Once again, MAC surprises me! After the debut of both “Naturally” and the liquid-like metal eyeshadows from their “Metal-X” collection, the 77-Mineral Complex that made Mineralize makeup so good for your skin debuts as a skincare collection!

This new collection features MAC’s  ionized Super-Duo Charged Water technology, a nourishing regime to cleanse, hydrate, condition and recharge the skin. The entire 5 piece collection includes a Mineralize Charged Cleanser for $ 23.00, MAC Mineralized Charged Water Moisture Gel for $ 37.00, MAC Mineralized Charged Water Moisture Eye $ 35.00, MAC Mineralize Charged Water & Body for $ 32.00 and MAC “Mineralize” Charged water for $ 22.00.

These products make my skin feel refreshed, hydrated and supple. Barely a scent to any of these products, you concentrate on the cool feeling and instant hydration of the skin upon application. I reviewed and did a makeover with their Semi-Precious and now I’m looking forward to using both this new skincare line as well as the makeup as my beauty   regimen.  The line can be found at MAC counters or online at www.maccosmetics.com.

So tell us, what do you think about the line?  Will you be hauling it home?  Leave a comment below to let us know.

- Nicole Gordon Levine

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This product is great as it was designed for a no mistake application. I was able to make both a thin line that didn’t feather in the inner corners of my eyes and also make a thicker lash line that created the illusion of a fuller lash.

It’s not often that you find a brush format that can do this. All you do is pull up the top for the brush, flip and click it in…and then dip it into the inkwell.  I have a lot of favorite gel liners, pencils, etc. and now I am adding these two to my list.  See my video demo of the Black shade below:

Available for $ 33.00 for both Black and Purple these inkwell products were designed to make the lining of your eyes super easy.

The super looking “inkwell” is used just as you’d think and there is a great bar code on the side of the product you can scan with you smart phone for  a demonstration by Laura herself or you can go to the Laura Geller You Tube channel. And below is my video review of the Purple shade:

If you follow me on twitter, you would know that I became addicted to the purple which was a color I did not normally wear. After getting so many compliments on how it brought out the hazel tone in my eyes, I continued to wear it almost every day thereafter. I am all for trying new products and liked the ease of this liner. It stays on for hours upon hours until you are ready to wash it off. I have always been a fan of Laura Geller’s so I did expect a great product when I received these to sample. A great product I got indeed. Two in fact!

I am hoping Laura Geller will come out with other hues such as a deep topaz, espresso brown, etc. in the future so I can have those, too!  As mentioned, this product retails for $33.00 and can be found on LauraGeller.com.

GIVEAWAY: But we are giving away FREE samples in an exclusive promotion HERE.

Happy New Year to all of our BeautyStat readers and fans!

- Nicole Gordon Levine

Now, don’t miss out on any of our fabulous giveaways and contests by signing up for our newsletter HERE.

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Richard Anderson, Founder of Perfekt Beauty

Richard welcomed me and began to tell me how the line got started. He told me that Perfekt ® is the number # 2 selling product in Henri Bendel. And to me, that says a lot given how many great beauty lines they carry there. He then confessed that he was wearing the products in the line and given how great his skin looked, I had to know more.

It started back in 2005 with the creation of a moisturizer-primer -foundation in-one called the skin perfection gel. Available in four shades, I could not believe the texture of this product and how well it blended into my skin.

It resembled paint after I had taken it with my palette knife in art class with a paste like look but felt creamy and light like a soufflé.  The color seemed so dark when the dollop was on my hand yet it quickly, via patting and not rubbing, became invisible to the eye.

What I liked even better was that all ethnicities are covered within the four shades available. I saw it first hand and I kid you not, this product absorbs into your skin within a few pats (which Richard has deemed the “Perfekt Application Technique”). It also has alpha lipoic acid and vitamins A and E to help tighten and nourish the skin at the same time. Richard repeated that his line does not want to cover your skin but wants to prefekt the skin. “Skin is in” and he truly believes the number one complaint from women was that they did not want to buy a primer, foundation, powder, etc. so he created his line to embody all of these necessities into just one product. Available in two shades (golden and tan) for $ 48.00 at Sephora locations nationwide, Henri Bendel, QVC, Fred Segal, Sephora.com and www.perfektbeauty.com.

