Notes, Ponderings and Blather

If you didn't know this about me already, my paid job (what I do when I am not testing stuff or do-gooding with dogs) is a television commercial producer. I am on a tricky job at the moment with almost no time to write. That doesn't stop me from thinking about things I want to tell you. I just don't have the time to flush them out.


1. I am watching the second season of Bones right now, where everyone with lady parts wears the exact same shade of lip color at all times. (Except when Bones goes to the casino and Angel has to fight in the underground fight club.) I like the extreme natural peach of the color quite a bit. I think you can recreate that with Make Up For Ever's 1C lip liner and NARS Love Devotion lip stick. It's pretty darn close, on me, anyways. Now you can live like it's 2006, too.

3. Combining Stila's One Step Makeup and Fresh's Twilight make the most beautiful shade of foundation. It's luminous, without being greasy. Seriously, it's bea-you-ti-ful. Just don't add too much Fresh or it thins out the coverage.

4. Does the InStyler work? Does it get tangled? Do I need one? I am leaning towards trying it. But, like the clipless curling iron I had to have 2 weeks ago, I fear my hair isn't quite long enough yet. Thoughts?

5. Some people should stop trying to be famous. Case in point, here. I said it before and I say it again, C&C Music Factory wants their dancers back.

6. Kerastase Masque Nutri-Thermique is seriously being a life saver. My hair is dried out and it is making the ends stop looking so crinkly. Thanks, Kerastase!

I subscribe to Allure and bought People at the checkout (unusual for me). I bought the Fresh, NARS and the Make Up For Ever. Stila and Kerastase were sent to me for review. I haven't tried the InStyler, hence the question, and I pay for cable, where I sometimes watch RHOWherever. This concludes my FCC statement.

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Primer Wars: Fresh, BE, Hourglass, NARS, Tarina Tarantino, Philosophy and More

Welcome to today's edition of Primer Wars! Not sure what it's all about? Check it out and learn the rules.

The next group of primers to compete are:


Fresh Rose FreshFace Primer vs. Bare Escentuals Original Prime Time

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer vs. NARS Makeup Primer

Tarina Tarantino Pearl Glow vs. Philosophy's The Present

Perfekt Skin Perfection Gel vs. Too Faced Primed and Poreless Skin Perfecting Primer


Voting for your favorite means they could be granted a stay and live to fight another day, even if they weren't the victor when I tested them.





















Bare Escentuals Original Prime Time beat Fresh's Primer, despite the fact that I love the smell of all Fresh products.

NARS Makeup Primer defeated Hourglass.

Tarina Tarantino Pearl Glow spanked Philosophy into the Present with her pearly undertones and budge proof hold.

Perfekt is a really nice primer that makes your skin look flawless, but Too Faced edged it out by getting makeup to stay on the longest and keep it looking fresh for hours.


Please vote and RT to make sure your favorite brand doesn't get voted out! Voting will be tabulated in seven days. Check back for more Primer Wars soon or click here to see what you missed.



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Summer Tips, Finds and Tricks

Here are some tips I have discovered for the new products that have come out for the summer season (and some reminders about old favorites).


Want to make your eyes pop even more? After you apply mascara, while it's still wet, add Tan Lines, a beautiful bronze shadow from Fusion of Color, to a flat, wide eye shadow brush. Carefully blink your wet lashes into the mascara and voila! Noticeably tan lashes that beam bronze. Try it!


Want to add the appearance of diamonds to the end of your lashes? Save thousands and use Tarina Tarantino's Sparklecity Pure instead. You only need a little bit and it looks really pretty. It's like a little surprise for your lashes!


Check out Dalton's Illuminizing Brightening Wand. With a quick swipe of the pointed tip applicator, you can get a gorgeous bit of glow around your eyes! This color isn't quite white and it isn't quite gold. It's more like a peachy/flesh-toned shimmer with a touch of platinum. I swear it changes color a bit once you apply it.

It doesn't really add a color around your eyes, it is more of a pigment that reflects the light to brighten your eyes. It can work as a shadow or as an easy way to add a shimmery rim around your eyes or play up the inner corner. Keep it in your purse to dot above the bow of your lips- it will make your pout stand out. Beauteous!

While not summer specific, I recently picked up Too Faced's Lip Insurance Lip Primer, which actually extends the life of lip gloss to something respectable. Who doesn't want a perfect pout in the summer? This primer extended the life of my gloss up to two hours (from twenty minutes). It couldn't be easier to be lovely and lax at the same time!



