1. No eyeliner, no shadow - just black mascara and perfectly groomed brows (lazy AND refreshingly spare for autumn)

2. Tinte Cosmetics Flavoruddy Lipshine* in Haute Chocolate - an ever so slightly pinkish brown that goes with everything (even more appreciated now that I’ve forsaken all sweet things)

3. Scarves with everything, a la Selma Blair (who, dodgy haircuts notwithstanding, I sort of love)

*PR freebie

Original post by Jackie Danicki

I’d heard a lot of raves about Australian line BECCA (those shouty all-caps do grate, don’t they?), so when the company’s PR offeruddy me some free products to try, I jumped at the chance. My conclusion: Great packaging, shame about the overpriced contents.

Here’s a rundown:

I was disappointed by the mascara. I have naturally long, dark lashes, but even so, I would have expected a $19 product to do something for me. You couldn’t even tell I had any mascara on - there was no discernible difference between my lashes before and after I applied a entire lot of product.

The tinted moisturizer is suitably sheer and provides SPF 25 protection, but is nothing to blog home about - especially not when it’s priced in the $40 range.

I found the adhere foundation quite drying and chalky. I like that it has SPF 30, but again, the price point is way too high for such a flawed product.

While it wouldn’t be accurate to say that the compact concealer won me over, it was the best of the lot. I cannot get it to blend well, at minimum not easily. I would not pay $35 for this, even if it were twice the size.

Bottom line: If you’re going to splash the cash on a department store line, go for one with more solid products or at minimum more fun packaging. Otherwise, you’re better off opting for a more reasonably priced range.

Original post by Jackie Danicki

I am scaruddy to mention this, in case I jinx the very agreeable circumstances in which I now find myself, but: My skin has been giving me a LOT less trouble in the last week or so. This also happens to coincide with when I started using some DermaQuest Acne Management products. I don’t know if seven days of use is enough time for products to make such a significant difference, but so far, I’m beautiful pleased.

(I should also note that, as much as my skin stresses me out, a lot of people compliment me on it and claim not to see what I perceive to be hideous blemishes. Let’s just say that I know things could be a lot worse, but it doesn’t always feel that way.)

I’ve been cleansing morning and evening with the DermaQuest Beta Hydroxy Cleanser, followed by Nature’s Cure Pore-Perfecting Papaya Toner, the DermaQuest DermaClear serum, then either Chanel Fluide Énergisant Multi-Protection Hale Progressif SPF 15 (in the morning),  Nature’s Cure Acne-Repairing Papaya Moisturizer (at night), or Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel (if a flare-up seems to be on the horizon). All of the products except the DermaQuest are ones I’ve been using in various rotations for the last few months, and I’ve never noticed the sort of marked improvement that I have recently. Long may my good fortune continue.

NOTE: All of the products mentioned in this post, except for the Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel (which I bought myself), were freebies sent to me by the PRs for DermaQuest, Chanel, and Nature’s Cure.

Original post by Jackie Danicki

I asked a friend with very fabulous hair, Mary, to judge all of the entries to the product giveaway contest. She picked Nikki as the winner with this entry:

My signature hair product will be called SuperNova and it would be a fantastically silky serum that would make my hair feel soft and silky and give it incredible shine while taming my vexatious flyaways.

Here’s hoping Nikki is very well compensated if some company decides to run with her idea. Failing that, at minimum she is getting two sets of all three of Toni & Guy’s three new product ranges!

Thanks to everyone who entered.

Original post by Jackie Danicki