Total Beauty contest for a trip to NYC

Here is a new contest I found at http://www.totalbeauty.com/

TotalBeauty.com and Estée Lauder have teamed up to send one lucky winner for a whirlwind beauty getaway in NYC! Get ready for an expert Estée Lauder makeover, plus a $500 Estée Lauder product gift set, a $500 shopping spree, flight and hotel. And you'll be our special guest in our TotalBeauty.com NYC Beauty Tour 2008!*

How do you enter?

It's easy. Just sign up and become a member of TotalBeauty.com for your first entry. Then every time you write a review, you'll receive even more chances to win!*

http://www.totalbeauty.com/samples_contests/beauty_in_the_city_sweepstakes

Does Heidi Klum ever sleep?

As if modeling, commercials, being a mom and hosting Project Runway wasn't enough, Heidi Klum is now in the skincare business!

She has partnered with Gunthy-Renker and produced In An Instant.

In An Instant by Heidi Klum includes these 5 products:

Gentle Foaming Cleanser: With its rich-foamy texture and hydrating ingredients it removes makeup instantly and maintains skin’s protective moisture barrier without stripping skin of its natural oils.

Intensive Firming Serum: Its peptide technology reduces deep wrinkles, softens the appearance of fine lines and evens skin tone.

Instant Wrinkle Smoother: It instantly plumps fine lines and dramatically diminishes the look of deep vertical lines.

Instant Daily Tinted Moisturizer, SPF 15: It hydrates and protects skin from UVA and UVB rays. Its Smart Indicator shows how much coverage it’s giving.

Instant Warming Scrub: With its skin warming action, it reduces pore size and dramatically resurfaces skin.

A 30 day supply retails for $29.95. Currently, at InAnInstant.com, with your kit order, you will receive Intensive Eye Treatment, for a total of 6 products. But be careful -they will be auto sign you up for a club that will send you new product every 30 days.

http://www.inaninstant.com/

What just happened?

L'Oreal RevitaLift Radiant Smoothing Cream Cleanser

There is one thing to say about this product - huh? This stuff is so smooth, soft and pleasant smelling that you don't even realize that you just washed your face. Seriously, I have never used a cleanser that I felt so completely speechless about. I am usually complaining about the smell, the taste, the after burn or the consistency. Well, this is truly a non-controversial product. I don't have a bad thing to say about it! I bought it because it came with free cleansing wipes (see previous review) and couldn't be happier. I will continue to use it until it's gone and then decide if I will buy some more.

After using it for a week, my face has not broken out. I would be cautious if you have acne prone skin. I have listed the ingredients below so you can judge for yourself if this product would be right for you.

I think I will be trying the moisturizer next!

Here are the ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Coco Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylparaben, Citronellol, Ethylparaben, Glycol Distearate, Isobutylparaben, Linalool, Methylparaben, PEG 14M, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium 7, Propylparaben, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance (Parfum)

-With revitalizing vitamin C & gentle exfoliation action
-Dermatologist tested for gentleness
-All skin types

More Super Skinny News

Last week I reviewed Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum. This week I found another one I love from that line! It is the Super Skinny daily treatment.

This conditioner has the perfect consistency and smells great too. I left it on for a few minutes and after I rinsed, my hair still felt smooth (but not thin). After I combed my hair and let it air dry a bit, it actually still felt soft but with a certain thickness. It felt like I had a smoothing product already in my hair. It is hard to explain, but I will compare it to the conditioners you get in a box of hair color. After using those, your hair is so soft that it feels thin and if you dried it, it would not hold a curl. With this product, my hair actually felt thicker and healthier.

I don't know if I would recommend this product to those with oily hair. I think it has too many oily ingredients in it and would weigh down that hair type. With my thick, course hair it worked great.

Thanks Paul!

I am SO HIP Finally!

Ok- I am not really hip and probably never will be. But this new L'Oreal H I P pure pigment shadow stick will make you feel hipper!