If you are looking for a natural, non transferable looking glow that applies without any streaks or orange tones, the body perfection gel is for you. I am fair and I loved using the color “exotic” as it has a glimmer (glitter/shimmer) to it and applies as smoothly as any moisturizer I have used before. It also contains hyaluronic micropsheres, ceramides and shea butter. No funky you-just-got-spray-tanned smell here. No oompa loompa orange tones either. Natural glowing skin only. Body perfection gel is available in four shades (brilliant, golden, exotic and tan) for $ 48.00 at select Sephora locations nationwide, Henri Bendel, QVC, Fred Segal, Sephora.com and Perfektbeauty.com.

The eye perfection gel has cucumber extract which is soothing to the skin along with alpha lipoc acid, peptides and both Vitamins A and E. The applicator is soothing just by itself as it remains cool to the skin. It has the same consistency as the other products yet you feel the cooling effect when applied to the eye area. It is to be patted the full 360 on the orbital sphere. Available in three shades (bright, refreshed and vibrant). It retails for $45.00.

The cheek perfection gel can be applied onto the apple of the cheeks by gently patting a dot of color and blending with the palm of your hands. Caffeine serves as a natural antioxidant in this product and boosts circulation while toning and smoothing your skin’s natural texture. Available in two shades (blushed and bronzed) for $ 28.00 at Sephora (US locations), Henri Bendel, Fred Segal in Santa Monica, Apothia Fred Segal in Melrose as well as www.perfektbeauty.com.

The brow perfection gel glides on like a mascara for your brows and sets them in place too. Non fussy or flaky, once again the product feels delightful to the touch. Available in four shades (nude, champagne, caramel and espresso) for $ 22.00 at select Sephora locations nationwide, Sephora.com and Perfektbeauty.com.

Nicole wearing the lip shade called Hollywood

Launching in April are the five shades of the lip perfection gel line. The applicator itself reminded me of Exude, and the gel lipstick/gloss comes out in a proper amount and covers the lips evenly. I liked Hollywood and put it on right away. Each of the6  shades are named after the streets of LA( fountain, vine, Hollywood, Melrose, paramount and sunset) and are $28.00 each. Once they launch, you will be able to purchase them at Sephora (US locations), Henri Bendel, Fred Segal in Santa Monica , Apothia Fred Segal in Melrose, www.perfektbeauty.com and QVC beginning Spring 2012. Harvey Nichols in the U.K. will also carry these as well as Sephora in Canada.

It has been said that Reese Witherspoon, Blake Lively, Victoria and David Beckham, Terry Hatcher among other well known celebs are fans and I can certainly see why. I am off to Sephora to buy some more products as last minute holiday gifts!

For more information, visit their newly designed website  www.perfektbeauty.com or join the conversation on Facebook at per-fekt beauty and Twitter @perfektbeauty. For valuable tutorials check out perfektbeautyinc’s Channel on YouTube.

So tell us, would you give this line a try to make your skin look perfekt? Leave a comment below to let us know.

- Nicole Gordon Levine

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And now, second makeup competition has come to an end!

You voted, and below are our 2 winners (click on the images to enlarge):

1) Full Face with makeup: this includes lips, foundation, eye shadow…the works.

And the winner is:

Lauren below:

For this look, Lauren says “Here is my spring look! I am loving the bright neon colors that are in this Spring, so I wanted to keep my eyes pretty monochromatic but of course glamorous with big lashes. Then I focused color on my lips with this hot pink matte look.”  Lauren used Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Face Primer, Almay pure blends foundation in neutral, DiorShow Airflash Foundation, Physician’s Formula Healthy Bronzer in Medium, Auraline Beauty pink blush from Natural Palette
MAC Brow Shader in Walnut, MAC Brow gel in clear, NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Custom Compact for Brown Eyes and Green Eyes, MAC Paint Pot eyeliner in Black, False Lashes from Forever21, NYC New York Color ShowTime Volumizing Mascara, MAC LipErase, Auraline Beauty Lip Liner in Candy

2) Eyes Only (creativity and artistry encouraged).

And the winner is …

Amy below:

For this look, Amy says “A look I did using all Beauty From The Earth minerals. My inspiration was a beautiful island sunset!”

Congratulations ladies!   This was a very close race.  You can see all the finalists that participated HERE.

Stay tuned for our next contest …. it’s all about HAIR.  We’re looking your hottest hairstyle or cut for Spring.  Feel free to submit your hair pics now at HAIRCONTEST@BEAUTYSTAT.COM.

