neck just a little closer for telltale signs of Adam's Apples past. From now on, I'm staying away from magnifying mirrors and keeping a can of this in my medicine cabinet.

Now, I have no idea what's going on with the people at Olay because they've already begun advertising this cleanser in print ads and on tv (check out Yaya from ANTM in the commercial), but they haven't listed it on their website yet or sent it to any of their online retailers. I bought this with no problem from my local suburban drugstore, so maybe it's just an issue of getting the online presence together.

Around $7, in drugstores (hopefully!)

Stay away from magnifying mirrors, keep your pores clean and tight, and remember that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Not Nekkid, Nude

2007-08-31T13:29:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty loves the summer. She is actually quite comfortable in the heat but after three months of 90% plus humidity, she is so ready for fall. And this fall is one that's really got her excited. First, this is the first fall ever where MNB has no need for the words "Back to School." She's done with school and has no need to think about registrations, textbooks, school supplies or any of that stuff. But more importantly, she's really excited for the new season of fashion and beauty looks. This season is all about a return to glamour and even better, effort. No more of the "I just rolled out of bed looking like this and really don't want the world to know that I care about what I'm wearing." This fall, being pulled together is a good thing. Gone are the days of pairing your tailored blazers with your worn in jeans so that the world won't think you tried. Nope. Ms. New Beauty is putting those tailored blazers with sexy pencil skirts and reveling in the unabashed glamour of fall. She's slipping into her perfectly fitting wide leg pants and pairing them with her perfectly fitting blouses.

Of course, MNB is also embracing the more done makeup looks. She'll definitely be doing the red lip with black eyeliner and continuing in her love affair with smokey eyes, but expanding beyond the basic black into a range of shades. Ms. New Beauty also knows how important it is to temper some of these bolder makeup looks. The smoky eyes will take center stage while her lips play second fiddle in the nude. The red lips will stand in the spotlight while her eyelids remain their natural color. But, taking a backseat doesn't mean that MNB will just skip the makeup and leave parts of her face completely naked. Instead, they'll be tastefully nude and she's so elated that she found the perfect line of makeup that creates nude color looks that even women of color can enjoy.

Vasanti Lipstick in Jordan

I've always loved the look of the nude lip. Unfortunately, nude lips can be hard for a brown skin girl to achieve. Many colors labeled nude show up so chalky and ashy on darker skin tones that they really end up making you look like an enbalming room extra from Six Feet Under. The only other option is to wade through the vast amount of brown lipsticks which are often gold-flecked and just ruin the flat look necessary for a true nude lip. Enter Vasanti.

Vasanti Cosmetics is like the perfect tree rustling breeze on a fall day. Desperately needed yet a refreshing surprise at the same time. Created by three South Asian women in Toronto, Vasanti was developed to address the needs of women of color from all backgrounds. Their tagline, which I am just in LOVE with, is "I Love My Colour." The perfect antidote to so many cosmetics companies that teach us just the opposite of that with their whitening products that are quite popular around the world. Mama New Beauty is actually the one who put me on to this line. She didn't want me to tell you all that she recommended it to me but I'm doing it anyway. My mom is fabulous, still looks 10 years younger than she is and is absolutely the one who turned me into a product junkie at 6 years old.

Vasanti specializes in colors that will look fabulous on women whose complexions are more yellow-based. And, my favorite part, and I always have a favorite part, is the names they give their shades. All of the products are named after cities and countries around the world native to people of color - like Kenya, Tunisia, Brunei, and India. The perfect nude lipstick for fall is Vasanti's Jordan. Jordan is the perfect warm beigey brown that will look good on just about everyone. It's a pretty brown for fairer women and the perfect nude for darker ones. The look is subtle yet done, the perfect match for any kind of bold eye look.

$15, available at Vasanti.com and select Ulta locations

Khartoum Eyeshadow

Khartoum is a pretty golden brown with just a hint of bronze in it. It's a subtle brown shade to wear on your eyes when you have something bold, like red, going on your lips. It finishes the look and tells the world that you really do care enough to do your whole face, but know better than to have too much going on at once. For my medium brown skin, this shade blends in perfectly and is barely there but just there enough.

The best part of this shadow is the sleek compact it comes in. A small, purse portable silver compact with a perfect little mirror built right in the top. And, I appreciate that they didn't stick those q-tip like sponge applicators anywhere near this divine eyeshadow. Honestly, companies have to know that anyone paying good money for eyeshadow isn't going to slap it on with that imprecise and silly little q-tip applicator. I'm not saying any names, but there are plenty of beauty firms that missed that memo.

$15, available at Vasanti.com and select Ulta locations.

Remember to go nude (not naked!) with some of the bolder looks for fall, and always "Love you colour," just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Getting Your M.A.C. On

2007-08-28T09:55:00.000-04:00

Greetings New Beauties of the world!!! MNB is so ashamed of herself. She really is. She knows that she didn't update last week. Normally when there's a gap in posting, it's because her life is moving at a racehorse pace. But this time, she really has no excuse. She had the time, definitely had new products to write about, and wasn't banished to some deserted island without an internet connection. Ms. New Beauty just wasn't feeling the slightest bit creative. She really tries to make her posts interesting and to write in a way that's a equal parts product knowledge and girlfriends gabbing on the phone. And, last week she just couldn't do it. A post last week would have read like "Got crust? Grease your feet with Aquaphor." Sure it gets the job done but it's no fun doing it. Well, MNB woke up yesterday to find the perfect question to jump start a feature she'd been meaning to include here for a long time. So, apologies for the lack of posting last week and welcome to the first installment of Ask Ms. New Beauty!

Dear Ms. New Beauty,
My girl gave me a $150 gift card for my birthday and on the back she wrote USE THIS ONLY TO buy M.A.C. I went online to do it but got immediately intimidated!!! I buy my makeup from Walmart - not M.A.C. But I saw the difference when I had my makeup done professionally last week - it transformed my face - not just added color. So, I want to do what she has instructed me to do - but I don't know where to start...

HIZHELP!!!
Signed,
Need Help Getting My M.A.C. On

Never fear, Ms. New Beauty is here. Gift cards are a wonderful thing. But it's always so hard to know exactly what to do with them. Do you get the things that you need? Or do you blow the whole thing on something utterly fabulous that you'll hardly use? Both! Since you have wonderful friend who blessed you with a gift in an amount big enough to really enjoy it.

(Sidenote - I really consider gift cards for less than $50 a tad declasse. What am I really going to get with that? A book? A pair of socks? MNB Gift Giving Guide Lesson 204 - $50 may be all you can afford but it's not all you have to spend. Devote the time to picking out a lower priced gift that will really mean something to the recipient. A $20 gift card just says you don't care.) Enough of that, on to the products!!!!

Investments

Foundation

If you've been buying everything from Wal-mart, you MUST make your first purchase a good foundation. Luckily, M.A.C. makes a bunch of different foundations in different formulas, textures and most importantly, colors. M.A.C. was one of the first lines to truly devote the same amount of counter space and shades to foundations for women of color. Take advantage of that. Head over to the counter and talk to one of the makeup artists to find the right formula for you. Liquid or cream formulas work well for dry skin, though you may want to try a matte or powder option if you are naturally oily. Don't let the artist do your whole face - instead, use two or three shades that look close to your complexion and swipe them along your jawline. Make a note of the one that disappears into your skin. Excuse yourself and go outside into natural light to make sure that it really appears natural on you.

Studio Fix is a pretty versatile liquid formula and comes in 23 shades. $25

Concealer

If you have ever have to deal with dark circles or blemishes, you'll need to get yourself a concealer too. Actually, you'll need two of them. Dark circles need a creamy or liquid concealer in a shade slightly lighter than your skin. Using a perfectly matching shade will just make those undereye circles look darker. If blemishes or pimples get in the way of your perfect complexion, pick up a cakey concealer that matches your skin exactly. Precise application is key, otherwise, you'd be better off using a red Sharpie to draw an arrow pointing directly to your zit instead of wasting time and money with concealer. M.A.C. has made the application game much easier by putting a concealer in a very easy to use and precise pencil form. Once you find the right shade for your foundation, the makeup artist can pick the concealer shades that will work best with it - so don't worry if you forget which shade you need for which problem.

Studio Touch-Up Stick, $14.50

Blush

The last product you should really invest in is a great blush. Your blush should be the color that your skin is naturally when it's flushed. Give your cheeks a quick pinch or think about what you look like after you run up a flight of stairs or come in from the cold. That's the look you're going for. The makeup artist will be able to try a number of shades and formulas to find the one that will look most natural on you. They're well trained professionals so don't be afraid to ask the makeup artists for their expertise.

All M.A.C. Blushes are $17.50

That's it for the investment products. You have everything you need for your everyday makeup needs and can look effortlessly fabulous and flawless. Now, on to the fun stuff.

Splurges

Eyeshadow

Most powder eyeshadows aren't really that different from each other. The things that truly differentiates good shadows from the cheap ones are the pigment and the formula. M.A.C. is know for their intensely pigmented shadows. For women of color, this is especially important because some colors can disappear on darker skin if there isn't enough pigment. Use your gift card to try some fun bright shadows here. The kinds of colors you can use to really make your eyes pop on a night out. For fall, blue eyeshadow is definitely on trend. Not that frosty blue hideousness or that Mimi clown shadow, but pretty blues in a range of shades that really stand out.

M.A.C.'s devoted a whole new collection to this trend. Blue Storm features five smoky blue and gray shadows that will all layer beautifully with either other and keep you on trend with the dark looks in store for fall. Even though this is definitely fall in line with the latest trend, smoky colors are always a great part of any New Beauty's makeup case. It would be worth your money to invest in all five shadows because you will be able to wear them for years to come.

All five Blue Storm Eyeshadows, $72.50

Grand total for foundation, concealer, blush, and eyeshadow = $129.50

That leaves you with $20 to pick up any lip gloss, lipstick or other treat that catches your eye.

Have fun at the makeup counter, pick up real investments alongside the fun stuff, and remember, all you have to do is ask and Ms. New Beauty will tell you!

Is This 2007?

2007-08-15T14:43:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty had no intentions of posting today. Absolutely none. She's been working out like a fiend and not eating enough so she is ridiculously tired today. She's not intentionally starving herself, more like forgetting to eat. And, after churning out Monday's post and an additional post over at Imperious Ent., MNB needed a break. But, today she opened up her email to find some very disappointing and disheartening news about the antics of an editor at one of her favorite magazines.

your roots are showing
'Glamour' Editor To Lady Lawyers: Being Black Is Kinda A Corporate "Don't"

The latest issue of Glamour advises readers use Kimble leave-in conditioner followed by a flat iron followed by a curling iron followed by spritzer and augmented with hair extensions to achieve "Mary J. Blige's loose beautiful curls." Um, how about time better spent solving the mortgage crisis? Well, a recent slide show by an unidentified Glamour editor on the "Dos and Don'ts of Corporate Fashion" at a New York law firm shed some light on the topic, according to this month's American Lawyer magazine.
First slide up: an African American woman sporting an Afro. A real no-no, announced the 'Glamour' editor to the 40 or so lawyers in the room. As for dreadlocks: How truly dreadful! The style maven said it was 'shocking' that some people still think it 'appropriate' to wear those hairstyles at the office. 'No offense,' she sniffed, but those 'political' hairstyles really have to go.

