The Jersey Shore Blow Out

Confession: Believe it or not, I, yes the founder of BeautySweetSpot herself, used to date guys with blowouts. The stereotypical Jersey Shore type was somewhat my type back in the day... well, not quite Jersey Shore, but I can thank the guidos of Staten Island and Brooklyn for this.

Thanks to The Daily News now men everywhere who inspire to perfect the coif can do just that.  They highlighted a step by step guide on how to get Pauly D.'s blowout from MTV's The Jersey Shore.  He credits his perfectly sculpted do to Joico's Ice Spiker and Got2b Glued Spiking Freeze Spray .  From my experience, having tons of guido and want-to-be guido friends, you can also get the look with AXE Whatever and Hair So Shine (made for African American hair).

It's remarkable to me that Pauly D. is from Rhode Island and not the Jersey Shore and can't even get the fist pump right, making him a want-to-be guido, which makes me sick and so does the show.  I've grown up loving the Jersey Shore life of Belmar and Pt. Pleasant, and yes, even the guidos that come with it, but this show is repulsive.  

What are your thoughts of MTV's Jersey Shore?  Check Pauly D.'s video below.

 

Introducing Michael Todd Cosmetics

When Michael Todd, a professional actor and model met the founder of Scunci, Lewis Hendler, on a photo shoot their creative minds began to spin and a little over a year later Michael Todd Cosmetics was born.  

"Because of my background in modeling and acting, I was always wearing makeup and unlike most men, I understand what works and what doesn't," Todd explains.  "I wanted to develop something that would work for everyone."

With that goal in mind, he launched an Internet only department store on MichaelToddCosmetics.com, where consumers can choose from over 1,100 different products to find ones that suit their needs.  The site displays a vast array of colors, textures and scents so there's something for everyone.  You can even create your own customized palettes with your favorite lipsticks, blushes, eye shadows and cake eyeliners, making on-the-go touch ups very simple. Unlike other palettes I've seen, this one comes with a full sized mirror so you can actually see what you're doing.

If you're anything like me, you're probably skeptical about purchasing your makeup online without testing the colors on your hands first, but there is a 30 day money back, no questions asked return policy.  I will tell you that I was fortunate enough to sample a ton of the shades (eyeshadows, cake eyeliners, lipsticks and an everything stick) and they're true to the photos.  You can blend them out or deepen them to your liking. 

 

 

Haute Holiday Gifts from Coach

This year, Coach created a Holiday Blog-A-Day feature on their website, highlighting some of the hottest bloggers on the web throughout December and I am honored to be a part of it!    

I have to admit, in the prime of the holiday season you really don't have to look any further than Coach to find something for all of the ladies (and men) on your list.  This year, the brand is expectedly right on trend with crushed metallic bags, jeweled cocktail rings, cashmere lined gloves and of course festive sequined clutches.  

Here are my top finds:

Motorcycle Gloves, $148

Perfect for that girlfriend who's like your sister, or your actual sister, these gloves are biker chic.  Made with Nappa leather and lined with silk, they may not keep her hands super warm, but they're guaranteed to look hot whenever worn.

 

Amanda Satin Cosmetic Case, $88

A quality makeup bag is a great gift to give any woman on your list from your grandmother to a coworker.  It's something everyone needs, but rarely ever invests in for themselves.  The satin fabric is lined with a metallic trim.  Uber luxe!

 

Leopard Sequins Claire, $1,200

This one's for you!  After endlessly putting thought into buying gifts for everyone else, you're allowed to add a guilty pleasure onto your wish list too.  Right? This bag is to die for, made of all sequins with a deep brown leather trim, it's a great size for all of your important belongings.  

 

 

Of course, all of these items are geared towards the women on your shopping list, but like BeautySweetSpot, Coach doesn't leave men out either!  From woven hats, leather gloves and knit scarves, to travel bags and double fold wallets, you can definitely find a nice gift for your man. Check out more of Coach's fabulous holiday gifts here.

Now it's your turn: Post a comment below by telling me which Coach holiday item makes your wish list this year!  I'll also be tweeting from @beautysweetspot about the @coach Holiday Blog-A-Day all weekend.  Join me in discussing your favorite items!