I have to admit, I tried to apply this as a eyeliner and could barely get it to go on. Then I read the instructions and it said to wet it for a more dramatic look. Drama- yes, that is me! So I wet the little thing and that was the trick! It smoothed on perfectly as an eyeliner (be careful, it goes on thick) and then smudged it a bit with my finger. It looked great and stayed put all day. I was totally sporting Gwyneth smoldering eyes.

The directions also suggest applying it after using the L'Oreal dual sharpener. I will definitely invest in one of these since I loved this stuff.

I bought it in the color "Majestic" which has a lot of purple tones. With mauve being such a trendy color this fall, I will get lots of use from this shade. I will be buying more in other colors very soon so I can experiment.

Who doesn't need a little H I P in their life???

Cleansing Wipes - Are you sure?

L'Oreal Revitalift Radiant Smoothing Wet Cleansing Towelettes

I just can't resist a deal! When I saw a special "buy one cleansing lotion and get wipes free" I just couldn't pass it up. I love my Neutrogena wipes and my MAC wipes but thought I would give these a try. Afterall, they were free.

They didn't quite live up to...well, anything! They are soft and smell fresh but simply don't remove makeup that well. They also contain a lot of lotion because when you rub your face, you rub and rub and nothing happens. You are simply smoothing your face with lotion and not really cleaning it. They did not remove my Covergirl Colorstay at all. I had to add an additional makeup remover to the wipe to get my lipstick off. That is simply not acceptable. These wipes are supposed to be a convenience - not a nuisance!

Well, they do smell good and they are actually refreshing. Now I am not sure what to use them for. They are too greasy to use on my hands as hand wipes and too nice to throw away.

Sorry L'Oreal. I really love your products but this one didn't live up to it's expectations.

You don't get Moody Maria by Email?

What are you waiting for? It's so easy! Just fill in your email address and they will send you a confirmation to make sure you really want to receive it. You click on the link and that's it. No fuss, no cost, no adding private information. And you will receive this blog in newsletter form within days. I will send you an update every few days. As a bonus, you will be eligible for more entries into future contests, be sent new flash emails and be in on SECRET contests!

Easy as one, two, three! Just fill in the feedblitz form to the right.

One reader did and here is what she said, "Jean, I love my feedblitz. So easy and convenient!"

*current feedblitz subscribers are entered into the MAC contest automatically and receive an additional entry if they leave a comment

Sephora Super Secret Sale today only!

ÔSCILLATION - Vibrating Infinite Powermascara

What it is: The first vibrating powermascara by Lancôme.

What it does: This revolutionary mascara provides 7000 oscillations per minute for ultimate lash transformation. Press the button and experience a breakthrough sensation in application. In one easy new gesture, let the vibrating brush combined with an exquisitely smooth formula wrap every lash up to 360 degrees.

What else you need to know:With ÔSCILLATION Vibrating Infinite Powermascara, your lashes will instantly appear ultimately extended, exceptionally separated, and spectacularly multiplied in number.

LIMITED FIRST-EDITION ONE-DAY SALE ON SEPHORA.COM--July 31, 2008.For this premiere a limited quantity will be available while supplies last. If you've missed this sneak preview, please sign up below and we'll notify you of the Lancôme mascara revolution in December 2008.

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P220111&cm_mmc=email+ret-_-news1+20080731-_-bi+hpk-_-lanc+oscillmasc&dicid=357208:14126877012:4791394

Oscar is no Jonathan!!

Jonathan Antin

Ok, for those of you who don't know, I love Jonathan products. I love DIRT by Jonathan. I should have know better than to stray from Johnny.

Recently, I got talked into buying a pomade by some cute Sephora sales guy. His hair was so modern and hip, he used a flat-iron for goodness sakes! How could this guy be wrong? It's called commission I believe. The product he talked me into buying was Oscar Blandi Tocco Finale Sculpting Pomade.

My friend Carol tried it first. The first day she came to work with flat hair. Second day, oily hair. Third day she came in with out of control hair! I begged her to give me the product and allow the expert to try it. I assured her that she didn't know how to use pomade and she needed a hair cut and something else I can't remember. Let's just say she didn't talk to me the rest of the day.