Um, hey, 'no offense' taken -- my hair has been totally apolitical ever since I learned about the dangers of "Republican highlights" -- but next time you tell a group of professionals they'll need to submit to extensive regular treatments if they expect to survive in the corporate world, maybe try a crowd that isn't so familiar with, like, the law?

The story ends happily, with the law firm Cleary Gottlieb's managing partner Mark Walker, who wasn't at the lady luncheon, sending everyone an email pointing out the stupidty of the Glamour editor and of fashion magazines and yeah pretty much all the things we here at Jezebel hold so near and reviled.
As for the identity of the editor, neither Cleary Gottlieb nor Condé Nast Publications Inc. (publisher of 'Glamour') would say. Indeed, almost all of the half-dozen 'Glamour' editors contacted for this story professed not to have ever set foot in a law firm. 'Cleary what?' asked several. And Walker says he has no idea whether the editor who sparked all this controversy is a well-known fashionista. Not that Walker would know, even if Anna Wintour herself crossed his path. 'Who is she?' Walker asks. 'I really don't know people in the fashion industry.'
Ah, to be a white man.

Source: Jezebel

I have to ask - is it 2007 or did I wake up in a time warp and it's really 1907 outside? Are people this clueless and insensitive that they would admonish women that their natural beauty, the assets that God gave them are not appropriate in the workplace? An afro is a political statement? Has this Glamour editor, someone who is professionally charged with being on top of fashion and beauty trends, been asleep for the past thirty years and missed the fact that natural hair is not about politics? I swear the world takes one step forward and then two steps back.

I normally look forward to reading my Glamour issue every month but this is really leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I'm off to right a strongly worded email to the editors at Glamour and the higher ups at Conde Nast. I fully expect to see a written apology in the next issue or my subscription will be canceled. I encourage you to do the same if you were as equally offended as I was.

Voice your opinion on this subject, let Glamour know that this is unacceptable, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. I hate that the 100th post on Ms. New Beauty had to be taken up with something as foolish as this!

Double Up

2007-08-13T15:03:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty is a pretty laid back kinda gal, but she takes a few things in life very seriously. Her hair. Her physical fitness. Her television. Now this last one tends to get a little more MNB effort than the others. When Ms. New Beauty falls for a show, she falls hard. She waits all week for the latest installment, cuts the cell phone and computer off when it starts, yells at the scream if need be, and then instantly pores over everything that happened once it goes off. All of this effort keeps MNB from committing to more than one show at a time and from auditioning new primetime regulars. But, since summer tends to be pretty slow with the TV offerings, MNB decided to take advantage of On Demand and catch up with a show that she'd heard was pretty good. From the first episode, Ms. New Beauty was loving Weeds. Over the course of the next few weeks, she caught herself up all the way through both seasons and was just salivating for the third season opener. Finally, Showtime advertised the season premier. And, instead of excitement, MNB's heart sank. The third season of Weeds is starting at the same time and night as the third season of The Hills! What a quandary, does she tune in to see what happens once Heidi moved in with her jerky boyfriend Spencer or does she watch to see whether Silas gets caught with $300,000 worth of MILF weed in his trunk???? What's a TV junkie to do? Set her Tivo to record The Hills, watch what happens on Weeds, and turn her focus to two beauty faves that only work better when used together and cause no anxiety.

M.A.C. 3D Glass in Boundless

If you've picked up any of the September issues of any magazine that even remotely deals with fashion or beauty, you've been beaten over the head with liquid eyeliner and red lipstick as the new looks for fall. But of course, neither of these products are easy to pull off on your first try, especially not the latter. Red lipstick requires lots of trial and testing, precision in application and meticulous maintenance to get the look right. Get a red that's too blue for your yellow undertones and you'll be left looking clownish about the mouth. Slap it on too fast and that imprecise line around your lips will make you look sloppy. And, the tendency to forget you have on such a "look-at-me" color on your mouth can lead to lipstick on the teeth, which is one of the 7 Seven Deadly Beauty Sins.

So my advice for those who are just venturing into Crimson Kisser territory is red lip gloss. Yes, it is shinier than the matte look all over ad campaigns and photo shoots, but it is much easier to apply and pull off than red lipstick. It is also the perfect first step to take on this trend to see if it is truly right for you.

The perfect red lip gloss for fall is from M.A.C.'s new limited edition 3D collection. When I first saw Boundless in the tube, I instantly thought this was a shade that I'd give to my mother, since she far prefers the deep, bold lip colors. But, I tried it on just to see what I'd be missing and instantly knew that this was one red I'd have to keep for myself. The color goes on sheer but doesn't disappear so it's still noticeable on your lips. A second coat gives the perfect shade of red to make a statement without screaming. The sheerness of the formula insures that it'll work with any complexion. And, even though it's a gloss, it's not so sticky, shiny and goopy like other glosses can be. It has just a hint of shine but still keeps the look simple.

$14, available at M.A.C. counters for a limited time

Maybelline Lineworks Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

For some people, liquid eyeliner is scary. But for me, that was never the problem. I actually learned how to use eyeliner using a liquid formula. The pencils were always too hard for me to use. The only way I could get color to show up on me was by damn near stabbing myself with the pencil. So I naturally gravitated towards the liquid eyeliner because there was no stabbing involved.

Liquid eyeliner can be tricky and it was for me at first, but if you try some simple techniques, you'll have a gorgeous cat eye going in no time. First, stabilize your hand by resting your elbow on the table, vanity or sink where you put your makeup on. Then start close to your inner eye, right on top of your eyelashes and drag the line out. If you have too much wiggling and the line gets crooked, just take short strokes and connect each dash to the one before it. Finally, make sure that you keep the liner as close to your eyelashes as possible. Nothing is tackier than skin showing through between your lashes and liner. For a sexy little cat eye, extend the line up just a bit at the outer corner. But please do not go too far into Amy Winehouse territory! If the line is too dark, let it dry a few seconds and then smudge ever so slightly.

This liner is great because it has a soft felt tip applicator. It makes lining your eyes simple if you've ever been to kindergarten and played with crayola markers. Just follow my tips above and you will be a liquid line whiz in no time. Plus, it's waterproof so you don't have to worry about your eyeliner migrating during the day or not surviving a session of Steel Magnolias. Be careful though, Maybelline makes another liquid liner that is very similar to this one called Line Works Ultra. That formula has a brush applicator which makes applying it with precision tougher if you don't have a steady hand.

$7, available at drugstores.

Note - Both red lips and liquid liner are very attention grabbing beauty looks by themselves so wearing them together be overwhelming. Keep this look tame by skipping other color on your face. Even out your complexion or cover blemishes with foundation or concealer that matches your skin perfectly. Wear a nude eyeshadow if you must and keep your blush very, very subtle. Any other color on your face will take your makeup from Glamourous to Clownish is 60 seconds flat.

Double up on the glamour and on the good tv, but make sure you keep them both in check, and never forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

And The Winner Is

2007-08-09T09:53:00.000-04:00

Donyetta D. from Richmond, VA!!!! She'll be having a great time playing with all her new products in the next few days.

Ms. New Beauty thanks everyone who signed up to be part of the giveaway. The response was so amazing that she's going to make giveaways a more regular feature here at Ms. New Beauty.

Congrats again to Miss Donyetta!

Thanks for reading, thanks for subscribing, and remember that Ms. New Beauty always tells you!

The Stroke of Midnight

2007-08-08T11:27:00.001-04:00

There is just a little over twelve hours left in the greatest contest in Ms. New Beauty history. At the stroke of midnight tonight, MNB is going to put all of her subscribers' email addresses into a random generator program to select the winner of the Ms. New Beauty 1st Anniversary Giftbag Giveaway. The lucky winner will be notified via email and receive the box of goodies. And, just in case you were wondering whether you should subscribe or what exactly you stand to win, Ms. New Beauty is offering a full rundown.

The giftbag includes

8 loose powder pigment eyeshadows from the M.A.C. Rushmetal Collection
2 flat eyeshadow brushes
4 lipsticks
2 eye liners
TESS Rise and Shine Cleanser
TESS Ooh-Refreshing! Toner
TESS Time for Some ZZZ's Moisturizer
TESS Wipe Out Facial Wipes
TESS Perfect Pout Lip Gloss
2 Clairol Shine Happy Clear Shine Treatments
2 Clairol Nice 'n Easy Color Seal Conditioning Gloss
3 Maryam's Soap Nook Luxury Body Mist
2 Maryam's Soap Nook Whipped Shea Monoi Body Butters
Maryam's Soap Nook Shea Butter & Dead Sea Salt Glow Scrub
Gloves in a Bottle Shielding Lotion
Shiseido The Skincare 3 Step System
$15 Gift Certificate to Scent Design

The total retail value for all of these products is over $450! So make sure you sign up for your chance to win. And, if you've already signed up, make sure you check your email early tomorrow to find out if you are the lucky New Beauty getting all of these goodies.

Subscribe and sign up to win but don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Exit to Ecstasy

2007-08-06T12:36:00.000-04:00

What a Saturday Ms. New Beauty had! MNB's sister is getting married in the fall and celebrated the occasion, as many brides do, with a bridal shower. This shower was a wonderful event, however, it took place in Connecticut - three hours away from Ms. New Beauty's home. And, getting to Connecticut on a summer Saturday is no small feat. What should have been a relatively simple three hour drive ended up being a four and a half hour study on the traffic patterns of New Englanders. And, all of the traffic heading towards the event was in Connecticut. Not on the Jersey Turnpike, not crossing the George Washington Bridge in New York. Just concentrated on an accident-free, construction-less stretch of I-95 in Connecticut.

Now, Ms. New Beauty wore her cute high heeled mules for this trip, which are not driving shoes, in case you were confused. So, after about thirty minutes in the car, MNB had to kick those shoes off and drive barefoot. It was a little uncomfortable and produced a moderate foot cramp, but Ms. New Beauty persisted because the heels were far too shaky on the accelerator. Her right foot made it to the shower with not too much pain. But, on the way back, when Ms. New Beauty saw that traffic approaching New York City was just bumper to bumper, she couldn't take it anymore. She pulled right off the highway and headed into the city to give her cramped foot exactly what it needed and deserved - a pedicure and a fresh coat of polish.

Essie Nail Polish in Life Saver

After all that driving, my right foot was coming down with bad case of carpal tunnel (if that's possible in feet). I just had to stop by my favorite SoHo nail salon, Spa Belle, and treat myself to their wonderful spa pedicure. Oh, it is an hour of absolute bliss. They add milk to the bath for extra softening, scrub callouses and dead skin with painstaking diligence, and massage and rub your feet and legs with the most relaxing blends of oils and lotions. I so did not want to leave when Kay was finished with me. The only hard part of the pedicure process was picking the right nail color.

This summer, I have been absolutely loving the coral nail polish. It used to seem like a Palm Beach Bitty shade, but coral has taken on a much more modern look lately. It is one of the few shades that truly lives up to the phrase universally flattering. Because coral is a mix of pink and peach, it really does work with every shade, undertone and color of skin that exists in this universe, not just the lightest ones. But, depending on the situation - like a very stuffy conservative workplace - coral can be a little too much on the hands. It's bright and it screams "hey, look at me" which means that it is perfect for your pedicured toes. It is the right shade to peek out of your flip flops, wedges and sandals at any of your summertime outings.

