New York Fashion Week Kicks Off Today!

Hello Divas!

Did you know positive energy is more powerful than negative energy?  If you don't believe me, just try it!

Today is the official start to New York Fashion Week.  I went two seasons ago and it was exhausting, exhilarating, beautiful and a once in a lifetime event.  Unfortunately, I have to work so I will not be in New York this season. Boo.  However, rest assured Luxetips will bring you the backstage and behind the scenes looks for Fall 2011.

For example, I just received word that ALL of Lancôme's national make-up artist including Daniel Martin will work together for the first time at the Chris Benz show.  Wowza!  Lancôme will showcase all of their new make-up for Fall 2011.  You know I love Lancôme and I can't wait to see the looks they create.

And if you don't know, Chris Benz is a fashion week sensation and is clothes are so creative and amazing.  I can't wait to see his fall line!

Photo Courtesy of Shopbop.com

Stay tuned for detailed beauty and style coverage of New York Fashion Week!

Toodles!

Smashbox Photo Finish Targted Pore & Line Primer: Believe the Hype!

Hello Divas!

Life is so beautiful. Why waste it with negative energy and feelings.  Always channel the negative into the positive.

About 3 months ago, I was given the opportunity to try Smashbox's Photo Finish Targeted Pore & Line Primer.  I have tried other primers that I absoluely love like Laura Geller's Spackle.  Love it!

Smashbox's Photo Finish Targeted Pore and Line Primer creates a truly perfect complexion.  Divas, I promise this primer is magical.  After applying the primer, it truly fills every line and imperfection and creates a smooth and flawless canvas for foundation application.  It is very thick and does not go on as smoothly as other primers I have used, but the results are stunning.  The primer is a bit dry and not as smooth as other primers.  But this particular primer has oil or shine absorbing qualities and I am sure the dry texture helps to reduce oil and shine.  In addition, a little goes a long way.  I only use a fingertip full and spread it evenly on my face.  I wait about 5 minutes and then I apply the rest of my make-up. It is truly fabulous!

Smashbox Cosmetics is known for its primer.  Smashbox primer has repeatedly been voted the #1 primer in the world!  So you know it has to be good!  Smashbox Photo Finish Targeted Pore & Line Primer is available exclusively at Sephora and can be purchased online here.  It retails for $32.

Toodles!

Disclaimer:  This product was provided complimentary for review.  However, my opinion and experience with the product is 100% mine and true.

BECCA Cosmetics: Gorgeous Beauty!

Hello Divas!

I am so sorry I have been MIA, but last week was super INTENSE. However God is a miracle worker, and I am thankful!

I have been testing out a new make-up line and I LOVE IT! Have you ever heard of Becca Cosmetics?  Becca Cosmetics is a Australian beauty line started by make-up artist, Rebecca  Morrice Williams.  She created the line to establish the perfect foundation for all skin tones.  Since then, the company has developed a line of beauty products that are gorgeous, multi-faceted and look fabulous on all skin tones.

I was given the opportunity to test out a few standout products from the line.  I was truly blown away by the range of colors and products.  Check them out.

Packaging.

Bombora Palette. This Palette is gorgeous and contains from left to right: Mai Tai lip gloss, Bougainvillea lip and check creme, Mazu highlighting creme, Raffia eyeliner, Sunburst eyeliner.

Brazilian Bronzing Sheen. Ooh la la!

Beach Tint in Raspberry.  The beach tint is used on cheeks and lips. I love multi-use products.

Glossy lip tint in Bellini.  This lip gloss gives crazy shine and it smells like rich caramel. LOVE IT.

What do you think of Becca Cosmetics?  Have you ever used them?  I am loving them so much right now!  I will follow up with some photos of my experience with the products!

Toodles!

Disclaimer:  Becca Cosmetics provided products for review.

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: Cover Girl Eye Enhancers 1 Kit Eyeshadows

Hello Divas!

I hope you are enjoying life and having an awesome day!

I have been using CoverGirl eyeshadows since I was in college.  Why do I love CoverGirl eye shadows?  Well they are affordable, of good quality, and come in a wide range of fabulous colors.  One of my favorite things to do is to roam the CoverGirl section at CVS looking for new eye shadows to try.  CoverGirl now calls them Eye Enhancers because the new formula lasts for hours "bring out the natural beauty of your eyes."   I can attest the shadows do stay put until you clean your face at night.

One of my favorite Eye Enhancers is the color Golden Sunrise.  It is a bronzy peach-orange color and it works perfectly with my skin tone.  This color is usually my eye shadow of choice when I want my eyes to pop!

CoverGirl Eye Enhancers come in mattes, pearls, and sparkly shades.  They glide on smoothly and blend well.  And for only $3.49, you just can't go wrong.  You can purchase CoverG irl Eye Enhancers 1 Kit eye shadows here or at any CVS.

Toodles!