My new lip stick obsession is NARS Love Devotion. I went to Sephora one afternoon intent on finding a lip stick color I don't already own (which is nearly impossible). After about an hour, I settled on Love Devotion.


It's a bright mango color that goes on much more sheer than you would anticipate. It looks beautiful and is a nice change from my other summer colors.


Your hands might just show your age more than any other body part. Protect them by swiping on an SPF each morning for protection during your morning drive. Even better, keep something that is affected by heat, like bareMinerals Natural SPF 30 Sunscreen, in the car (or in your purse) at all times. This SPF and brush combo are a quick way to make sure your hands and décolleté can be protected at all times. Remember, no product in the world will do more to prevent aging than a sunscreen!



(Paul & Joe Beauté Eye Gloss in Celestial, swatched. Gorgeous!)


Be sure to pick up Paul and Joe Beaute' Eye Gloss. The Eye Gloss will give your eyes a shimmery gleam that doesn't fade. This goes perfect with a matte bronzer and a deeply-hued glossy lip for a perfect night out after a day at the beach.

Finally, don't forget about two of my favorite face luminizers from Fresh: Twilight and High Noon. Twilight adds a beautiful platinum sheen to your skin and High Noon adds a tranquil golden color. You can't go wrong with either of these (and they smell fantastic!). They are both perfect for a fast, fresh face!


I purchased all of the above products with the exception of Tan Lines by Fusion of Color and the Dalton Brightening Wand, which were sent to me for the purposes of review.

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Eye Cream From the Second Century: Fresh Creme Ancienne Eye Cream

In the winter, my skin is beyond dry and regular readers have heard me complain about this for what seems like forever. The skin around my eyes gets dryer, which results in crinkly, crepe-y looking skin. When I heard about Fresh's Creme Ancienne Eye Cream, inspired by gladiators and monks from the second century, A.D., I was curious to learn more. Here's the back story:

THE STORY OF CRÈME ANCIENNE EYE CREAM Its time-honored formula was inspired by the world’s first emulsion-based cream created by Claude Galen in the 2nd century A.D., who used it to swiftly heal gladiator’s wounds. To preserve Crème Ancienne’s rich history and supreme quality, each jar is hand-blended and hand-filled in a European monastery. The precious waxes that give the cream its rich consistency require this hand-blending to maintain their delicate structures. They have varying melting points, absorbing into the skin and different rates to deliver continuous, long-lasting moisture.

Just thinking of a product that monks painstakingly worked on so long ago and the fact that the basic recipe has survived so long makes me think there might be something to it. (Cue music by Enigma.)

So what ingredients make this time honored recipe so legendary? Meadowseed Foam Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Beeswax, Sugar Apple Seed Extract, Seabuckthorn Berry Oil, Chamomile, Vitamin E and Rosewater help soothe delicate tissue, hydrate skin and fight free radicals with help from antioxidants.

So what did I think of this glamorously tranquil creme? This eye cream is thick. I mean thick. It is almost more like a balm than a creme. It is uber-hydrating (reminds me of the results I got with the old version of Prescriptives Flight Cream) and definitely hydrates the under eye area. I would be a little cautious about using this if you are prone to milia or blemishes. While I am prone to milia and didn't experience any, a creme that is this thick always makes me want to warn people who battle these keratin filled cysts.

This eye creme felt like an extreme luxury. It did plump fine lines temporarily and boost hydration in the area under my skin. A little goes a long way and while this isn't the least expensive eye creme on the market, it will last for quite a long time!

Product was sent to me for the purposes of review.
Photos courtesy of the Monastery of St. John and Fresh

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Runway to Realway: Fun or Flop?

I just watched one of the worst movies I have seen in a long time (I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell). That Logan kid from Gilmore Girls no longer has a high Q rating with me after those 105 miserable minutes. However, all is not lost. While I was pretending to watch that dreck, I was actually surfing the Sephora blog and came across this Runway to Realway makeover.

Pretty, right? At work (I work at an ad agency as a TV producer), I can get away with more daring looks than say, a banker, but still these electric blues and bright reds are a little bright, even for me. According to the site, to make the look toned down enough for us normal people, ditch the red lip for a dusty pink shade and tone down the blues. There aren't great pics of the Realway makeover on their blog, so I decided to wing it.