We've established that coral is amazing, but now the question goes to which coral is the best. Is it a pinky coral or a peachy one? Darker or lighter? More red or more orange? Well, I've been trying almost every coral incarnation this summer. There has only been one non-coral diversion for my toes, and it only lasted about 5 days. I just couldn't take it. So far, Essie Lifesaver has been my favorite. It's more on the orange side of coral with a little of a golden shimmer. But it has just the right amount of pink to keep the shade from reading too citrusy. This polish added the perfect bit of punch to my black and white bridal shower ensemble and totally lifted my spirits after hours and hours of traffic.

$8, avaiable at Essie.com

Treat your tootsies right, pick a polish that's pretty and lifts your spirits, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

And remember to sign up for the giftbag giveaway! Only three days left until one lucky New Beauty wins a giftbag (well, now it's becoming a box because a bag would be too small) with the M.A.C. Rushmetal Collection, a bath & body set from Maryam's Soap Nook, a gift certificate to Scent Design, a cleansing regime from TESS, color savers from Clairol, and a bunch of other goodies. Sign up for a Ms. New Beauty subscription with Feedblitz to enter for your chance to win!!!

We Invented The Remix

2007-08-03T16:15:00.000-04:00

The original is always good, but Ms. New Beauty loves her a remix. Remixes have such potential to fail miserably, but when they don't, when they actually succeed, a remix is like a revelation. Ms. New Beauty feels like she's discovered some whole new aspect of something she already loved. She swooned as a child when Jodeci beckoned her to "Come & Talk to Me." But when they remixed it and started singing "come and talk to me I really want to meet you girl, I really wanna know your name," she yelled her name in response and then almost passed out. It was like K-Ci and Jojo were singing right to Ms. New Beauty. All of a sudden the song she had always loved took on a whole new meaning. And, MNB often has this same reaction to other wonderful remixes. Chips Ahoy 100 calorie packs and the myriad permutations of reality shows starring, featuring or copying off of Flavor Flav come to mind as quick examples. But, when it comes to her cosmetics, MNB tends to be a purist and stick with the originals guaranteed to please rather than risking disappointment from a "new & improved" remixed version. Yet, there is one product that has been remixed to death, but Ms. New Beauty is still going along for the ride and enjoying every minute of it!

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine

The Mentha Lip Shine is one of the most popular and most loved C.O. Bigelow Products. It is consistently their best selling product. The original debuted just two years ago, but it has become a staple in the makeup kits and purses of women everywhere. The concept is simple yet ingenious at the same time. A non-sticky lip gloss infused with peppermint oil to freshen breath while it leaves behind a subtle shine on lips. I had a moment when I first discovered Mentha Lip Shine. I just had to pause and have one of those "why didn't I think of this?" dialogues in my head. But that moment soon passed and I started telling everyone I knew about this ingenious little lip gloss. So, needless to say, me and Mentha have been in love for a while. But, I am also in love with everything Mentha does and every remix he gives me.

$7.50, everything is available at C.O. Bigelow or Bath & Body Works

Mentha Vitamin Body Wash

This product has been a long time coming. And, it timed its debut perfectly. Just as New Beauties everywhere are in the throes of sweltering, tortuous heat waves, this body wash appears on shelves to bring us some cool to our boiling hot days. Imagine that you've just spent all day at school or work, then decided to be healthy and sweat out your stresses with an hour at the gym or maybe even a hot yoga class, and now you have to deal with a 30 minute car, bus or train ride until you finally get into your own home and A/C. Infused with peppermint oil, this is the product you will reach for once you finally get in the house and out of the heat.

The mint cools off your tired skin and brings your body temperature down fast. Then, once you're done and the shower is turned off, the air hits the water on your skin and makes you tingle all over. You'll feel as if you've just taken a dip in a Scrooge McDuck sized pool of Vick's Vapo-rub, sans the greasy residue. Plus, it has vitamin A, C, & E infused beads to really treat your skin right.

$14

Black Cherry Mentha Lip Shine

I'll admit, I even like the flavored versions of the original Mentha. What worried me at first was how the flavors would work with the mint. I initially imagined a horrible taste in my mouth, one reminiscent of what happens when you sit down for a glass of OJ or plate of pancakes too soon after brushing your teeth. But, the Bigelow Chemists definitely deserve a raise because there is no such bad interaction here. At first, when you apply it to your lips, you'll taste the flavor of the lip shine. Then, that'll pass and leave behind the cool taste of mint and a little tingle on your lips. I don't know how, but it works.

Black Cherry is part of the soda pop Mentha remixes. I love it! It takes me back to the days when Bonne Bell Lip Smackers were the only makeup I was allowed to have. I had two favorite flavors - Grape, which tasted like Kool-Aid to me, and Dr. Pepper. Come on now, you know you loved the Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker too. The Black Cherry Mentha Lip Shine is the grown up version that you will not have to be embarrassed about pulling out of your purse and putting on in public. The Soda Pop Collection also has Cream Soda and Root Beer flavors too.

$7.50

Citrus Mentha Minis

This one I just picked up last night. It was sitting by the register and the bright colors beckoned me. The cashier had already rung me up but I just had to slide this in with the rest of the purchases. Shame is, I have a degree in Marketing and still fall for all of those tricks. I know better, but I don't care.

Anyway, this is a great little trio. Three small lip shines in Lime, Grapefruit, and Orange flavors. The sizes are perfect to fit in the teensy tiny clutches that go so well with your night out on the town outfits. So far, Grapefruit is my favorite flavor but the lime is coming up a close second for me. I'm not really a fan of the Orange, but then again, orange in general does nothing for me. I never liked the Orange flavored Tic Tacs and that's exactly what this tastes like to me.

$10 for the three

Let the mint make you tingly from head to toe, but remember C.O. Bigelow really invented the remix, and tell a friend that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. Don't forget to sign up for the gift bag giveaway. You only have until Wednesday at midnight to subscribe with feedblitz and be included in the drawing!

MNB All Over The World

2007-08-02T10:07:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty loves to travel. In the past few years, she's gotten quite a few new stamps in her passport and she loves it!!!! Each little stamp makes her excited and she just can't wait to get another one. She wants to live in abroad for at least two years. She wants to step foot on every continent (well, not Antarctica) and as many countries as possible. She just wants to go as many places and see as many faces as she can. But, as much as she likes to travel, Ms. New Beauty has really only been one place when it comes to the internet - right here! This little site is her home and her haven. But now she's starting to get her internet travel on and skipping herself all around the world wide web.

Now, this is no cause for worry dear New Beauties. MNB will always be here with her product reviews and beauty musings. But she's also branching out and is now a featured guest blogger on Imperious Entertainment!!!!! Her first post over at Imperious is another installment of Cheap & Chic, the Bronze Goddess Edition. Check her out and make sure you leave a comment.

Get your internet travel on and visit MNB at Imperious Ent., but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

And, really don't forget to sign up for the giftbag giveaway. Less than one week left!!!!!

Happy Birthday

2007-07-28T17:53:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday MNB

Happy Birthday Ms. New Beauty

Happy Birthday MNB!

Today is Ms. New Beauty's birthday. Not the woman, but the blog. Exactly one year ago today, Ms. New Beauty was finishing up a summer internship and decided to open up a blogger account on a whim. She'd been doing random "product of the week" posts for her friends and decided to just consolidate them into one permanent internet home. Little did she know that within a few weeks, she'd be writing to New Beauties all over the world, connecting with other beauty bloggers, and having her opinion solicited from some of the top beauty companies in the country.

What started as a simple goof has become a permanent fixture in Ms. New Beauty's life and completely changed her future. So this post is dedicated to you, the readers. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for your support, for your encouragement, your questions, your recommendations, your visits, your referrals. Thank you!!!!!!!!

To show you just how much you mean, Ms. New Beauty is celebrating her first anniversary with a luxurious gift bag giveaway!!!!!!! The gifbag includes the brand new M.A.C. Rushmetal Collection (and not just a few samples, the ENTIRE collection, including brushes) and products from Gloves in a Bottle, Maryam's Soap Nook, TESS Skincare, Clairol, Shiseido, and a gift certificate to Scent Design.

Winning could not be easier. All you have to do is sign up for a Ms. New Beauty email subscription with Feedblitz (check the sidebar to your right). Current subscribers will automatically be entered to win. The winner will be chosen at random on August 8, 2007 at midnight and notified via email, so make sure you sign up before then.

Celebrate this occasion beautifully, and make sure you sign up to win the giftbag, and remember for the next year that Ms. New Beauty told you!!!!

Here We Go Again

2007-07-25T13:51:00.001-04:00

Ms. New Beauty likes to consider herself a pretty tough cookie. She's a city girl at heart, so she knows how to navigate the world with a healthy dose of realism mixed with a little bit of worst case scenario. So, she tries not to be surprised at people's antics. But some things never cease to amaze her. Chief among them are business and luxury professionals who publicly speak of their disdain and distaste for their customers. First, Tommy Hilfiger got it hit with that Oprah show rumor, but we soon learned that was untrue. And, yet despite all the outrage and lingering beliefs among some that Tommy was guilty of such an offense, for some reason, Francois Rouzaud felt perfectly comfortable opening up to The Economist about his real feelings about his champagne, Cristal, being the bubbly of choice among hip hop's elite. Well he got what he wanted because Ms. New Beauty has not seen a bottle of Cristal available at any of the nightclubs or lounges she's been to since that controversy erupted. And now, Francois Girbaud, purveyor or designer denim, has added payed his initiation fees and joined "The International Brotherhood of I'll Take Your Money but Still Not Like You Buying My Product."

Sacré Bleu Jean? Denim Legend François Girbaud N’est Pas Pumped About His Company’s Hip-Hop Image
by David Foxley Published: July 24, 2007
Tags: The City
This article was published in the July 29, 2007, edition of The New York Observer.
On Monday, July 23, the French designer François Girbaud hosted a party celebrating his new line of denim clothing, called Le Jean, in the Marithé and François Girbaud Showroom, which occupies the 9th floor of a building on 10th Avenue and 36th Street. The crowd, overwhelmingly comprised of fashionably dressed African-Americans in their mid-20’s, seemed blissfully unaware that their host has apparently been less than thrilled about their devotion to the brand.
“Somewhere, the company was running too much in some direction, too much in hip-hop stuff,” Mr. Girbaud, 62, told the Transom (perhaps taking a page from the playbook of a compatriot who last year expressed disdainful befuddlement toward rappers’ loyalty to the Champagne label Cristal). He was wearing a black-collared shirt over baggy black jeans, which were adorned with a single drooping silver chain that smacked against his knee as he strode through the streamlined space. “To be just connected in the hip-hop stuff is other brand; there is people like Russell Simmons or Damon Dash or Puff Daddy or all this kind. I’m not the rap people. Sure, we introduced the baggy jeans, we introduced stonewashed and all this stuff in the 60’s or 70’s, I never target just to be ethnic. It’s stupid.”
. . .
“It’s really boring, non?” he said of the current denim market. “It’s just the same. I walk through projects today, and it’s the same five-pocket jeans. It’s not giving so much possibility to young generation to express themselves.”
When it comes to his own self-expression, Mr. Girbaud seems to think that the exigencies of marketing are cramping his style. “I have to talk like that”—he flashed a gang hand-sign—“and speak like that”—he flashed another gang hand-sign—“and move like that”—he grabbed his crotch—“and it’s ridiculous!” Now he was shouting. “What we bring into the market was always innovative, and I feel now I am trapped and I have to just talk the same way, like I have to have skulls and some kind of snakes. It’s boring, it’s really boring!”
. . .