So, little Miss Moody tried it and ......bad hair day. Ok, it must just be the humidity. It can't be that this very expensive pomade didn't work! Well, after 4 days of giving it a try, I realized the product wasn't that good and we were out of luck. So much for trusting boys who use flat irons.

Skip the Oscar aisle at Sephora and head straight to Jonathan. He won't let you down. Oh, and sorry Carol. I owe you a pomade.

According to the website:

This oil-free sculpting mud adds shape, definition, and texture to any style. Formulated with herbal extracts, minerals, wheat proteins, and sea algae, this weightless pomade not only functions as a styling aid, but also will sculpt your hair back to good health. It's the perfect tool to mold your hairstyle into a sexy, tousled masterpiece.

I'm Super Skinny thanks to Paul

Paul Mitchell that is! I have just tried the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum and I am loving it! It smells great, comes with a great pump dispenser to prevent messes and it is just the right consistency. The product is not too greasy and leaves your hair feeling light and not weighed down. It is a great frizz control product. I bought the $5.25 sample size and I think it will last me awhile. At this price, it is much better than the drugstore brands you might be tempted to purchase.

Go ahead, run to your local salon and get skinny too!

Metallic Eyes are on their Way

If you have checked out the latest fashion magazines, you may have noticed that metallic eye makeup is up and coming! One of the newest lines is from Bobbi Brown.

Introducing their new metallic eye shadow. It has high-shimmer and high-pigment and creates a sexy and sophisticated look. It was recently awarded "best eye shadow" by Self magazine.

The shadow comes in a broad range of pastel to bold shades. The formula applies smoothly and evenly and stays crease free for long-lasting wear. Another Bobbi Brown winner!

Avon's Weapon against Color Fade

Avon makes this great weekly deep conditioner called ADVANCE TECHNIQUES Color Protection Restorative Mask for Color-Treated Hair. It goes on smoothly and is not goopy like other deep conditioners and smells great. It leaves hair soft and manageable. According to their website, it should leave color in 5X longer if you combine it with their shampoo and conditioner. Next I will review those products!

It is on sale right now for $4.99 too. Can't beat the price!

Eyeliner Disaster

Why is it so difficult to find an eyeliner that works well and stays on all day? I recently tried Maybelline Unstoppable eyeliner and was rather disappointed.

The eyeliner went on poorly and it had smudged by about 10am. After fixing it in the mirror, a few hours later it had smeared some more. By the time I got home at night, my eyes looked red from all of the rubbing and most of the eyeliner was off and smeared. I would not recommend this eyeliner for anyone unless you are using it on Halloween night!

I would love to hear about the one you love. Leave a comment with your favorite type or brand.

Scrub a Dub-Dub

There are so many choices out there for daily scrubs and I have tried many! I wanted to mention this one because it had great reviews from Instyle magazine.

This scrub is gentle and does not have a lot of fragrance. It is fairly good for sensitive skin but I would try using it 2-3 times a week at first. It can be found at any drugstore or Target.

Love this Nail Polish

I have always been a fan of OPI but I recently tried Essie and loved it! I found a color I loved - Mademoiselle. The color was natural with just a hint of pink. The polish stayed on all week and did not chip. It turns out it is an Allure Best of Beauty Award winner. Here are some of the others that won in the nail category:

Nail Polish
Essie Nail Polish in Mademoiselle
essie.com

Essie Nail Polish in Really Red

Lippmann Collection Nail Color in Hit Me With Your Best Shot
nordstrom.com, beauty.com, lippmanncollection.com

Cuticle Cream
Creative Nail Design SolarBalm
creativenail.com

Nail-Polish Remover
Cutex Essential Care Advanced One Step Nail Polish Remover Pads
CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Wal-Mart; drugstore.com

OPI Nail Lacquer in Cajun Shrimp
opi.com

Rescue Beauty Lounge Nail Polish in Sheer Nude
rescuebeauty.com

Yves Saint Laurent Long-Lasting Nail Lacquer in Black Tulip
neimanmarcus.com

Basecoat
OPI ChipSkip Nail Lacquer Chip Preventor
opi.com

Topcoat
Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Diamond Shine Base + Top Coat
Walgreens, Duane Reade; cvs.com