Rockabilly Glam at the MAC Bafta suite 2009

Cult beauty blog contributor Julia Rebaudo headed to the MAC Bafta
suite on Saturday to rub elbows with starlets while having her fear of
lipstick wiped away with a slash of fabulous fuschia lippy. She reports
back to CBB to tell us just how MAC gets girls red carpet ready and,
even better for us desk jockeys, how to take one of their glamorous
looks from day to night. Click read more for Julia's

Drew Barrymore finally finds a look that suits her

To me, Drew Barrymore seems like the sort of woman who just always
looks like a little girl playing dress up with her mum's cosmetics and
jewellery. She never seems to sport looks that really fit her body and
personality, with the blue confection of a dress and the tranny
bouffant on the red carpet recently driving that point home.What must
make it difficult is that she doesn't sit at either end

Traveling with my Family

Hello Divas!

I hope you are having a wonderful day! Now I don't write about traveling or anything of the sort. I leave that to funkidivagirland she is good at it! But Tuesday night I participated in a Girl's Night Out on Twitter! Yes some of us Twitter Divas have a girl's night out every Tuesday night. This past Tuesday the subject was Travel. Specifically where to travel, traveling with kids, roadtrips, international travel, etc. What a fun conversation! All participants were asked to write a travel related post this week..so here goes.

This past weekend the hubby and I packed up the kids to take a roadtrip to Middle Virginia for my good girlfriend's wedding. It was an 8 hour trip and the first roadtrip we have taken with both kids. Luxe son was super excited. Here he is cheesing at 9pm the night we left!

As you can see the car is loaded down with stuff. Stroller, luggage, baby essentials, toys, you name it. Kids come with a lot of stuff!

Luxe baby was more curious about what all the excitement was about. Look at that look!


Unfortunately, I did not have the correct directions so we drove 4 hours out of the way! So my hubby had to get us back on the right track at 4 am in the morning. Not a pleasant experience.

But we arrived at the hotel at 8:30 am the next morning. Long trip. Here is my son after showing off some break dancing moves on the floor.


Of course, we are here for a wedding. I was the amatuer makeup artist for the bride...and here she is:


I used Lancome La Base Pro Primer, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra foundation, Lancome Sun Touched eyeshadow on lid, Lancome Click in the crease, and Iman Sahara on brow bone. And of course Defencil's on her lashes. On her lips I used Mac lip liner in Chesnut and Revlon Lip Palette in Honey Bunch. Cheeks..Nars Exhibit A of course. Very natural but beautiful.

Lastly, some photos of us at the wedding. Me, hubby and luxe son:


The whole family

Luxe Baby!



Unfortunately, I do not have anymore photos because I broke my camera while at the reception. Yikes! But the next morning after the wedding, we enjoyed viewing the beautiful fall leaves, the gorgeous mountains, and bright sun in Middle Virgina. We had breakfast at Biscuitville with friends. Yummmmy! And of course, on the way back we stopped at the Prime Outlet in Gaffney, SC, exit 90 off of Highway 85, and did some serious damage. I picked up several cute items for luxe baby at Carters. Luxe son got some new cargo pants and a cool button down shirt. Hubby came up on a beautiful quilted Ralph Lauren coat that was orginally $400 for only $69! I got a very cute purple sweater dress and jeans from Gap and I very nice slim fit pink polo shirt. We also had dinner at Five Guys Burgers and then back to Atlanta.

All in all it was a good trip. My tip when taking a road trip with kids: travel at night. The kids will sleep through it. When we arrived in VA, they were bright eyed and bushy tailed! No drama! Also be prepared for any possible situation. Pack extra clothes, diapers, baby food, strollers, toys, etc. Wipes are key and most importantly just go with the flow!

Toodles!

Hot Drugstore Find of The Week: Iman's Beauty Success Makeup Kit

Hello Divas!

I hope your Wednesday is lovely! My hot drugstore find of the week is really a Target find at Drugstore Prices! Iman's Beauty Success Kit. This kit is a makeup palette that includes 2 eyeshadows, a blush, a bronzer, two lip glosses, a lip pencil, and mini application tools. The kit also comes with step by step instructions on how to create a great day look for work or school. The colors are amazing and will compliment any skin tone. I first purchased this kit 3 years ago and I purchase a new one every year. I am addicted to the Gem and Sahara eyeshadows. Gem is great color for your crease and Sahara is an awesome brow bone highlighter or you can use it as an eyeliner for a wide eyed look! This kit retails for only $10.99 and you can purchase it online here. Plus $2 from every sale of this kit will go to Dress for Success. Dress for Success is near and dear to my heart. It is a non-profit organization that assists disadvantaged women as they transition into the workforce. Dress for Success helps these women maintain a professional image by providing business attire, coaching, and life skills training. I am a volunteer with Dress for Success through the Junior League and it is by far the most rewarding experiences of my life. Visit Dressforsuccess.org for more information.

Toodles!

Laura Geller Spackle Under Make-Up Primer

Hello Divas!