Truthfully, I haven't worn a stitch of Girbaud clothing since the fifth grade, but if I ever had an itch to purchase some, this article has officially scratched it.

Save your money, don't reward businesses that don't respect you, and remember that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Un-meltable

2007-07-24T17:22:00.000-04:00

It's almost August and summer is certainly in full swing. Ms. New Beauty lives in the northeast where summers are characterized by upwards of 90% humidity and sweltering heat. There are days where MNB can actually see the moisture hanging in the air. These days often feature Ms. New Beauty timing her walk/run to and from the car to make sure that her hair doesn't swell up like feet in flip flops. In the midst of all of this, MNB has pared down her daily makeup routine to only the bare necessities - eyebrow pencil to perfect her arches, a swipe of mascara, and just a hint of color for her cheeks. But, some days the errant blemish pops up or her complexion is just a little mottled. MNB's skin is naturally oily (and gets even more so in the heat) so even a tinted moisturizer turns out to be too heavy. Ms. New Beauty would put it on at 9 and by 10:30 her forehead had turned into a oil slick that would put Exxon Valdez to shame. What is a New Beauty to do? It is far too hot and humid for a full face of makeup that will surely melt away within the hour but the pursuit of skin perfection mandates some solution. MNB knew there had to be some middle ground. Well, here it is.

M.A.C. Cosmetics Flashtronic Mineralize Skinfinish

For years, I bounced between wearing makeup or just going completely bare in summer. I figured out a little while ago that just a hint of bronzer does the trick for me. The hint of color darkens me up just enough to even things out and the shimmer draws the eye where I want it to go (i.e. away from any breakouts). The problem was that most powder bronzers were designed for fairer skin tones and ended up so light that they did nothing for my brown skin. And, the ones that did work were gels or creams that brought me right back to oil slick territory.

But this new powder highlighter from M.A.C. gives me just the perfect effect. While traditional makeup rules will have you put bronzer only on temples and cheekbones, this skin finish is versatile enough for full face usage. Just a light dusting with a very, very fluffy powder brush, and I'm glowing, evened out and not the slightest bit greasy. Global Glow is the perfect shade to use on my whole face while Gold Spill, a lighter champagne shade, works well for highlighting my bone structure. Northern Light is a pinkier/blush shade which was too light and ashy for me. It gave me horrid flashbacks of an ill-fated run in with Nars Orgasm.

And, my favorite part of this whole collection - you know I had to have a favorite part - is that the powders are all mixed up and baked in looking. They have the prettiest swirl effects running through them that make you almost scared to mess up the design with your brush.
The Flashtronic collection also has some great eyeshadows in pretty, swirled metallic shades. They can look a little disco a go-go but they go on very sheer and subtle. Tectonic looked like acid green in the compact but was a very shimmery, sublte gold on my eyes. Flashtronic is a limited edition collection in stores until September 27, so go get it now if you're interested.

$24.50, available at M.A.C. counters

Bronze it up instead of foundation, keep yourself comfortable and cool, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. - M.A.C. has another limited edition collection in stores this summer too called Rushmetal. Stay tuned for a very special announcement on Ms. New Beauty about Rushmetal.

Watch Your Step

2007-07-20T01:11:00.001-04:00

Ms. New Beauty can be a study in contrasts when she wants to be. She loves gardening, but hates bugs and dirt. She's very particular about dirt on her feet, but doesn't think twice about walking all over the city in summer with nothing to protect her tootsies from the street dirt but her favorite pair of Havianas. The one paradox that confuses her boyfriend all the time is MNB's uncanny ability to be constantly late but despise tardiness simultaneously. Ms. New Beauty hates being late but can never manage to make it to appointments on time. It got so bad that her hairdresser was actually bewildered on the rare occasions that she made it to her weekly 10 am appointment before 10:30. While MNB loves all of her contrasting and conflicting traits, she's trying to work on that last one. Luckily, one event is coming just in time.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Starting today at 3 am (midnight Pacific time) is one of the shopping events that I set my yearly schedule around - the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. By now, you know that I have to hit up the beauty department and stock up on some of my favorite products. (PS and By the Way - Nordstrom's beauty department has gotten a major upgrade. I remember when that store was only good for a M.A.C. counter or maybe Bobbi Brown, but now they have a full makeup department plus they're brimming with skin care and bath & body products. You've come a long way baby, and I appreciate it!) But, during this sale, I'm also going to get something I desperately need - a new watch!!! I have not worn a watch since I was about 19 years old. At first, I just didn't like the feel of something on my wrist. And then, I made my lack of a watch a grand pronouncement of my rebellious nature. I could not be contained by society's rules on timeliness. I'm fearless, I come and go as I please, I'm not tied down to a minute hand and hour hand. Sounded good then, but now, being late is just annoying and leads to a string of foul words as I try to speed my way to every engagement with just a few seconds to spare. So, I'm strapping a timepiece back onto my arm and this is the one that I've picked out.

I love this bright orange watch with the rubber band. It's sporty and chunky but still soft enough to wear as a woman. And, although it's quite bright, orange and yellow are neutrals in my world so you can trust that I'll be wearing this one all the time. But my favorite part of the watch is the band though. It's not the color of the band, or the texture; it's the smell!! Yes, the band is scented and smells like vanilla. So every time you get the watch wet, you'll get just the slightest whiff of vanilla. You know you love it!

Remember that contrasts make you interesting, but don't use that as an excuse to ignore your fixable flaws, and this time, tell a friend that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Spa La Land

2007-07-12T21:35:00.000-04:00

So by now, we all know that Ms. New Beauty graduated last month. Well a few weeks ago, she was out to brunch celebrating someone else and she got the most fabulous graduation gift. She opened a pretty red envelope to find that eleven of her beautiful line sisters got her a $350 gift certificate to Spa Finder!!!!! Yup, that means Ms. New Beauty has a nice chunk of money to spend at any one of thousands of spas around the country. She could get a mani in Manhattan, a facial in Philly, body wrap in Boston. You get the point. After a gift like that, Ms. New Beauty was on cloud nine. Truth be told, she still is as she tries to decide exactly what to get. Anyway, MNB could not figure out the right way to truly thank these beautiful women for their gift. A handwritten note on good stationery? Of course, that's a given. But, Ms. New Beauty needed a way to make it more personal. And what did she come up with? A wallet sized picture of her in a deep cleansing face mask! Honestly, who couldn't use a pint size pic of MNB to carry around next to her driver's license? The ladies can't see me enjoying my spa gift, but at least they'll know what I look like at the spa. And now, so do all of the other New Beauties in the world.

Ms. New Beauty bought that green mask in the picture just on a whim at the beauty supply store. But to her surprise, she found that she really liked it. Instead of just being used for pictorial purposes, this mask has earned a prime spot in MNB's medicine cabinet, right next to a very similar mask that costs 4 times more. And, thus we have the latest installation of Ms. New Beauty's Cheap & Chic.

Green Face Mask

The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Face Mask, $14

vs.

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque, about $3 at drugstores

I've been using The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil face mask since I was a teenager. I read in a magazine that tea tree oil helps to fight acne, so I ran out and went to the first place I could think of that might carry it. Back then, the only place in the suburbs to get cosmetics with natural ingredients was The Body Shop. So this mask has a special place in my heart.

But, I'm really falling for the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque (dontcha just love how they spell it "masque" like it's a luxury French product even though they sell it in drugstores?). I've been walking past this product in the store for years and years. And, never until a few days ago did I have any desire to try it. I was in Sally Beauty Supply looking for something totally hair related and decided to throw this in the basket on a whim. I am so glad I did. As soon as I opened the jar, my first thought was about how much it looked like the Tea Tree Oil mask from The Body Shop. It has the same texture and thick, claylike consistency (which is a godsend for oily skin like mine). The color's almost the same. The main difference is that the Mint Julep feels cool and tingly on your skin. It's designed to help fight blemishes also and can be used as an overnight spot treatment for problem pimples.

The one thing that initially worried me about comparing the Queen Helene to The Body Shop was the lack of tea tree oil. I like to make sure that my Cheap & Chic comparisons as on par as possible. I mean who wants to read a post claiming that vaseline works just as well as Nars Body Glow for shiny legs??? I am not trying to be the Sandra Lee of the beauty blogging community. So, I did my research on the Mint Julep - I went right to the ingredients list. Holding the two jars of mask side by side, I saw that of the main four ingredients, three were exactly the same. Reading The Beauty Brains has taught me that the main ingredients listed first on the label are the ones most responsible for how a product works. So, I can say confidently that the Queen Helene worked just as well for me as The Body Shop.

Go green on your face while you save some money, give extra special thanks to the people who love you, and this time tell a friend that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. If you want to get a spa gift for yourself or someone else, look to your left! As of this week, Spa Finder is an official Ms. New Beauty sponsor. Show them some love.

E Bay Bay!!

2007-07-08T21:54:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty loves all of her readers. She really does. She started this blog only to have an outlet for all the makeup talk that clutters her head and that her boyfriend can really only listen to for five minutes at a time. MNB never had any idea that so many women (and men!) would find what she writes interesting, entertaining and valuable. She is constantly impressed by her sitemeter statistics. But, Ms. New Beauty loves when she gets to hear her readers' feedback one on one. She takes the love and the criticism all in and tries to make Ms. New Beauty better. But she's gotten one comment more often than the others. It typically goes like this - "Ms. New Beauty, I love your blog but I just can't afford some of that stuff. Can you recommend something cheaper?" MNB has expensive taste in skin care and cosmetics but she also understands what it means to be a New Beauty on a Budget. Trust her, she does! So this post will let all those New Beauties with financial constraints in on one of her favorite beauty resources.

Ebay

I know what you're thinking. Ebay? For makeup? Yes! I know a lot of people don't trust eBay. I didn't myself for a long time after I sent a money order for a Prada purse and the seller disappeared the day the postman delivered it. (Serves me right though, $89 for a Prada purse just does not happen in real life). But, I've learned that eBay can be a great resource if you use it right.

I have just a few simple rules to buying beauty on eBay.

Only buy products that you have used/tried in person. Most sellers don't do returns so eBay is not the place to try new things.
Read the descriptions CAREFULLY and make sure you check the size that the person is selling. You may find yourself tricked into paying for a trial sized bottle of your favorite cleanser.
Only buy products advertised as brand new and still sealed.

And, now I'll let you in on the one product I buy exclusively from eBay. Proactiv Solution. Yup, the acne system that Diddy uses to moisturize his situation and Jessica Simpson, L.Lo, and Alicia Keys have all hocked on infomercials. It's cheesy but it works. But, before we forget, it's expensive. $40 for cleanser and moisturizer that runs out within a few weeks is a little steep. But Proactiv products are all over eBay. I've gotten two bottles of the cleanser for less than $10. I won't ever buy it in the mall again. I'm all about my eBay. Since my beloved Biotherm has ceased all US operations and the products are only available online, I've taken to buying my dear Aquasource Gel moisturizer on eBay as well.

