Gwen Stefani for L'Oréal

How did I miss the news that No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani is now a L'Oréal gal? I just saw her commerical on TV and it is fabulous. I love how Gwen Stefani has stayed true to her personal style despite an ever changing music industry and here today gone tomorrow trends.

Gwen is one of the few who gets the platinum blonde  hair and bold red lip right. Christina Aguilera {Reigning Queen of  Platinum Gone Wrong} needs to have her people call Gwen's people so she can get a much needed makeover. I digress.

What do you guys think of her commercial?

Mascara Showdown {Maybelline, Neutrogena, & Rimmel}

Top to bottom: Maybelline Falsies, Rimmel Maxx Volume Flash, Neutrogena Healthy Lengths

There are are probably 500+ mascaras on the market all promising unbelievable lashes that command attention and if you look at the ads you'll be expecting nothing short of Chinese fans for eyelashes. Yeah. We all know that is rarely the case.

My mascara needs are simple; I want lots of volume. There are three mascaras that I have had in heavy rotation for quite some time.

• Maybelline Falsies - Falsies is just okay for me. I'm not getting stopped on the street "Do you have on false lashes?" In my opinion, this is an average masacara that does not live up to the claims in their ad.
• Neutrogena Healthy Lengths - I was very surprised at how well my lashes responded to NHL. A fair amount of volume with a nice lengthening effect. I reach for this on days when I am in a hurry. It's a great mascara to keep close by because you can apply a couple of coats without a lot of technique.
• Rimmel Maxx Volume Flash - Rimmel mascaras have always worked well for me. MVF is the best out of the three. It gives insane volume. I can't wait to see how my lashes look after a few more weeks using Rapid Lash and using MVF.

I rarely repurchase the same mascara but I'm trying to get better at learning what products work for me so that I can cut back on spending. Rimmel Maxx Volume Flash will definitely be a repurchase though.

Oh before I go! Stay tuned to The Stylish Life this week to find out how to win a gift bag filled with some of the products mentioned this week!

Drugstore Gems: Maybelline Eye Studio™ Gel Eyeliner

Hello Lovelies!

I took advantage of the Maybelline makeup sale at CVS two weeks ago. The Eye Studio™ products have been on my radar for awhile but I was waiting for a BOGO free deal or at least a BOGO half price. I had a few Maybelline coupons to use as well.

I purchased the gel eyeliner in Charcoal and I am  loving it! The first drugstore gel eyeliner is a winner. It goes on smooth, the color is intense, it does not run - I applied it at 7 a.m. and it still looked fresh and intact at 5 p.m. Kudos to Maybelline for including the brush ;)  My only criticism is that the brush should be retractable.

Amazing! I love this eyeliner and I want to share the love so I'm giving one away!!!!

Just leave a comment with your favorite beauty or fashion quote by Monday, March 29th. Winner will be chosen at random.

Here's a few of my favorite beauty and fashion quotes:

“The best thing is to look natural, but it takes makeup to look natural.”  ~ Calvin Klein

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." ~ Coco Chanel 

"Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress." ~ Coco Chanel 


For more information:
Maybelline.com

A Life of Style: Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Mascara

Hello Fab Ones!!!! I'm back with a review of Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Mascara. I must preface this review by stating I knew this mascara would give me the desired results (Max Factor and Cover Girl are both owned by Procter & Gamble with Pat McGrath as the Creative Design Director)

Cover Girl mascaras make my eyes burn badly and I knew to expect the same sting with 2000 Calorie Extreme. I'm such a trooper that I suffered through the tears for one day, lol!

The volume was great. My lashes were separated and there was no clumping. Sadly the formula irritates my eyes otherwise this is a pretty good mascara.

A Life of Style: Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington is one of my style icons. I really admire how she always looks so chic and pulled together.

At last Saturday's White House Correspondent’s Dinner, Ms. Washington wore a navy blue gown and her makeup was simply gorgeous.

Here are the L'Oreal products that were used:
*HiP Bright Shadow Duo in Roaring
*Au Currant Color Riche Lipcolour
*Bare Naturale Mascara - Black Brown
*Bare Naturale Blush - Pinched Pink

A Life of Style: The Best & Worst of Wet 'n Wild

I have such fond memories of Wet 'n Wild products. As a pre-teen makeup junkie all my hard earned allowance was spent at my neighborhood Phar-Mor and Cavett drugstores (am I dating myself??? LOL).