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Check out Yona’s in depth review below.

SEPHORA SUPREME CLEANSING FOAM

Another in the new, well-priced Sephora skin care line, this light, foamy cleanser ($15) is paraben-free, and is designed for use on all sorts of make-up, including eye make-up, even the water proof variety.

Although the directions said to use it on dry skin, I used it in the shower, which is where I like to take off my make-up and cleanse my skin.  I liked the foamy, fluffy texture, and felt it did a good job cleaning my skin without drying it out.  But I did not feel it did an exceptional job removing eye make-up, always a tougher task in the clean-up department.  I ended up with smear of the day’s eye pencil below my eyes, and traces of shadow still on my eyes; the product did not get everything.  So in subsequent uses, I applied a targeted eye-make-up remover first and then the Sephora Cleansing Foam did an excellent job of dealing with the residue.

SEPHORA DOUBLE DUTY EXFOLIATOR AND MASK

When I first squeezed this exfoliator/mask onto my skin, I was skeptical.  It was very coarse and grainy when I applied it, and I was not keen to leave it on my face for the five minutes indicated in the directions.  But in the spirit of experimentation, I set the timer and let the product do its thing. Interestingly enough, in the mere space of those five minutes, the product had both dried and seemingly been absorbed into my skin; it now was a thin white layer, hardly grainy at all.

I washed it off in the shower and found that it came off easily; some scrubs are tough to remove, and you feel the grit hours later.  Not this one.  Even better was how it left my skin: impossibly silky and smooth, with none of that typical dryness associated with scrubs of this kind.  I almost felt I could skip the moisturizer. (Though I didn’t.)

The next day, my skin felt and looked great.  Sephora recommends using the product once a week. Sold! I plan to make it part of my regular skin care regime.

SEPHORA INSTANT DEPUFFING ROLL-ON GEL

I suffer from puffy eyes most mornings, and so I am forever hunting for new products to deal with the problem. I had high hopes for Sephora’s new roll-on gel; unlike some of the other roll-ons I have tried, this one boasts three small metal balls rather than a single large one. The tri-part structure seemed well-suited to giving a better, more thorough massage to the delicate under eye area and this in fact was true—it felt great when it was rolled on. Also, the gel felt cool and smooth when applied—a real a.m. pick-me-up, even before the coffee.

But alas, the results were less than I had hoped for.  I did not find the gel had any effect on those pesky, morning puffs.  Even several minutes later, the area looked the same as it had before the product had been applied.  I was disappointed because the gel felt so good going on; I wanted it to perform well too.  Unfortunately, this was not the case.

SEPHORA INSTANT MOISTURIZER

I am forever on the look out for the perfect moisturizer; it’s a kind of quest, like the search for the perfect red lipstick.  So while I approach every new product with a mixture of hope and skepticism, I must say I was very pleased with Sephora’s newly introduced Instant Moisturizer.

This is a product designed to be used day/night, but since I always use a cream with a high SPF during the day, I used it only at night, for several nights running.  I loved this product!  The smell is light, fresh and vaguely sugary; the texture is whipped and creamy. I felt like I was putting marshmallow fluff on my skin, which in my view is not a bad thing at all.

But smell and texture, though yummy, are not everything. What I liked even more was the excellent absorption of this cream. Many creams that look/feel/smell good seem like they are not penetrating at all.  In the morning, you wake up with a layer of cream on your face, virtually intact from the application the night before.  Not so with this cream.  It was almost entirely absorbed in the morning, and best of all, my skin felt fresh, dewy and younger, all significant benefits.

I also want to say a word about price. Sephora’s Instant Moisturizer costs a very modest $20.  If you are at all familiar with the world of moisturizers, you’ll know this is nothing!  Even products sold at mass market retailers like Rite Aid, Duane Reade and CVS can cost anywhere between $50-$75.  And high end brands like La Mer go for $250 a pop.  I cannot vouch for the results offered by such expensive creams because I have not used them.  But I cannot imagine a better cream than the Sephora Instant Moisturizer, and its cost is a mere fraction of the others.

Sephora Instant Moisturizer is my new go-to cream; it’s on my must-have list.  Now if I could only I could find that perfect red lipstick, I’d be set!