Start bidding, and get your goodies on eBay, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. I will readily admit that "Ay Bay Bay" is by no means a good song, but for some reason I just love it! I couldn't resist sneaking it in here in the name of the post.

P.S.S. I hope you noticed that changed the layout, not too much, I just added another column. But for the life of me I can't figure out how to get rid of those dark blue bars so if anyone is an html whiz, let me know.

$2 Thursdays

2007-07-05T21:04:00.000-04:00

Where has Ms. New Beauty been? Well, the answer ladies, is all over the place. The end of June/beginning of July was quite busy for MNB. She hasn't been home more than two days in the last few weeks. But she sure has had fun hopping all over the East Coast. Now, she's home and ready to get back to business at MNB Enterprises.

Two nights ago, one of Ms. New Beauty's divinely fabulous friends got married, to herself! It was a wonderful affair. And, last weekend, another vivacious lady in Ms. New Beauty's life celebrated her 27th birthday. This occasion was recognized with a brunch at a great little restaurant in SoHo called Libation. The Libation brunch, New Beauties of the World, is truly something to behold. It only costs $15 and comes with three free drinks. Oh, the mimosas that morning flowed like tap water. There's nothing quite like sixteen young, educated and upwardly mobile black folks galavanting on the streets of New York semi-intoxicated in the middle of the day. Ms. New Beauty was also impressed by the Libation Thursday happy hour that features $2 Cosmos, $2 Shots, and $2 glasses of champagne. It is appropriately called $2 Thursday. And since Ms. New Beauty is such a fan, this Thursday post will feature another new fave that only costs a mere two bucks.

Sephora Super Shield Lip Saver

As many times as I have ranted on this blog about the importance of proper sun care, I have to admite that there is one place I always forget. My lips. In the summer, I tend to stick to my old faithful Rosebud Salve, even on days when I am laying out on the beach basking in the sun's full glory and baking myself in the process. Everything else gets protected, but the sun ends up penetrating my lip balm and essentially frying the outer layer of my lips. After my last Caribbean vacation, there were cereal sized flakes falling off of my poor lips. So not a good look.

The reason that I forgo sun protection for my kisser is typically an issue of texture. Most chapsticks and lip balms with SPF are thick and white, leaving me looking like a frozen corpse. But, Sephora Super Shield Lip Saver with SPF 15 has been my savior. The texture is smooth and creamy, and it goes on just as clear as my beloved Rosebud. But, this blends almond oil, shea butter and olive oil to really moisturize lips deep down and a powerful SPF 15 to keep them from getting fried. All of that and the best part - it only costs $2, a price that's much better than most drug store brand lip balms.

$2, available at Sephora

Keep your lips soft and protected, and enjoy the occasional libation every now and then, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Shock To The System

2007-06-22T14:17:00.001-04:00

Cardboard boxes. Ms. New Beauty has had her fill of them. In the past week or so, it seems like all she saw were cardboard boxes. MNB was moving of course and the brown cubes became a necessary part of that process. Yesterday, after a week of packing, lifting, and unpacking cardboard boxes, she thought she was finally done with them - at least for the time being. But lo and behold, as Ms. New Beauty approached her front door, there was another cardboard box waiting for her. Initially, she thought she was being tormented and followed by the evil container. She soon realized that this box, unlike all the others, was not demanding her to fill it up with styrofoam peanuts and keepsakes. This one held a special present just for her and brought nothing but delight to her life. This box held a new summer makeup collection full of eye popping eyeshadows and luscious lipsticks and it was all waiting patiently inside just for MNB.

M.A.C. C-Shock Collection

M.A.C. can do something a lot of other makeup brands can't. It can claim that it has a legion of faithful and adoring fans without stretching the truth one bit. I know women who have tried other brands and run straight to the M.A.C. counter after professing their sins and begging for forgiveness in the form of a new concealer. I used M.A.C. in high school but I am not such a die hard fan as others are. I'm greedy, and there are so many great brands out there that I could never commit to just one. I am not a Makeup Monogamist.

But I have always loved M.A.C. for their richly pigmented eye shadows and absolutely juicy lipglosses, so C-Shock is just the jolt my makeup case needed. When I first poured everything out onto my bed, I instantly put together my eye looks for summer. I am so not a fan of understated eyes for evening. When it's time for me and the girls to hit the clubs, lounges, and bars of the world, it must be with bright eyes. Brown eyeshadow is only for situations when I have to be daytime demure. So these colors are perfect for me. A veritable rainbow of punchy, vivid colors. The eyeshadows are bright and rich in pigment, but they go on quite smooth and sheer. You can build the intensity of them to make the look as daring or as subtle as you want.

Now, the lip colors are a kind of bright that's harder to work with. You can wear almost any color on your eyes, but the lips are a beast of a different breed entirely. I tried four of the lipsticks - a frosty pink (similar to Proenza Pink so you know that didn't work on me - Brown Girls of the World Beware!), a bright blue, a frosty coral, and a shimmery purple. Momma New Beauty helped me try them and we both agreed that the blue lipstick on brown skin gives a frostbite effect. The coral looked great but the jury was split on the shimmery purple. On Momma New Beauty, it was a sheer pinky wash of color that worked. On me, it looked like a holdover from a 1986 pre-Easter raid on the Fashion Fair counter. Interestingly enough, the lip gloss in a similar purple shade looked amazing on me. So I guess the formulation of the color does a lot to determine how it will work for you.

C-Shock is a limited edition collection and will only be available at M-A-C counters until mid-July, so if you like what you see hurry up and get it before it's gone.

Shock your system with a bit of brights and look perfectly punchy for summer, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Chic Goes Cheap

2007-06-20T14:50:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty is a huge fan of the cheap goes chic trend. She loves it. She loves seeing the way designers reinterpret their runway hits for the masses. Unlike other fashion and style bloggers, she doesn't believe that there is something foul or odious about low-priced versions of designer creations. Ms. New Beauty dutifully lines up early to scoop up the latest Discount Designer collections. And, MNB is still bitter about missing the Stella McCartney collection for H&M because her Peapod delivery was running late. But, she made it up by grabbing the cutest pieces from Proenza Schouler's spring collection for Target and she'll be doing the same for the Libertine collection as well. So, Ms. New Beauty's uber-excited about Roberto Cavalli coming to H&M in the fall.

Roberto Cavalli to design H&M collection

Wed Jun 20, 11:17 AM ET
ROME (AFP) - Roberto Cavalli is set to be the latest designer to create a collection for Swedish clothing giant H&M, he announced Wednesday, following in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney.
The Italian will create 25 pieces for women, mainly evening wear, and 20 for men, as well as accessories and lingerie. They will be available in about 200 shops from November 8.

"I hope that on December 8 there will be nothing left in the shops! I am very flattered to be the first Italian chosen by H&M," Cavalli said from the Pitti Uomo fashion fair in Florence, according to Italy's Ansa news agency.
"It is true that our creations are closer to haute couture, but I thought of all the young people who stopped me in the street, and I thought I could finally make them happy," he said.

"I have dedicated this collection to young people, who will be able to wear a Cavalli piece of clothing for the New Year."

Margareta Van Den Bosch of H&M said the most expensive items would be about 150 euros (200 dollars).

In 2004, the Hennes Mauritz group asked Lagerfeld, the designer for the Chanel fashion house, to create a collection for them. He was followed by British designer McCartney in 2005, designers Viktor and Rolf in 2006 and the singer Madonna in spring this year.

Created in 1947, H&M now has 1,345 shops in 24 countries.

Meanwhile, Cavalli, whose business recorded a turnover of seven billion euros last year, said he was considering "taking on an associate so we could be quoted on the stock exchange".

His wife Eva, who works alongside the designer, added: "We are currently in discussion with fashion groups and investment funds. We will need at least a year because these are decisions that need to be taken carefully."

But, I'm neither here nor there about Vera Wang's line for Kohl's. Here's an interesting commentary or Vera's new venture from the New York Times - Can You Be Too Fashionable?

Happy reading ladies, and don't let fashion snobs make you shy away from discount designer offering, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Just A Touch

2007-06-14T14:19:00.000-04:00

Just a touch. Of Love. A Little Bit. Ms. New Beauty has been planning this post for well over two weeks. And she knew that the title would be "Just a Touch." Ever since then, she's been singing that song to herself and dancing a little bop to herself. She can't help herself. She's still having a little private party on the couch as she types. Okay, enough of that. On to the regularly scheduled post.

Now any faithful reader of Ms. New Beauty knows that MNB has a number of mandatory beauty routines to keep up with. There's the weekly hair appointment. The bi-weekly eyebrow wax and pedicure. Weekly exfoliation and monthly hair removal. And, that does not even take into account all of the daily rituals that help MNB preserve her sexy - pushing back the cuticles, taking the pumice stone to her heels, cleansing, toning and moisturizing her face day and night, plus the regular sun protection. Anyone who says living a beautiful life is low maintenance lies like a rug. But don't get her wrong, MNB loves all of these beauty routines. They are the sunshine in her life. But, she just doesn't have time for everything. And, the one thing to be consistently sacrificed is nail care. Ms. New Beauty just does not have the time or energy to worry about keeping her fingers painted. Shamefully, the only reason she keeps her nails trimmed is because they interfere with her text messaging when they get too long. Most days, a swipe of cuticle oil is all they get. So, when MNB saw a new nail polish pen that's just as easy to apply as her faithful cuticle oil, she just had to try it.

Yves Saint Laurent Nail Touch

The idea behind this nail color pen is ingenious. Similar to their cult favorite concealer Touche Eclat, Nail Touch is a pen with the color and brush attached right to it. Just pump the end and the color dispenses on the brush, ready to hit your fingernails. It's the perfect size to just drop into your purse and go. The nail polish inside is thinner than the average nail polish, which I assume is to make it dry quicker. As soon as you brush it on, the polish gets really tacky almost instantly and then is dry within about a minute. In theory, I should be in love with this.

But, in practice, I'm underwhelmed. The brush attached to the pen was a little too wide and unwieldy for me. The polish did not go on smoothly at all. Also, because the polish is so thin, it goes on really streaky. I tried two colors - #4 (a beigey pink similar to Essie Ballet Slippers) and #1 (clear). The both went on streaky. The clear dried to a pretty finish but the beigey pink dried with the streaks and looked quite the mess on my fingers. The drying is also a little hard to navigate. By the time you get one coat on all your fingers, it's way too tacky to come back for the second coat so the streaks just look even worse.

All in all, this could be a great product but it definitely has some kinks to be worked out. It's barely available online which could be because it was released with the new summer collection or because it's just sold out. But, I picked mine up with no problems at the YSL counter in Neiman's. If you see it, I'd suggest you keep that $20 and treat yourself to something you know you'll love.

$24, available at Nordstrom and YSL Beaute counters

Save your money on this one, but keep on having your own little private parties, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. And Comments 4 A Cure is still running on Ms. New Beauty until Saturday, so keep them coming.