I have a new make up obsession..primer. Usually I do not wear foundation, except for very big events and for camera ready moments. But when I do, I like my foundation to look absolutely flawless. Recently, I was given the opportunity to try Laura Geller's primer and it is just fabulous! After I apply my moisturizer, I apply this primer everywhere I am applying makeup..on my eyelids, under eye area, etc. The primer glides onto my skin and after application my skin is as smooth as silk. Then I apply my foundation and other makeup and it glides on beautifully. Seriously, all lines, creases, and blemishes are magically gone! This primer allows me to have a totally smooth flawless face. I love it! In addition, my makeup lasts for hours when I use this primer! This primer retails for $20 and you can purchase it here or at Sephora.

Fashion Week: Spring 09 Makeup Trends

Hello Divas!

I hope your Monday is fabulous! As you know Fashion Week officially kicked off this weekend and I have been following my fellow beauty bloggers on Twitter and Inside The Tents to get the inside scoop! Of course, makeup is a hot topic and here are a few trends for Spring 09 that I just love!

1. Totally nude makeup. Erin of Scandalous Beauty reported that the not made-up look is hot for 09. The models in the BCBG Spring 09 show rocked this look. Thanks Erin!

2. Black eyes and pale lips. Elke of The Model Eyebrow reports that black eyes and pales lips with no blush is a makeup trend for Spring 09. I would modify this with a gray smokey eye and nude lip.

3. Pretty Peach. Apparently, peach eyes, lips, and cheeks are in for Spring 09. Mischo of Mischo Beauty reports that peach makeup was the theme at the Tracey Reese show. I LOVE peach. It just works on my skintone. But I think peach looks good on everybody. It is warm, fresh, and feminine. Visit MischoBeauty.com for pics!

Toodles!

Photo Courtesy of New York Magazine

Napoleon Perdis Luminizer Bronzer: My Review

Hello Divas!

I hope today is an awesome day! I am in loooove with Napoleon Perdis's Luminizer Bronzer Foundation Stick. Can I just say fantabulous?!! So I am in Sephora last Friday and all of the Napoleon Perdis Products are 50% off. Yes 50% off! Apparently Sephora is not carrying the line anymore. Of course I lost my mind. I asked the salesperson what were the must have products from Napoleon Perdis. The salesperson said definitely the Luminizer Bronzer. He then went on to tell me that this product looks great on everyone, but as far as he is concerned it is the BEST bronzer for brown skin. So of course I am intrigued. He put it on and ladies I promise you, I looked like a movie star. Seriously. He applied it at the top of my cheekbones, the middle of my forehead, on on my chin. I was just glowing glowing glowing. I did not have any foundation and I looked radiant. He also said that you can mix a little of this bronzer with your foundation or moisturizer for an all over glow. Plus I just love the texture of this bronzer. It is packaged as a foundation stick and it is silky smooth; so easy to apply. It is a deep shimmering bronze color and I love it! Ladies this is THE MUST HAVE bronzer for fall/winter. During these months we all lose our fabulous tans and get that dull look. This bronzer will have you glowing all winter long. I promise. And ladies RUN to your nearest Sephora or immediately go to Sephora.com to purchase this item and other Napoleon Perdis products. Currently, all Napoleon Perdis products are 75% off at Sephora!!! This bronzer is currently selling for $9.75. It originally sells for $40.00!

Toodles!

I Heart Make-Up Bags

Hello Divas!

I am glad today is Friday. How about you? What a week! Well I was cleaning and organizing my beauty closet...which is actually all the space underneath my bathroom sink, (lol!) and I realized that I had a stash of make up bags. Now if you are a make up junkie like me, you know that carrying a make up bag is ESSENTIAL. I have make up bags in different sizes, textures, and colors. Basically, I have a make up bag to suit every occassion and fancy!
Right now I am rocking my small and compact leather Helena Rubinstein make-up bag I received as a gift with purchase in 2000! Obviously well made and just too fab! I use this make up bag when I do not want my make up bag to take up too much space in my purse. I also have a red suede Chanel make up bag I received as a gift when purchasing my Chanel No. 5 perfume collection. I just love the texture and the bright red color is so fashionable. I carry this make-up bag when I am rocking my hobo shoulder bag. I also received this too fabulous make up bag/clutch from Mac when purchasing a set of make up brushes. I actually pair this clutch with a cool short summer frock when going out on the town. Too cute! And ladies in tribute to the make-up bag, I have included several bags in different price ranges and styles for your viewing pleasure.

Toodles!

1. Soho Leopard Dome Purse Kit. This bag is only 6.99. This make-up bag features a removable furry button, so you can keep this in your purse as a make up bag or add the button and use as a small purse! You can purchase this bag here.


2. Sonia Kashuk Double-Zip Foldover Make-up Bag. Only 9.99 at Target! I just love the colors. Purchase it here or at Target.


3. Jemma Kidd Must Have Cosmetic Bag. Check out this HOT pink make-up bag! It retails for $30.00. You can purchase this bag at Neiman Marcus or online here.