I bought Wet 'n Wild lipstick, eye shadow, eye liner, and nail polish. I was too cute and on a major budget. At thirteen years old earning a measly$10 a week for household chores what else could I afford? After I bought my teen mags, Right On! Black Beat, Tiger Beat, and Bop, Wet 'n Wild was my affordable makeup option. That was such a simpler and carefree time in my life.

Read on for the best and worst Wet 'n Wild products according to Total Beauty readers and reviewers.

The Best and Worst Wet n Wild Products

Check out which nail polishes, eye shadows, lipglosses and more our readers love, and, well, love to hate

Buying Wet n Wild is an inexpensive way for us get our beauty fix without hurting our wallets. Heck, half the stuff they sell you could buy with change found in your couch cushions. Check out this guide to what's hot and what's not, and then search those couch cushions or bust open that piggy bank. See products

The Worst: No. 3: Wet n Wild MegaColors Lipstick, $1.99

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 6.4*

It's "just overall really mediocre" they say and feels "icky on ..."

No. 2: Wet n Wild Wild Shine Nail Color, $.99

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 6*

"The finish is just awful-- no smoothness whatsoever, very chunky, streaky and coarse ..."

The Best: No. 9: Wet n Wild Silk Finish Blush Compact, $3.49

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.6*

"The pigmentation is dense-- so a little goes a long way" and "it literally stayed on all day ..."

Want to see the rest of the list? Click here!

A Life of Style: Milani Lip Mixer Color Shine & Shimmer Gloss

Milani Lip Mixer Color Shine & Shimmer Gloss in Lip Mix 702 is a gorgeous gloss.

Inside the tube are three layers - the bottom layer is the conditioning color, the middle layer contains high shine polymers, and the top layer has reflective pearls. Pull the wand through all three layers and you get a pretty mix of color, shine, and glitz.

Lip Mix 702 is the most perfect nude gloss I have come across in a very long time. My local Walgreens had some new beauty displays up today and the Milani just caught my eye. Lip Mixer just looks so sparkly in the tube - it mesmerized me, lol.

I wore it with my MAC Cork Lip Liner and it looked great. You know how some glittery glosses have a slightly rough texture due to the glitter? None of that here. The gloss goes on very smooth and is quite moisturizing.

And after one day of wear, I feel safe in stating, this is now my favorite lip gloss.

You can find Milani Cosmetics at CVS, Walgreens, and Target. It cost $6.29 - a fab gloss at a wallet friendly price ;)

www.milanicosmetics.com

A Life of Style Product Review: Maybelline Shadow Stylist in Casual Brown

Maybelline Shadow Stylist in Casual Brown has taken up residence inside my makeup bag for well over a year. This is a great everyday eye shadow. The color is gorgeous with just a hint of shimmer.

On those mornings when you're a little pressed for time Shadow Stylist is perfect - quick to apply and blend.

A Life of Style: August Product Haul

August was a great month for me in beauty and product purchases. Here's my haul...reviews forthcoming in later blog posts.

• Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps Acrylic
• Too Faced Cosmetics E/S - Sitcom Siren
• Cover Girl Wetslicks Amazemint - No Care Bear and Happy Hour (thanks to Jamie for the Happy Hour)
• Nivea Natural Tone Lotion
• L'Oreal HIP E/S Duos - Cheeky, Showy, Spirited, Gilded
• L'Oreal HIP Cream Shadow Paint - Nervy
• L'Oreal HIP Shine Struck Liquid Lipcolor -Spirited
• Maybelline Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Foundation
• Maybelline Mineral Power Finishing Veil Powder
• Jillian Dempsey for Avon Professional Kohl E/L - Dark Brown, Navy, and Plum
• Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mascara (I just bought this because it was so cute in the package --haven't used it yet)
• Intimately Beckham for Her

A Life of Style Product Review: Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara

I purchased The Colossal Volum' Express mascara from CVS on Monday and I've been testing it out all this week.

This is a WINNER in my book. It gave me lots of volume, doesn't irritate my eyes, hasn't flaked, and best of all NO CLUMPS. The brush is pretty big which I like and I have no problems getting all my lashes with 2 to 3 coats. I wanted this mascara in Glam Black but they were all out so I got Classic Black which seems plenty dark to me. I curl my lashes before applying and I love the volume I get as a result. Colossal Volum' has replaced both my favorite Cover Girl mascaras, Lash Exact and Volume Exact, both of them irritate my eyes something terrible :(

And another major plus about Colossal is that my lashes aren't left hard. I hate mascaras that make your lashes hard and bristle like.