Forgive Us Father

2007-06-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

It's June. And, June is a month that means so many things to so many people. The end of that long educational road for the graduates like Ms. New Beauty. The beginning of a new life together for all of the June brides. And, the most important, the start of summer for everybody. June is the time to officially bust out the white linen, book your pedicures for the next three months, stock up on sunscreen and self tanner, and to figure out which tiny square of fabric called a bathing suit will look best on your body on the beach.

June is also the month for dads since we celebrate Father's Day this month. But, MNB realizes that fathers often get what she calls "the shaft." Women often treat their mothers to carefully thought out gifts like luxurious vacations and treatments at the city's best spa and then throw dad a Home Depot gift card without a second thought. Ms. New Beauty herself has been guilty of this offense many years running. But, no more. MNB is bringing you the best in beauty for Father's Day because dads deserve to Live The Beautiful Life too! And since no two dads are alike, Ms. New Beauty lists the best gifts for your type of father.

For The Cat Daddy

The Cat Daddy is a special kind of dad. He doesn't get older, he gets better. His looks sharpen with age and make him look more distinguished and experienced. Literally, the Cat Daddy is a man of a certain age who can still get a young, fly, and fresh girl by his side. The point is not if he would, but if he could. If you've got a Cat Daddy for a father, you probably know it by now. But in case you need some guidance, here are two great examples - Sean Connery and the late Ed Bradley.

Since Cat Daddy appreciates the luxuries of life, CREED Millesime Imperial is the perfect scent for him. The shiny gold bottle will look great on his bureau or in his medicine cabinet. With notes that blend the citrus with the sea, Millesime Imperial will remind him of yachting off the Amalfi Coast or make him want to if he never has. And, the women in his life will appreciate the scent too. I won't say that the smell will melt the elastic in panties, because nobody wants to think of their dad like that, but it sure smells good.

$185, available at Neiman Marcus

For the No Maintenance Man

Does your dad wash up with whatever soap was on sale? Does he only shave when he has to - ie for work and those certain social events where decency dictates a soft face? Do you have to beg him to use beauty basics like lotion or chapstick? A yes to any of these questions means you have the No Maintenance Man for a dad. I speak from experience because my dad certainly falls into this category. The No Maintenance Man won't appreciate the subtleties of products, he just needs them to get the job done. Think Bob Vila or any of the makeover recipients on Queer Eye before the Fab 5 got their hands on them. Interestingly enough, No Maintenance Man dads tend to produce very high maintenance daughters. Go figure.

For your No Maintenance Man, get him products that do double duty and fit in with his super simple routine. If your gift requires more thought than he currently expends, he won't use it. Slide Jack Black All Over Wash into his shower and he won't even notice how much you've upgraded him for Father's Day. This gentle wash is designed to be used as a facial cleanser, shampoo, and body wash. It works well for all skin types and what man can resist anything that does three things at once? If he resists, remind him that this product can cut even the most pared down routine in half. Once he works up a lather, he can get clean from head to toe, literally. After he falls in love with this, slip a bottle of this oil free sunscreen (that can be used on his scalp, face and body) into his medicine cabinet to complete the set.

$14, available at Sephora.

For the Impeccable Pops

The Impeccable Pop sometimes puts you to shame. He is the living embodiment of the words "well groomed." He reads his Sunday paper in a cashmere robe and eats every meal in nothing less than a tailored jacket. His hands are always manicured and errant nose or ear hairs do not exist. A true gentleman, he has an Old Hollywood charm about himself. If your dad taught you who the best tailors, cobblers, and dry cleaners are in your town, you have an Impeccable Pop.

Since Impeccable Pop relishes the process of grooming, upgrade his shave with this all natural Fine Badger Brush and Lemon Shaving Cream from The Art of Shaving. White foam from an aluminum can is so beneath your dad. No pre made shaving cream for him, let him whip up his own and take him back to a time when shaving was an event. The natural badger bristles will pick up the shaving cream evenly, lift his beard for a close shave and exfoliate while the cream will moisturize for the ultimate baby's bottom smooth face when he's done. The shaving cream also comes in three other varieties for your dad's exact skin type (and since he is so impeccable he already knows what it is). For a full shaving experience, pick up the Full Size Shaving Kit which includes the Pre-Shave Oil, Shaving Cream, Badger Brush, and After Shave. And, if he's prone to razor bumps, don't forget to pick up a bottle of Tend Skin.

$50 for Badger Brush and $22 for Shaving Cream, available at TheArtofShaving.com.

Treat your dad to the beautiful life, no matter what kind you got, and remember that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. - I know you may be wondering why I did a beauty gift guide for Father's Day but totally skipped over Mother's Day. Well, the answer is simple my dear New Beauties - Mother's Day fell on the week my thesis was due.

MNB, JD!

2007-06-09T10:28:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty just wanted to let all of her readers know that she has officially graduated and received her Juris Doctor (aka law degree, but MNB likes being able to put the word "doctor" somewhere near her name). All of the pomp and circumstance of the graduation, with extra emphasis on the pomp, has left MNB completely worn out. So much so that she slept almost fourteen hours yesterday. But once she gets her mojo back, posting will resume as normal.

And, since Ms. New Beauty was too busy to post regularly this week, she's extending the Comments for a Cure initiative. She will count every comment that she gets until June 16, even the ones not designated for charity, as part of the tally for donations. So keep them coming, even if you only leave one word.

Leave a comment, and bask in the glory of letters behind your name, but don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Comments for a Cure

2007-06-04T13:54:00.001-04:00

Ms. New Beauty is a passionate public servant. She relishes the opportunity to use whatever skills or influence she has to help someone else. She does however find it tacky to brag about giving back, so she will not be listing her service initiatives here. But, MNB will always use what power or influence she has a blogger to help others when she can.

So, when the creator of the Beauty Blog Network approached her to participate in a breast cancer awareness project in the blogosphere, she couldn't say no. Starting today, participating blogs will be hosting "Comments for a Cure." The concept is simple - for every comment that readers leave from June 4 - 6, Ms. New Beauty and the other participating bloggers will be donating a dollar, up to $250, to a breast cancer charity. MNB has chosen the Celebrating Life Foundation to receive her donation. Celebrating Life focuses on educating women of color about breast cancer risks and reducing the prevalence of this disease in these communities. For more information about how breast cancer affects black women, click here.

Comments for a Cure also has a fabulous gift bag going up for auction on eBay and a number of other promotions to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness. And, there are a ton of other bloogers participating, so make the rounds and leave comments for all of them. Check the full list of participants and other promotions out at Comments for a Cure.

Leave a comment and join in the fight against breast cancer, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Slang for Hot Dog

2007-05-31T16:29:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty has been buried under boxes for the past week or so trying to pack up and move out of her apartment. It's amazing how much stuff an avid shopper and product junkie like MNB can accumulate over the course of three short years. She's been purging all kinds of stuff and putting everything else in cardboard. Cleaning out some old files, Ms. New Beauty came across old pictures and papers from her freshman year of college and of course, she got to reminiscing.

Now, MNB went through a moderate case of culture shock during her first semester of college, being a 17 year old from the fast moving Northeast transplanted to the slow, tortoise-worthy pace of the deep South. Besides the change of pace and adjusting to the heat and humidity, adapting to the language barrier was the hardest part for Ms. New Beauty. Some of her southern classmates had accents so thick, MNB could barely hold conversation with them. But at least they were speaking English. Ms. New Beauty had the hardest time understanding what her friends from the Midwest (and by Midwest she means Detroit) were saying. Their slang was so different to her. They didn't go to the movies, they went to "the show." Didn't drink soda, they drank "pop." But the strangest one for MNB was what they called hot dogs. Oscar Mayer doesn't make hot dogs or even franks. Detroit people called them "Coney Islands." What?!?!? MNB never saw that one coming but she still loves her people from "The D." Well, here's to another Coney Island namesake, although this one smells much better than the pork variety.

Bond No. 9 Coney Island

Coney Island is the newest scent from Bond No. 9, the company that made its mark by formulating perfumes representing the many neighborhoods of New York City. This one is definitely going to be one of the go-to scents for summer. The very idea behind creating this blend was to take the smell of fun and put it in a bottle. Mission accomplished!

Blending notes of margarita mix, melon guave, cinnamon, chocolate, caramel, vanilla and more, Bond No. 9 has taken all of your favorite summer time treats, put them in a glass bottle and shaken it up. Now, with that list of ingredients, you would think that it would smell absolutely crazy, like a 6 year old's dirty laundry after a long day at summer camp, but trust me, it doesn't! The margarita mix is the strongest scent and gives this perfume a nice lemony citrus scent. When I smelled it, I instantly thought of Lemon Water Ice. Yes, I know that technically, "water ice" sounds like an oxymoron, but it is one of my favorite summer time treats and lemon is the best flavor. Philly people will definitely agree with me on this one. There is also something slightly outdoorsy about this scent to me. You all know I do not have a perfumer's nose, so scent is all about the evocative nature of the perfume for me and the things it makes me feel. This one takes me to a backyard barbecue, sitting in a lawn chair in a white sundress and wedge heels, drinking my lemon water ice right out of the cup, no spoon. This is definitely my fun summertime perfume.

$125, available at www.bondno9.com

Smell sweet for summer, and get yourself a water ice if you've never had one, but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

On That Juice

2007-05-20T18:30:00.000-04:00

Phew! After weeks of slaving away in a flourescent lit library, sitting in uncomfortable chairs, and smelling funky freshmen's feet (seriously), Ms. New Beauty is finally done. She turned in her thesis last week and she's officially finished with school, forever! (Or unless she decides to go back for yet another degree). MNB's end of school schedule pretty much went as follows - wake up, go to the library, consume at least three energy drinks, go home at 5 am, sleep, repeat.

After two weeks of this grueling routine, Ms. New Beauty was drained and absolutely welcomed the invitation to a friend's graduation party as a much needed break. During the party, one of her fabulous friends asked MNB "what are you doing to your skin? You are absolutely glowing!" Well, Ms. New Beauty was completely shocked at the compliment. She had been feeling like Shrek the Third and was sure that she looked like it too. But, after getting home and getting real personal with a magnifying mirror, MNB realized that her skin was not only holding up under the pressure of her studies, but doing better than normal. The tiny problem breakouts near her chin had cleared up, the tone was evened out, and there was a subtle radiance shining through. She was indeed glowing. And all thanks to some new juice.

Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel

I originally headed into Sephora a few weeks ago to buy Kate in a Jar by Kate Somerville. At my last facial, my aesthetician suggested I take my exfoliating up a notch. And, after she left my skin soft, smooth, and radiant, I decided to heed her suggestion. I'd heard about Kate in a Jar a while ago because this product has legions of adoring devotees, despite the $85 price tag. All it takes is one rave review and I'm hooked, so I just knew I was going to try it.

But silly me! Sephora doesn't carry Kate Somerville products. So, I just decided to browse since I was already there and I stumbled upon this new line. Using organic ingredients, the women behind this line leave out the fragrance, the petroleum, and the paraben (no, I'm not completely sure what that is but I figure it's bad enough to warrant getting left out) to create all natural but powerful products. This peel is brimming with powerful antioxidants, vitamins A, C, & E, and fruit extracts to expertly exfoliate and leave your skin soft and glowing. The texture is smooth and creamy and goes on evenly with the faint scent of apple cider. Leave on for 15 minutes once a week and get your glow on too!