 

Introducing Gabrielle Nicole Designs

I'm very excited to announce, that my favorite jewelry designer, Gabrielle Nicole, who previously only sold out of exclusive boutiques in NY and NJ is now selling her gorge designs online.  

Always having an eye for design and an even sharper eye for fashion, Gabrielle studied the art at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Rhode Island School of Design while building her portfolio.  Currently, she is continuing to pursue her passion by majoring in Jewelry Design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY.  

"What inspires me most in my designs is the possibility of transforming 
ordinary objects into something beautiful. Often the most striking 
pieces consist of simple yet unexpected elements, and that makes all 
the difference," states Gabrielle. "I love using vintage attributes to communicate this idea, and believe in creating pieces that stir emotion and bring attention to the beauty of objects that go unnoticed everyday."

The first piece of Gabrielle Nicole jewelry I purchased were three Vintage Button Bracelets (shown above). I wore them all summer long and on my TV appearance on NBC The 10! Show in Philly and the host even complimented them on air.  You can see the appearance on my YouTube channel.  

In January she's launching more sophisticated, yet trendy styles that include bracelets made of scrunched ribbon intertwined with delicate pearls and textured beads.  Because they're so unique, every time I wear one of her pieces I'm stopped and asked where I got it and who it's by.  Now you know my secret and it's available to all.  Add a piece by Gabrielle Nicole to your holiday wish list!

 

Two Weeks Left to Vote: Man of the Year

Man of the Year voting is still going on for two more weeks!  It's clear that so far John and Bobby D. have been stealing your hearts, but it's still fair game, so may the sexiest man win.  Vote for your fave guy on the poll on my side bar to the left.  You can vote every day until December 31st and BeautySweetSpot's Man of the Year will be crowned on January 1st, 2010. 

Man of the Year will receive an ultimate grooming gift pack loaded with AXE products (yes, the ladies will come running like they do in the commercials). AXE products will include: AXE Instinct Deodorant Body Spray, AXE Instinct Deodorant Stick, AXE Dark Temptation Shower Gel, AXE Detailer, Axe Itch Relief 2 in 1 Cooling Anti-Dandruff Shampoo + Conditioner, AXE Smooth and Sophisticated Look Shine Pomade and the Swiss Army Traveling Toiletry Kit.

Click on the names below to see their full Man of the Week interviews. 

Bobby D.

Stats: 26, single, can't live with out baby powder for "the boys down there."

Paul

Stats: 27, single, loves the compliments he receives on his cologne, some call the scent "heavenly."

Josh

Stats: 25, taken, believes his Curve cologne helps him make a nice entrance into a room.

Tim

Stats: 27, single, avoids razor burn by using the Braun Series 7 self cleaning electric razor.

John

Stats: 29, single, invests in taking care of his skin with Fresh After-Shave Lotion.

Do you know a sexy, successful man who would make a great Man of the Week for 2010?  Send me your nominations!  Email BeautySweetSpot@gmail.com.

Eyelash Extension Gift Giveaway

Attention NYers: Whether you're shopping for your mom, sister or best girl friend, I guarantee you this is a gift she's always dreamed of... longer lashes. Thanks to Wink Eyelash, a popular extension salon located in the heart of NYC, you can make her dreams come true for an affordable price. Tonight, two lucky BeautySweetSpot readers will win $50 gift cards towards a set of lashes!

This holiday season, the salon is offering customized gift cards.  I've been to Wink and they helped make me red carpet ready for the E! segment I did during the Emmys.  A full set of lashes only costs $95 as compared to other salons starting at $300.  

Planning a to hit the city red carpet style for New Years Eve?  You may want to invest in a pair of batters for yourself!  Call 212.594.WINK to inquire about gift cards or make an appointment.   

Win $50 towards eyelash extensions!  Here's how:

  • Follow @BeautySweetSpot and @winkeyelash on Twitter
  • Tonight between the hours of 5:30 and 6:30pm EST I will be Tweeting instructions for the give away
  • The more you participate, the better your chances are of winning
  • The winner will be announced immediately following

Good Luck!

*This is a sponsored post.