So tell us, will you be  hauling home this skincare line when you make your next trip to Sephora?  Leave a comment below to be added to our weekly newsletter.  You will get tons of chances to win free skincare samples.

- Yona McDonough

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The company states that in testing, 85% of consumers saw length improvement. For lavishly long and perfectly defined lashes, this lengthening formula visibly lifts for clump-free, lash-by-lash definition. Ophthalmologist-tested.

Well, that sounds great but we had to see for ourselves.  We gave it to our expert product evaluator, Antonella, and this is what she said.

“I remember using Wet n Wild when I was 13 years old. It was the first cosmetic brand I ever used. It feels like yesterday. I liked this mascara because it didn’t clump or flake, and it gave a more soft and natural lash look.”

Click on the photo below to ENLARGE and see the before and after up close.

This mascara retails for around $2.99.  At that price and those results, what’s better than that?

Leave a comment below telling us what your go-to mascara is.  By leaving a comment, you will be subscribing to our weekly newsletter where you will be eligible to win tons of free beauty product samples.  If you like this post, give it a LIKE on Facebook.

As for the eye cream itself, it went on rich and creamy, always a plus for that delicate under-eye zone.  But after six days of use, I did not notice any change in my dark circles, which are quite stubborn.  Perhaps it takes longer to have an effect; I’m not sure about this so I plan to continue using it. Right now,  though, the jury is still out.

- Yona McDonough

Plus, check out our review of Kate Somerville’s ExfoliKate Acne Treatment and SPF 55 Serum.

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Arbonne introduces the newly-reformulated Triple Action Mascara that now contains peptides, goji berry, algae extract along with other botanicals that work to hydrate and condition the lashes.

The company says the new formula delivers thick, long and defined lashes, while resisting smudging.

We needed to confirm this for ourselves, so we gave it to our expert product evaluator, Antonella, so that she can test drive it.

The mascara itself is definitely lengthening, and it thickened the lashes (as you can see, the right hand lashes are thicker). For $30, we think it’s definitely a steep price to pay for a mascara. We can think of several others that retail for far less that get the job done.

But, that said, we love the brand stays true to its roots when it comes to eco-friendly formulations. What do you personally love about Arbonne’s mascaras? Will you be hauling this product home anytime soon?

To read about our latest recommendations from Arbonne’s for Earth Month, click here.

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Our second makeup competition is on!

We picked finalist based on the 2 categories below:

1) Full Face with makeup: this includes lips, foundation, eye shadow…the works.

2) Eyes Only (creativity and artistry encouraged).

We narrowed down the field by picking those who went for a Spring feel yet made it uniquely their own.

Okay, ready?  ………………………………. Below are the finalists! and click on the images to ENLARGE.

CATEGORY 1:  FULL FACE

Vote for Emily below.

Emily used: Lancome Ageless Mineral powder foundation, Bobbi Brown colour correcting concealer, Lancome Dual finish powder, Lancome Le crayon eye brow pencil in ‘Taupe’
Maybelline Eye shadow in ‘Silken Taupe’, Lancome Artliner, Lancome Hypnose Mascara in 01 black (waterproof), Mac Lipstick in ( Up The Amp)

Vote for Cherise below:

For Cherise’s “frosty eyes” look, she used Espresso eye shadow, Groundwork Paint Pot, Blanc Type eye shadow, Brun eye shadow, Carbon eye shadow, Dazzlelight eye shadow, Blacktrack Fluidline Eye liner gel, Smolder eye khol pencil, Peachtwist Sheertone Shimmer Blush, Extras…False lashes (#36), Duo Adhesive, Studio Fix Foundation, Mineralize Skinfinish Powder (over top of the foundation)
All MAC products

Vote for Nicole below:

To get this look, Nicole says “I LOVE Bare Escentuals Make-up, I swear by it! In both pictures I am wearing BE foundation and eyelid primers, BE Foundation, concealer, warmth and mineral veil. My eyes are done with BE eye shadows and Almay eyeliner and mascara.”

Vote for Chamallie below:

For this look, Chamallie says “For me Pinks and Lavenders are what spring is all about. I wanted to do something youthful, fresh and sophisticated at the same time. This is a look I’d rock having lunch in Miami with my girls on a perfect spring day.”