$39, available at Sephora

Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum

I'm always good for a two-fer, so you know I couldn't try just one product. I'm a Proactiv devotee and that pretty much keeps any blemishes under control. But, I'm all about the preventative maintenance, so I'm always on the lookout for other good acne products.

I love this serum! My inner Mrs. Wizard just swoons over any product that has even the slightest scientific feel. So the glass bottle and dropper built into the top just sent me right over the edge. But, it's the results that have kept me dancing in clear skin Shangri-La la land. My skin is clear and glowing like I just got back from vacay, even though I have barely seen the sun in ages.

Just like the peel, this serum is packed with Vitamins A, C, & E and other antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory properties to prevent breakouts. This is effective as a spot treatment but I've taken to smoothing a few drops over my entire face after cleansing. Just make sure to use the dropper on your clean hands and not directly onto your face. You don't want to transfer any bacteria from your face into the bottle of serum. If I learned one thing from Doc Stemnisky's tenth grade chemistry class, it's never to contaminate the whole bottle.

$29, available at Sephora.

Get on that juice girls, and get glowing skin too, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Staying Alive

2007-05-09T22:03:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty just finished her last final. EVER! She still has her thesis staring down at her before she can finally tell law school to kiss her . . . . grits. No new products reviews yet. But, in the meantime, here's a mini installation of Subscriber Services. Check out the beauty offerings from the last issue of Elle.

Jessica Biel is looking very Sophia Loren on this cover to me. And, I never would have thought that Gold Lame bermuda shorts could look good, but I'm loving these.

The IT List

Elle's Top 5 Self-Tanners

For self-tanner reviews, please check out Fake Bake Month over at Beauty Addict. The St. Tropez tanner on the far right comes highly recommended.

Check Elle.com for more info.

Stay fabulous, and pray for me and this thesis, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

The Pledge

2007-05-02T22:04:00.000-04:00

As a general rule, Ms. New Beauty doesn't do email forwards. Long messages about how a billionaire will save a baby, or Microsoft will pay for helping to test a new program, or MNB will be visited with a curse, if only she hits that forward button and passes the annoyance on to everyone in her addressbook. No. These get no action on Divinity, Ms. New Beauty's laptop. With all of the email accounts she checks several times each day - her school account, the ones her friends use, the account just for this blog, the spam email address - there just is not time to entertain forwards. But, every now and again MNB comes across something that warrants sharing. Lately, it's been funny clips from the internet's black hole of comedy, Youtube. But every year around this time, a clever little email about the proper feet and toe etiquette for fabulous women shows up in Ms. New Beauty's inbox. Though she's seen it a million times, it never fails to bring a smile to her face, probably because ashy, crusty, jacked up feet are the bane of MNB's existence. They are her Newman. So, she's adapting it to make it most applicable here.

The New Beauty Open Toed Shoe Pledge

Please raise your right hand and repeat the following. As a member of the New Beauty Sisterhood, I, (insert your name here) pledge to follow the following Rules when wearing sandals and other open-toe shoes:

I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.

I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free.

I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.

I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow.

I will shave, wax, pluck, or otherwise remove the hairs off my big toe and any other digits with visible fuzz.

I won't wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend/coworker/mother/sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there.

If a strap breaks, I won't duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.

I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl's if my feet need him.

I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them.

I will promise to go to my local nail salon at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are about $30 and worth EVERY penny). But first, I will research and make sure that the salon I choose follows the proper health and safety standards. Perfectly painted toes are not worth this.

Now that we've established what is to be expected of sandal wearers, on to the products that will help you uphold this solemn pledge.

Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Arch Supports

So this season every woman with an ounce of style and $200 to spare has been slipping around town in Tory Burch's oh so cute ballet flats. I bought the gold metallic leather ones as soon as they hit the shelves in Neimans (for $165 before they became this season's it shoe and the price went up). Sadly, they'd been sitting in my shoe closet for months because I cannot wear flat shoes. I don't know if I have flat feet or fallen arches or what, but flat shoes make my feet burn. Literally. I can run around the city for hours on end in a pair of 4 inch heels, but flats just hurt my feet.

But, my girl Johnica raved about those very same Tory Burch flats, and I was so sad to be missing out. How can I let a cute pair of this season shoes wallow in the depths of my shoe closet alongside 8 year old pairs? I couldn't. So I picked up these inserts from CVS. At first, the shoes felt a little tight with the added bulk but after a few steps, I was in heaven. My feet had the support they needed and I walked to, from, and all around campus with no pain at all. No blisters. No raw skin from rubbing. And, these inserts are three quarter length, so they're perfect for the season's cute little peep toe flats. Now the world of flats has opened up its doors to me and I am rejoicing.

$9.99, available at drugstores

Bliss Softening Socks

By now, we're all familiar with the "slather your feet with vaseline and put on socks before bed" routine to get softer feet. But when you have very, very dry feet, that is simply not enough. That's purely maintenance for after you've gotten them soft. You still need something to soften them up in the first place. *Bliss socks enter stage left.* If you're feet are helplessly dry, these socks are a must have. They are truly a godsend and will soften your feet to newborn baby levels.

These socks are a cut above your regular old white Hanes tube socks. Lined with gel to trap in heat and moisture, these socks do not absorb your foot creme like regular ones do. That gel lining keeps the creme from evaporating and forces your feet absorb that moisture. The result is two ridiculous soft tootsies that are sandal season ready.

For best results, scrub feet with a pumice stone everyday in the shower. It works better if you wait until the end of the shower so that the hot water can soften up your heels. Scrub vigorously and then apply a heavy foot creme or body butter soon after to trap in the moisture from the shower. Put these socks on for at least 20 minutes. If your feet need intensive treatment, and you know if they do, put them on and go to sleep. You will wake up walking on clouds. Use these as often as needed because there is absolutely no excuse for dry, crusty feet. None.

$48, available at Bliss or Sephora

Have pretty perfect feet, and do those sexy sandals justice, but please don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

P.S. I am still buried under more work than I know how to finish, but I felt really bad for not updating for such a long time. Things will be a little slow for the next week or so, but once I'm finished with school, everything will get back to normal

Stay Tuned

2007-04-24T16:15:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty has to apologize to her loyal New Beauties for the lack of updates recently. MNB is about two weeks away from finishing her degree. After a very busy semester of planning back to back events, MNB is way behind on school work and now has a mountain of reading, two papers, a thesis, and two finals standing in between her and that all important piece of paper. Her beauty routine of late has boiled down to undereye concealer to hide the traces of lates nights in the library and blue mascara to brighten her eyes. She's been so busy that she hasn't even tried any new products in weeks. MNB is going to try to make time to post, but if she can't, you know why.

Stay tuned for updates, but study hard first, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Oh K!

2007-04-17T23:07:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty is getting grown. She didn't quite realize it at first, but she is surely a grown woman. It just happened one day, she was driving in her car and the "old school" lunch mix came on. And, to her dismay, all of the songs were ones that she used to party to in high school. Apparently, the late 90's is now considered old school. Biggie Smalls, SWV, Next, and Xscape have gone the way of Kurtis Blow when it comes to radio play. But don't get confused, MNB is still as young and fresh as she wants to be. In a hoodie and some doorknockers (don't act like you don't know those big hoop earrings you can fit a fist through), she can pass for a teenager. Yet, she still has to confront one of the most vexing signs of aging, dark circles. Now, Ms. New Beauty didn't claim to have dark circles, just an area beneath her eye that's a deeper hue than the rest of her face. That's how she described it, and yes, she was quite comfortable in denial. She set up a nice little apartment in denial and had the mail forwarded there. Oh, but MNB just got back from U-haul with a bunch of boxes because she's moving out and back into the real world, where she doesn't have to worry about dark circles any more.

Peter Thomas Roth Power K Eye Rescue

I have been trying to find a solution to my aforementioned problems for months. I posted before about a total waste of money that is still taking up space in my medicine cabinet. Since then, I tried two more creams and serums that promised to visibly reduce the appearance of dark circles. Neither delivered, explanations below. I was ready to give up on my search until I remembered an eye cream that was recommended on the Dark Circles Blog. This one.

This cream is the only thing that has made a difference on my dark circles. After just a few days, I noticed a difference and I have not been happier. Packed with vitamins, anti-oxidants, and even caviar, this cream helps to relieve puffiness and relieve dark circles, fine lines, and even bruising caused from rubbing your eyes to vigorously (something I am guilty of when I'm sleepy, like now). But, the key ingredient in this cream is Vitamin K. This ingredient has been shown to relieve discoloration and help even out skin tone. I truly believe that this is the only thing that made a difference for me. PTR also makes a Power K face lotion designed to even out complexions. My fav saleslady at Sephora told me that lots of women rave about it, especially women of color. This eye cream isn't cheap, but it was well worth it.

$100, available at Sephora

And now onto the creams that were not worth it.

Hylexin

You know how they say, "you get what you pay for" right? Well, in this case, it's not true. I paid $95 for this eye cream and delicately patted in on with my ring finger twice a day for months. Nothing. Not one difference. Dark circles can be caused by two things - hyperpigmentation or leaky capillaries. Capillaries are the tiniest of the tiniest veins in our bodies and in very sensitive areas like the eyes, those capillaries can rupture and leak blood. That blood pools under the eyes and darkens causing those dark circles. Hylexin claims to reduce the appearance of that darkened blood and to strengthen your capillaries so that they don't leak as easily.

All that science and it did nothing for me. It's likely that the darkening around my eyes is attributable to just general darkening and not leaky capillaries. But I don't know for sure. What I do know is that I'm glad I decided to try this one out at Sephora, who has a very liberal return policy. I exchanged the half used cream for the Power K and I couldn't be happier. Not quite bad enough to qualify for Money Saver status because it just might not be designed for me, but make sure you get this one from a place that accepts returns.

$95

DDF Erase Eye Gel

And now we come to the worst of the worst. First, this eye cream smells like buttercream frosting. Now, I'm not a fan of the foody scents, but at least I can understand the appeal of a body butter or lotion that smells sweet like frosting. But an eye cream? Who in the world wants their eyes to smell like frosting? Smells aside, this thin serum was not easy to apply. One pump of the bottle dispenses way more product than you will actually need, unless your eyes are the size of baseballs. And, it's runny texture made the cream get into and subsequently burn my eyes. Every day, no matter how carefully I applied, my eyes were stinging and burning for five minutes after application.

Yet, despite the smell, the messiness and the burning, I forged ahead and continued to use this for almost a month. No change, no improvement at all. I can look past a lot when I get results. But there's no way I'm putting up with messy, smelly, stinging products that do nothing. This one is definitely a Money Saver.

$45.