Nicole Richie: A Brunette Bombshell

Anyone who knows me knows about my not-so-secret obsession with Nicole Richie. Celeb obsessed?  A bit. Nicole Richie obsessed? Definitely.

The style icon dyed her locks a gorge chocolate brown that compliments her skin tone and accentuates her features.  She went from your typical Hollywood starlette to a jaw dropping bombshell overnight.  Do you agree?  

Grab Bag Gifts Under $30

Holiday shopping for my friends and BFF's is one of my favorite parts of the season.  This year, instead of shopping for everyone and their mother, I was fortunate enough to narrow down my list by participating in a few grab bags and secret Santas.  

Participating in an office grab bag this year?  How about a secret santa with your best friends from college?  To make your shopping a little bit easier, I found some affordable ideas that any diva would appreciate.  Check them out:

Bloom Cosmetics 7 Piece Travel Brush Set, $30, BeautyByBloom

Made with gentle, long lasting hairs, this brush set folds up into a slimline case, making it the perfect size to toss into your purse, suitcase or makeup bag.

 

Origins Peace Offering, $28, Origins

This set includes an on-the-spot tension relief cream, tension-releasing vapor bath and sleep mask, which seems like a simple gift, but relaxation can go a long way.  

 

Essie Deluxe Color Duo, $14, Essie

Two of Essie's best selling nail colors, A-list and Bordeaux, just happen to be two of the hottest colors for the season that compliment all skin tones packaged together.

 

 

Soft Hugwear Deluxe Travel Essential Set, $20, Walmart

Complete with a blanket, neck pillow, eye mask and ear plugs, this set comes in a variety of colors and the softness allows you to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

 

Clinique Shimmering Stripes Powder Blusher, $29.50, Clinique 

The four different violet hues in this multi-tonal powder blend together to create a subtle radiance.

Happy Shopping!

 

Are You Scandalous at the Salon?

Throughout my life and experiences investigating and reporting on the best of everything beauty, I've discovered there are two types of hair salons: those that cater to promiscuous girls and those that encourage their stylists to commit to long term relationships.  

Some of the most well known salons are guilty of turning you into a "hair whore," where bed hopping becomes chair hopping.  The experience is a constant hustle and bustle, because you're always being shuffled around between the different hands of a stylist, colorist, assistant and oh yea... don't forget about the girl who washes your hair.  These salons departmentalize because it enables them to ring the bill higher and makes you tip more (three, sometimes four different people?).  At the end of the day, you're just another number.

Then, like a successful marriage built over time on love and trust, there are the salons who value the relationships they build with their customers and the word "customer" shortly turns into "friend."  They're normally smaller and stylists don't specialize in either cut or color.  Instead, they are experts at both, allowing a full block of their time dedicated to you.  Some don't even have assistants, but if they do, they work as partners and your stylist never leaves your side.  Always looking out for your best interests, they understand not only your hair goals, but show genuine interests in who you are as well.  Ever hear of love at first cut?

Now it's your turn to dish!  Comment below and tell me what you like/dislike about going to the salon?  Are you a promiscuous girl?  It's OK, no one will judge you as long as you have fab hair!

 

 

 

 

Casting Call: Model for Purple Lab on HSN

Huge news!  One of my fave beauty brands, Purple Lab, known for Huge Lips Skinny Hips, their lip gloss hoodia in it, just signed a deal with HSN and Creatrix Karen Robinovitz is searching for a model.  The brand will be showcasing Huge Lips Skinny Hips as well as 5 new double-duty product launches on HSN this February.  Think you have what it takes to be a Purple Lab model?  Listen up.

Go to PurpleLabNYC.com and enter the contest by submitting a photo or video of yourself that best represents who you are and explain why you should be Karen's HSN model.  Be sure to share your entry with your friends to get tons of votes!  The contest ends on February 1st and winner will be announced live on HSN during Purple Lab's debut on February 18th at 9am.  

Check out some of the hottest entries below.  Good luck ladies!

 

Improve Your Beauty Sleep

Think about all of the steps to take to prep your skin before going to bed. Besides the serums and the creams, there's one more extra little thing you can do to protect your skin and hair.... sleep on a satin pillow case.