Colossal Volum' was on sale at CVS this week for $4.99 with an instant saving of $2.00 with your Extra Care card and I had a $1.00 Extra Buck coupon so I paid $2.19 with tax. That's my type of beauty buy ;)

Have you tried Colossal Volum'? What did you think of it?

A Life of Style Product Review: Sally Hansen Natural Butter Lip Shine in Fresh

Can you believe I left the house without lip gloss yesterday? I am as shocked as you all are.

I left my lip gloss on the sink after putting it on, totally forgetting to put it in my makeup bag. When I got to work and reached into my bag I had that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Yes. It is that serious.

Thank the Beauty Gods there's a CVS in the lobby of my office building. I was just looking for something to get me through the day so I grabbed a tube of Sally Hansen Natural Butter Lip Shine in Fresh. I had no expectations or prior knowledge of this product at all. I had a $4 Extra Care bucks coupon and the gloss was $5.99, with tax I paid $2.16 and left CVS glossy and happy =)

When I applied it, I was pleasantly surprised. It's super shiny and not sticky. It feels really nice on my lips too. Although Fresh looks pale pink in the tube, it goes on slightly sheer. I think this is a great gloss to keep in your purse at all times.

A Life of Style Product Review: L'Oreal HIP Jelly Balm

Walgreens and CVS have had BOGO sales for the past couple of weeks on L'Oreal HIP products and I have made out like a BANDIT!!!

My new favorite item is L'Oreal Hip Jelly Balm in Plush. Normally I steer clear of potted glosses and balms because I detest having to use my finger to apply. However that issue was solved when I unearthed a VS retractable lip brush during a recent makeup brush count.

I love the consistency of this product. It's not sticky and it doesn't make your lips dry. Plush is a pretty in pink shade with the right amount of pigment and shine. You know how some glosses are just too sheer and you end up with yet another clear lip product? Well Jelly Balm is not like that at all. You can definitely see the color. Don't be freaked out by the brightness in the pot it's not neon bright, lol.

Just apply it with a lip brush and you're all set. This is my favorite lip product right now and I plan to test the other shades out during the next BOGO. I haven't tried the MAC Tendertones because my wallet and MAC are on the outs. I'd like to see how similar Jelly Balm is to the Tendertones but for now L'Oreal HIP is where its at.

Lip Gloss Battle: L'Oreal & Revlon

L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Lip Gloss vs. Revlon ColorStay Mineral Lipglaze

I got Infallible L/G when it first cam out but I'm behind on my reviews...sorry. L’Oreal had me with the words 6 hour lip gloss. I chose #805 Suede which is a very neutral shade. I paired it with my MAC Cork lip liner. The applicator has a weird enlarged triangular shape – not the typical doe foot applicator of most lip glosses. I thought the shape was odd. Upon applying the gloss I didn't like the triangle brush at all. It's just too large. The gloss has decent staying power. It lasted through out my grapefruit and toast breakfast; I was able to drink a Venti White Mocha from Starbucks with barely a trace of the gloss being left on the cup. The six hour claim is an exaggeration and the formula is too dry. My lips felt tight the entire time I was wearing Infallible. This product just didn't do it for me. Definitely won't repurchase.

Yesterday I wandered into Walgreen's during my lunch hour and I saw some new beauty displays. There were a lot of women crowded around the displays so it was hard for me to get a good look at anything. I was also pressed for time so I was only able to get a brief look at Revlon's ColorStay Mineral Lipglaze. I chose Lasting Shimmer (yes...another nude shade but in my defense I didn't have time to study all the shades). Revlon doesn't have Mineral Lipglaze on their site yet. The consistency is like a liquid lipstick and glides on smoothly. The display claims that MLG lasts 8 hours. I can just attest to it lasting well past midnight with only one touch up needed. I'll have to test it for a full eight hours on my next work day. The lipglaze is not drying and the finish is a little more matte. I added a dot of clear lip gloss in the middle of my bottom lip and that gave me just enough shine. I plan to fully investigate the rest of the shades and I'm sure I'll buy more!