Lighten up around the eyes, and stay as young as you can pass for, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Beauty, Ms. New Beauty

2007-04-12T09:26:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty considers herself quite lucky. She has great family and friends, has had amazing opportunities in life (like going to Africa three times on somebody else's dime), and making it through the first 24 years of her life with a respectable level of self esteem and confidence. There are days when MNB wakes up, looks in the mirror and knows that she can conquer the world. That, ladies, is a fabulous feeling. It's also a minor miracle considering all of the images we see on a daily basis from the time we are born that can easily make young girls and women hate what they see in the mirror. Another minor miracle is that Ms. New Beauty is a brown skinned girl who is absolutely in love with her complexion. No color complex or bleaching creams get any play in the New Beauty household. She's a brown girl loving the brown skin she's in. Not light, not dark, just right in that cocoa colored middle, MNB's skin one of her favorite features. It can do amazing things. It can absorb full bottles of lotion in a matter of days in the middle of a dry Boston winter. Or, it can have the most beautiful golden glow with just a touch of sun exposure. That golden glow is beautiful, but make no mistake, Ms. New Beauty does not believe in unprotected skin getting exposed to harmful UV rays. She loves her skin far too much to risk a nasty melanoma. So she keeps that complexion protected with the most convenient and cool looking sunscreen she's ever found.

Colorescience Sunforgettable SPF 30 All-Powderful Sun Protection

I was wary of powder sunscreens for a while. The first one I tried (and regretfully I can't remember the name) was a waste of money. It claimed to be colorless and easy to apply with its built in brush. However, it had a color, white, and came tumbling out of that brush as soon as I removed the cap. The result was me looking like a brown-skinned extra from Memoirs of a Geisha.

This one however lives up to every claim that it makes. The powder is colorless, odorless and water resistant. In the tube, the powder is the color of cornstarch, so initially I was doubtful that I could wear it without having the powder face effect. But the powder particles here are so fine that instead I initally wondered if there was anything on my face at all. So light and fine, but gives the greatest sun protection. I applied this religiously during my ten day trip to Africa and when I got back, people were wondering why I hadn't gotten any darker. My complexion had that golden glow I love so much. And, my favorite part is the packaging. An all-in-one brush with the powder in a refillable(!!!!) container at the back. Everytime I apply this I get so many questions from people wondering what it is. I feel like an undercover beauty agent talking into my pencil and getting directions through my bobby pins. The name is Beauty. Ms. New Beauty.

There is also a colored bronzing powder with an SPF 20 available.

$45, availabe through BlissSpa.

Stay sun smart, and love every bit of the skin you're in, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

PS - Here's a quick video I shot on my latest trip, to South Africa. This is the view of Capetown from the top of Table Mountain. Breathtaking!

Ms. New Beauty on Table Mountain

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Plane Jane

2007-04-05T16:52:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty loves to travel. She loves seeing new places, meeting new people, learning new cultures. What she does not love is flying commercial. Just yesterday, MNB endured over 30 hours of flying on commercial airplanes, or waiting to get on or off of them, on her journey back home from South Africa. So, Ms. New Beauty aspires to two things for her traveling future - (1) to visit every continent and as many countries as possible, and (2) to have a Marquis Jet membership. Marquis Jet is a private jet rental company where the $100K a year membership gets you access to a private jet, anywhere in the world, with just 4 hours notice. MNB dreams of the day when her name is printed on a plastic card below the Marquis Jet logo. Until then, she's stuck flying commercial flights, and devising ways to combat stiff, swollen knees and dried out skin from the plane air. Ms. New Beauty's knees are still a little stiff from the transatlantic flight, but she certainly has found the secret to glowing and moisturized skin, even in the face of dry plane air.

Origins Youthtopia Skin Firming Lotion

Finding a good moisturizer for a long plane ride is no easy task. In the past, I've been hard pressed to find something that is rich enough to keep my face moisturized in a plane circulating air dryer than a desert. Being a naturally oily girl, anything that I would normally use is oil free. Until now, they've all been far too thin and watery to effectively moisturize my skin. I still ended up with a dry, tight face. But, being naturally oily is a double-edged sword in dry air situations. On the other end of the spectrum, any heavy duty creams I use leave me greasier than the Colonel's Extra Crispy. Striking the right balance has been tough.

But, before this last trip, I headed to the Origins boutique near my school. The salesgirl there had flown to South Africa before, and thus knew the pain of a 16 hour non-stop flight. She recommended Youthtopia Skin Firming Lotion. It's an oil-free formula that's light enough so my skin doesn't feel greasy but rich enough to sink in and keep my face soft and smooth for the whole trip. I applied this lotion about 3 or 4 times during my flight, I probably didn't need to but a sista was trying to touch down in the Motherland looking fabulous! Each time, I gave myself a quick spray of Evian and followed with Youthtopia to seal the moisture in. My skin was glowing and there was no product build up. Plus, this lotion contains Rhodiola extract which kept my skin firm and taut, which was great for keeping the undereye bags at bay.

$47.50, available at Origins

I also fell in love with the Origins Night Vision Relaxing Eye Mask. Thick and soft fabric with extra padding around the curves of the nose and cheeks, this mask blocked out every bit of light. It makes sleeping on a plane or in bright places much easier. It's so thick that it did make my face sweat a little on the plane. But, I'm pretty sure that our flight crew was turning on the heat in the middle of the night to mess with us. You want to deal with a stank stewardess? Fly South African Airways.

Stay moisturized, and fly fabulous, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

MNB on Tour

2007-04-01T12:35:00.000-04:00

Ms. New Beauty is currently bringing the Beautiful Life to South Africa. She's just spent a week in Botswana and now she's loving every bit of Capetown. She broke away for a few quick seconds to let all the New Beauties of the world know that MNB is safe and posting will resume once she comes back to America.

Take a vacation, or just live every day like one, but don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Girl's Night In

2007-03-22T22:39:00.000-04:00

There are certain events that Ms. New Beauty plans her life around. Her weekly hair appointment, America's Next Top Model, shopping on the day after Christmas, and Lucky Shops. You may remember that MNB strength trained just to prepare for Lucky Shops. And, she and her Partner in Crime went in and tore that sale up. So, when Ms. New Beauty heard about a similar sale going on right in her own city, of course she bought a ticket and prepared walk out with arms full of shopping bags. Well, MNB scheduled her week around Shecky's Girls Night Out and she was so disappointed.

Shecky's was like a bootleg, low budget, crappy version of Lucky Shops. Instead of walking into a room full of designer clothing and accessories marked down to ridiculous prices, like the Marc Jacobs boutique that was practically giving away pink leather wallets for only $25, I walked into a room of no name vendors charging way too much for their poorly made clothes and jewelry. The clothes all just looked cheap and were way overpriced. Imagine if someone took a jersey knit dress that retails for $60 full price at Arden B. but is always on sale there for $30 and then slapped a $125 price tage on it. Now multiply that by 100 and you'd end up with Shecky's Girls Night Out. The jewelry all looked very homemade. And not in that vintagey, kitschy way, but in that soccer mom who's taken a beading class at Michael's kind of way. And, what really disappointed me was the beauty offerings. The only vendors selling personal care products were Warm Spirit and Arbonne. I haven't tried their products so I'm not knocking them, but really, why should I pay to visit the Millenium's version of the Avon Lady?

On top of the shoddy offerings, you had to pay extra to get a gift bag and of course, I coughed up the extra money for it, because I just knew there was going to be something fabulous inside it. Well, I got an elastic tie for my hair, some Sunsilk samples, a tube of foundation that will never ever come close to blending in with my brown skin, and a cheap hair brush. But, the bag did contain a sample size jar of Clinique Superdefense moisturizer and an issue of, wait for it, wait for it, now!, New Beauty Magazine!!! I've never heard of this publication before, but of course I'm going to read through it to see if they're doing my name justice. All in all, this event was so not worth my time and it damn sure wasn't worth my money.

Skip Shecky's, and have your own Girl's Night In, but please remember that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Think Pink

2007-03-20T23:23:00.000-04:00

It may come as no surprise to most loyal readers that Ms. New Beauty is a girly girl. Clearly, she loves makeup and pampering products. But she also loves things that are just pretty for pretty's sake. And, MNB is far more comfortable in heels than in flats. A good dress will always brighten her day and put a little pep in her step. With all these girly loves, it's only fitting that pink is one of Ms. New Beauty's favorite colors. Not her signature color in a Shelby from Steel Magnolias kind of way, but moreso a color that represents those things that MNB loves best. Softness, femininity, and happiness among other things. Surprisingly, MNB associates pink with acne. It seems that the best acne treatments are always pink, from Oxy 10 back in the day to some new found favorites. When Ms. New Beauty thinks pimples, she thinks pink.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

This drying lotion is one of those cult faves that works wonders. Flip through any women's magazine and once you get to those ad pages in the back that typically sell customized t-shirts and how-to sex manuals, you'll see an ad for this magic potion. Mother New Beauty is the one who put me onto to this. She's been going to bed with pink dots on her face since Pepa was on TV for pushing it real good and not for living in a tacky house with a bunch of C-listers. This stuff dries up pimples over night.

It comes with a thick pink sediment settled on the bottom and some yellowish liquid floating on top. At first glance, you'll probably think that the product has spoiled but it's supposed to look like this. Don't shake it up! Just dip a q-tip down into the pink sediment on the bottom and dab on any pimples you have. Go to bed and you'll wake up with those breakouts all dried up.

$17, available at mariobadescu.com

Dr Sebagh Breakout Creme & Antibacterial Powder

Despite having a slight crush on Mr. Wizard in the first grade and really, really, really wanting a chemistry set in the second, I have never been good at science. I've tried and tried, but science just doesn't make sense to me. But, I tried to live out my scientist dreams through this product. It comes in the most fabulous beauty chemist packaging and I really felt like a black Marie Curie every time I mixed the breakout creme with the antibacterial powder. That feeling quickly faded once I realized that all my work was really going to waste, because this stuff did nothing to control breakouts.

The idea behind this two part treatment is to prevent acne by killing the bacteria on your face that causes it. To use, you mix equal parts of the antibacterial powder with the breakout creme and slather on. I found that adding the powder made the creme really thick and heavy. It left my face feeling tight, and as a girl with oily skin, I never get that tight face feeling. And, I didn't find that all that extra work and tightness really did anything. I still got the same few pimples cropping up when using this religiously as when I just skipped washing my face altogether. It also claims to control oil production. I did notice that I was blotting and touching up my nose a little less during the day. The oil control was nice benefit, but at such a high price, I really expected it to be more effective on pimples.

$120, available at Barneys and BlissSpa

Benefit Boo Boo Zap

Well, this one isn't pink, but it definitely works. This is like the daytime, all liquid counterpart to the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. It dries pimples out really quickly. Just put a drop on your finger or a q-tip and dab directly onto your pimple or problem area. Reapply throughout the day as needed. And, this opaque liquid comes in a small tube and can be used under or over makeup, with no smudging. So that means you can carry it with you and use it all day. You know how much I love purse portable cosmetics. And who wouldn't fall in love with a pimple potion called Boo Boo Zap? A woman without a heart and/or sense of humor, that's who.

But, just a note of warning, this stuff is a very strong drying potion. So only use it on your pimples. Don't go crazy and rub it all over your face in the name of preventive maintenance or your skin will be cracking and peeling like you've got a bad sunburn. I'm not admitting to doing that myself, but let's just say that I was the only cocoa brown girl walking around Boston like I took a Rip van Winkle nap in a tanning bed in the middle of winter.

$18, available at Sephora

Have flawlessly clear skin ladies, and remember to Think Pink, just please don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!

Ms. New Beauty's Space

2007-03-15T23:27:00.000-04:00

This post will be short and to the point - Ms. New Beauty has finally joined myspace. Visit her new page and add her as a friend.

www.myspace.com/msnewbeautyblog

Click, add, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!