Unlike cotton, which can absorb the moisture from your skin throughout the night, the silk proteins found in silk pillowcases keep your PH balance in check, allowing your skin to retain moisture while you drift off into your wildest dreams.

I discovered Beautyzzz Natural Silk Pillowcase, $47, which I've been sleeping on since September.  Besides helping out my skin, I like it better than my old cotton pillowcases because it protects my hair from breakage as well.  

BeautySweetSpot readers can receive 20% off the Beautyzzz Natural Silk Pillowcase on www.beautyzzz.com when entering the code SPECIALOFFER09 until December 17th.  

 

Giveaway: Kohl's Gift Cards

Now that the Black Friday madness is over it's time to really get down to business and begin your holiday shopping and two lucky BeautySweetSpot readers are going to win $25 gift cards to Kohl's!  

I have to admit, I don't normally shop at Kohl's, but being that they have Simply Vera by Vera Wang and LC by Lauren Conrad, I was checking out their holiday gift guide over the weekend to see if anything caught my eye and found myself really impressed by their offerings.  

Kohl's can really be a one-stop-shop to get all of your holiday shopping done at affordable prices.  For under $25 you can buy your mom either a cozy pair of Dearfoams Slippers, your roommate an Apt. 9 Thin Gold Sequin Scarf, your little cousin a St. Nicholas Square Initial Cookie Ornament or your bff a silver necklace.  

Win $25 to Kohl's!  Here's how:

  • Follow @BeautySweetSpot on Twitter
  • Tonight between the hours of 7:30 and 8:30pm EST I will be Tweeting instructions for the give away
  • Make sure you use @BeautySweetSpot and the hash tag #giveaway in your tweets
  • The more you participate, the better your chances are of winning
  • The winner will be announced immediately following

Good Luck!

 

Man of the Year Contest

Tis' the season for hot chocolate and even hotter men! After countless weekly interviews seeking out the dirty little secrets behind men's grooming habits and taking peeks into their medicine cabinets I narrowed down the top five according to your comments and feed back.  

Voting starts today on the poll on my side bar to the left and lasts until midnight on December 31st. The Man of the Year will be crowned on January 1st, 2010.  You can vote once per day and check the poll results, so make sure you support your favorite man and encourage your friends to vote too!  The Man of the Year will receive an ultimate grooming gift pack, plus some more surprises.

Now for the nominees... Drum roll please... Click on their names to see their Man of the Week interviews.  May the best man win! 

Bobby D.

Stats: 26, single, can't live with out baby powder for "the boys down there."

Paul

Stats: 27, single, loves the compliments he receives on his cologne, some call the scent "heavenly."

 Josh

Stats: 25, taken, believes his Curve cologne helps him make a nice entrance into a room.

Tim

Stats: 27, single, avoids razor burn by using the Braun Series 7 self cleaning electric razor.

John

Stats: 29, single, invests in taking care of his skin with Fresh After-Shave Lotion.

 

 

 

A Model's Worth

Before heiresses and celebrities became models for fashion and beauty spreads it was the elite models that fashion moguls were desperately seeking after.  In the 90’s the term “super model” was coined for the models with the multi million-dollar endorsements and contracts and essentially became a household name.  

Although Janice Dickinson has proclaimed several times that she is the “worlds first super model”… we all love and respect Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Christy Turlington. Remember George Michael’s “Freedom” music video? 

The Daily Beast reported on how valuable a model is based on how they have branded themselves through multi-year contracts, advertising campaign, runway appearances, and magazine covers.  Just like the rest of us, they are doing the same amount of work but not getting the same amount as they did once upon a time.  Now, it seems as though every type of business is trying to continue their exposure until we’re out of this economic funk with a tight budget.  It seems the fashion industry has been hiring unknown models for the runway and the “valuable” models for their campaign, but I remember there was a time when super models raided the runways, billboards, had their own shows on MTV.

The ten models The Daily Beast has listed with veterans and new comers are today’s equivalent to the super model moguls of the 90s.  But not with as much glitz and glam.  Top models named were Gisele Bundchen, Kate Moss, Miranda Kerr, Daria Werbowy and more.

Do you think actors and actresses should stick to their craft or branch out to represent a beauty or fashion brand just the same as a model?

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