Before I share my pics with you, be kind. I am no makeup artist, photographer or model, so keep the flaming to polite. Thanks.

I used the following products:

Bobbi Brown Corrector in light bisque
Three Custom Creme Concealer/ Foundation
Go To Work (silvery taupe shadow) by the now semi-defunct She Space
Tahiti Palette from Cargo
Penny Lane Cream Blush from NARS
Fresh Mascara in Firebird and Supernova
Sephora lipliner in Cool Coral
Vis-a-Vis lipstick in Kissed By An Angel




(My lashes are so short they don't even curl. Errgh.)


Thoughts? Would you wear this look on an average Realway day? I am always really self-conscious about wearing a dark shade on the side of my lid near my nose. It makes me feel as if my eyes are too close together and I am trying too hard.


(My bangs are getting really long!)


But I might kind of like this. Thoughts? Is this look fun or a flop?


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Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2010,Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

2009 Favorite Things Countdown #10

As the year comes to an end, I thought it would be fun to look back at some of my favorite products and my favorite adventures from this year. So starting today, here are my 10 favorite products, as well as my favorite experiences from 2010.

I can't be happy (or pleasant to be around) if my lips are dry, let alone chapped. Here's my favorite lip balm from this year.

If you haven't noticed, one of my favorite things to do is to get or give makeovers. They make me feel giddy like a little kid, with all of the possibilities that are, well possible, with a makeover. After the review is one of my favorite makeovers from the year.


Favorite Thing #10: Fresh Sugar Rosé Lip Balm

I know I am starting to sound like a broken record. I have dry skin. The weather changes and it hurts. Blah blah blah. I know that everyone doesn't have the same dry skin issues I do. But for my dry skin sisters out there, here is my latest find.



I first tried Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment last winter and fell in love. It's so soft, nourishing and soothing, it became a staple in purse and on my night stand. Recently, Fresh launched the same Sugar lip treatment in a Rosé tinted formula.



This formula has the same SPF 15 to protect your lips, sugar to keep your lips moisturized, and Meadowfoam and Apricot seed oil that are rich in hydrating fatty acids and vitamin E. It still has antioxidants and Vitamins A and C to help protect from free radicals. This new formula is enhanced with a bright berry hue to give a natural flush to your lips.

I admit, when I first saw this color, I was crestfallen. It looked too bright to be my new go-to product. But when I put it on, I fell in love. It isn't anywhere near as bright as it appears, but is nicely pigmented to give your pout a slight blush. For $22.50, this product is definitely on the expensive side for lip balm. However, you will love how soft your lips feel, especially if you are truly one of my brethren suffering from winter weathered dry skin.

Check it out. I love it!

(Disclaimer: I purchased the original Fresh Sugar Lip Balm and received the Rosé Tinted Lip Balm from the company for the purposes of review.)

Times Square Reader Makeover

Last week I was in NYC shooting a commercial. Robin, one of my loyal readers, realized I was nearby and asked for a makeover. How could the retired makeup artist in me refuse? I couldn't! The event? While I would love to say it was for the 15th anniversary of her bat mitzvah (it was!), she was really meeting her new beau in Times Square to watch the World Series on the jumbo trons. She wanted flawless skin and to make her baby blue eyes pop.


(A before picture of Robin)


As I have mentioned, I spend way too much time in Sephora, and have no problem making myself at home. The first stop? The TEMPTU air brushing station. I sat Robin down, picked the lightest color they make, Porcelain, and began spraying away. After explaining to a customer service assistant that I didn't need help and promised not to break it (or air brush anyone else, despite their queries) Robin had really amazingly flawless skin.


(Illamasqua Sheer Lip Gloss in Tantrum)


Next, I showed Robin the new lip gloss I am obsessed with, Illamasqua Sheer Gloss in Tantrum, a deep violet sheen. This color made her eyes pop and became the muse for her whole look.


(Delight by LORAC)
(Celebutante by LORAC)


We went with bright LORAC eyeshadow; Delight all over the eyelid and Celebutante as a thick, but sheer cat eye liner. Next came a lash-hugging application of Front of the Line by LORAC in black to give her already long lashes a boost. I also gave her eyebrows definition with all my time favorite Auburn Essential Brow Powder, by Bare Escentuals. We finished off her eyes with Bare Escentuals Buxom Mascara, which gave her long lashes some extra oomph in the thickness department.