Vote for Torrie below:

For this look, Torrie says “It’s a fresh spring look with a warm glow!”  Torrie is wearing MAC studio sculpt in NC45, MAC mineralize skin finish in dark, Lorac bronzer, MAC blush in Ambering Rose, Dior Show Mascara in black, Urban Decay eye shadow in scratch, NYX eye shadow in champagne, Mark eye liner in cleo, and MAC eye liner in black track.

Vote for Jessica below:

For this look, Jessica says “I was going for a modern retro pin-up look with a (pink) spring twist”. She used black radiance complexion perfection shine control primer, e.l.f. clarifying pressed powder ‘spice’
l’oreal touch on colour ‘get down plum’, black liquid liner, rimmel london eyeshadow quad ‘smokey noir’, e.l.f. eyeshadow ‘wild wheat’, marykay eyeshadow ‘sugarplum’, lancome hypnose mascara ‘deep black’, jordana easy liner for lips ‘silver lilac’, e.l.f. lipstick ‘gypsy’, nyc liquid lipshine ‘fashion ave fuchsia’

Vote for Magali below:

For this look, Magali used:  foundation: black opal rich caramel, eyes: HIP l’oreal, lipstick: revelon, lipgloss: iman honey

Vote for Connie below:

For this look, Connie says “I went for the popular bold red orange lip with Mac’s Morange lipstick.  I’m also wearing cover girl lash blast volume, missha perfect cover m bb cream, and elf healthy glow bronzer in luminate”.

Vote for Katisha below:

For this look, Katisha says “this is what i call my signature look. i love a bold lip (usually hot pink, my fav color) and glowing skin. Not to mention i’m on trend since bold lips and cheeks are in for the spring!!!”

Vote for Mahogany below:

Vote for Lauren below:

For this look, Lauren says “Here is my spring look! I am loving the bright neon colors that are in this Spring, so I wanted to keep my eyes pretty monochromatic but of course glamorous with big lashes. Then I focused color on my lips with this hot pink matte look.”  Lauren used Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Face Primer, Almay pure blends foundation in neutral, DiorShow Airflash Foundation, Physician’s Formula Healthy Bronzer in Medium, Auraline Beauty pink blush from Natural Palette
MAC Brow Shader in Walnut, MAC Brow gel in clear, NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Custom Compact for Brown Eyes and Green Eyes, MAC Paint Pot eyeliner in Black, False Lashes from Forever21, NYC New York Color ShowTime Volumizing Mascara, MAC LipErase, Auraline Beauty Lip Liner in Candy

CATEGORY 2:  EYES

Vote for Avi below:

For this look, Avi used:  *MAC PROLONGWEAR NC45, *MAC MSF MEDIUM/DEEP, *JESSE’S GIRL EYEDUST “SUNLIT CACTUS”, *L’OREAL HIP IN “PERKY” (ONLY GREEN), *TOO FACED SHADOW INSURANCE CANDLELIGHT, *ELF CLEAR LIPGLOSS, *ELF BLUSH IN BLUSHING ROSE

Vote for Kissable Lips below:

Vote for Leslie below:

Vote for Taneisha below:

For this look, Taneisha says “I  have done a bright purple eye with green Liner on the rim of the eye, all Mac products.  I also have a bronze eye, with cobalt blue liner on the rim, and its Mac products also. I also tried a purple eye with black liner, and blue lepoard spots made with Blue Atlantic e/s/

Vote for Sherry below:

Vote for Amy below:

For this look, Amy says “A look I did using all Beauty From The Earth minerals. My inspiration was a beautiful island sunset!”

Now it’s your time to vote.  Simply post a comment below telling us who you vote for.  Please only vote for 1 person per category.  And you may vote for yourself.

Good luck ladies!  We will be picking a winner by Wednesday, April 13th.

Remember, the winner will receive a beauty hamper worth $300, and the runner up will receive a beauty hamper worth $200.

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So when we got our hands on Mally’s Ginormous mascara, we had to put it the test to see whether it could turn our tiny sparse lashes into gargantuans.  Here is what our expert product evaluator, Antonella, had to say.

This mascara definitely thickened and lengthened my lashes. I’m only wearing the mascara on my left eye, so you can see the difference.  Click on the images below to enlarge.

Here’s another shot with my lashes curled. What a difference!

Well a picture is worth a thousand words, right?  Will you be hauling home this mascara?  Post a comment below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter of hot beauty giveaways and breaking news.

And check out a new mascara that provides a hint of tint to lashes here.

- Antonella

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