Robin has a natural pink flush. While camouflaged by the TEMPTU foundation, I didn't want it to show through. Since her eyes were already screaming candy, we went with a slightly more subdued peachy-pink in Coralista by Benefit. Just a tiny bit of color topped off with Flawless Radiance by Bare Escentuals and she looked amazing!



Afterwards, we headed out into the masses to take one last picture and find her friends. Thanks Robin!






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Fresh Sugar Rosé Lip Balm

I know I am starting to sound like a broken record. I have dry skin. The weather changes and it hurts. Blah blah blah. I know that everyone doesn't have the same dry skin issues I do. But for my dry skin sisters out there, here is my latest find.



I first tried Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment last winter and fell in love. It's so soft, nourishing and soothing, it became a staple in purse and on my night stand. Recently, Fresh launched the same Sugar lip treatment in a Rosé tinted formula.



This formula has the same SPF 15 to protect your lips, sugar to keep your lips moisturized, and Meadowfoam and Apricot seed oil that are rich in hydrating fatty acids and vitamin E. It still has antioxidants and Vitamins A and C to help protect from free radicals. This new formula is enhanced with a bright berry hue to give a natural flush to your lips.

I admit, when I first saw this color, I was crestfallen. It looked too bright to be my new go-to product. But when I put it on, I fell in love. It isn't anywhere near as bright as it appears, but is nicely pigmented to give your pout a slight blush. For $22.50, this product is definitely on the expensive side for lip balm. However, you will love how soft your lips feel, especially if you are truly one of my brethren suffering from winter weathered dry skin.

Check it out. I love it!

(Disclaimer: I purchased the original Fresh Sugar Lip Balm and received the Rosé Tinted Lip Balm from the company for the purposes of review.)


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Allure Magazine and Sephora Show Love For Whitney Port's New Collection

Last night at the Times Square Sephora, people were lined up to get a chance to see the new Whitney Eve collection and meet designer Whitney Port, star of The Hills and The City. The collection made its debut at Fashion Week in September and this freshman line has quite a bit of buzz.


Whitney has spent a lot of time and poured a lot of love into creating a collection she is really proud of, from casual pieces to much more structured dresses. The collection can be viewed at Whitney's website and select pieces are for sale on SeenOn!




I got a quick chance to chat with Whitney last night about her line, her makeup and looking amazing on MTV.

Gouldylox Reviews: What is your favorite piece in this collection?
Whitney Port: It would have to be the dress I am wearing. It closed my show at fashion week and I just love it.

GR: People often ask me to find out what products people on TV are wearing. I get a lot of questions about you. First off, you have amazing lashes! Be honest, are they real?
WP: (Laughing) They are all mine! I swear!

GR: Do you have help on the shows to look great? Or is it really up to you to look so fresh and radiant?
WP: We don't have hair and makeup on the show. I do everything. My makeup, my hair. It's all me. Ok, well, sometimes it's one of my best friends. She helps me out a lot.

GR: Your skin always looks amazing - dewy, but not too made up. What is your secret?
WP: I really like to use High Noon by Fresh. It just adds a tiny wash of color and a bit of a beautiful glow. Then I follow up with a little powder from Loreal. Honestly, that's it!


(photos by Abby Coplan)

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Fresh Twilight Freshface Glow

I am on a mission to be radiant and even-toned. I want nothing more than to look as if I am lit from within; I don't want to sparkle, I want to glow. I want to look as if I don't have sun damage and have an ethereal look, ala Kristin Dunst in the Virgin Suicides.
(I know. But a girl has to dream.)




I stumbled upon Fresh's Twilight Freshface Glow in Sephora and couldn't put it down. In all honesty, like tons of minions before me, I picked it up because of the name. Add to the fact my desires listed above and this product had me written all over it.

Fresh suggests that you can use Twilight under or over makeup, alone or as a primer. I haven't tried it as a primer, but I have worn it alone. It imparts a fresh, radiant, not sparkle-y glow, which looks young and dewy. Ahhh. I have also been mixing it with my Laura Geller Tinted Moisturizer which gives you a slightly less dewy finish, but still looks really natural and pretty.

Like many products right now, it does seem to make your skin look a little more on the pale side than on the tan side. I guess vamps are in and so is looking un-tan. Somehow, I think if looking un-tan translates into this, I think this product will sell itself.

I like this. Check it out!



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