Breaking: Lupita Nyong'o Lands Lancome

"I am truly honored to join the Maison Lancôme, a brand with such a prestigious history that I have always loved. I am particularly proud to represent its unique vision for women and the idea that beauty should not be dictated, but should instead be an expression of a woman's freedom to be herself,” confided Lupita Nyong’o.

Earlier this week I received an email from Lancome's PR representatives about "big news" coming on Friday. In order to receive, but not spread the news early, I had to sign a non-disclousure agreement. At about 2pm yesterday, I read the press release and wrote this post.

Joining Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Penélope Cruz and Lily Collins, Lupita Nyong’o will be seen this summer in campaigns shot by star photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

“Lupita’s authentic inner and outer beauty, her exquisite grace, and true confidence represent today’s modern woman.  Having Lupita as a Lancôme ambassadress will help support our mission in the U.S. market which is to speak to all women.  Her rising star status is like a blooming rose; she is elegant and has an undeniable brilliance," said Xavier Vey, President of Lancôme USA.

After watching Lupita in awe throughout awards season this year, it was only a matter of time before a mega beauty brand picked her up.  I can only imagine what the battle was like for this breath of fresh air.  Well done, Lancome.

Charlotte Tilbury Brings Her "Penelope Look" to Life on Penelope Cruz

Spotted on Instagram: Charlotte Tilbury dishing on working with Penelope Cruz, who was recently named Lancome's newest Spokeswoman for their latest fragrance, Trésor Lumineuse.  Tilbury's been on a mission of her own lately, introducing a cosmetic line, which she used to create Penelope's recent look, otherwise known as "Dolce Vita." Described as having "come to bed eyes," created with smoldering copper & bronze shades, complimented by a pink seductive lip (actually called Penelope Pink), the look was inspired by Penelope. Seeing it come to life on Penelope, of course, took it to another level.

Being she's one of the world's most coveted makeup artists, her new collection is also one to covet.  You can shop different looks (here's Penelope's) or products on a per need basis.

Here's a video of Charlotte describing exactly to get the super seductive look:

Jason Wu Teams Up with Lancome & Talks Details

While Beyonce might have been taking over most of the headlines with her ever changing hairstyles, there is another person making quite the beauty buzz lately – Jason Wu.  Last week, I attended the launch party to celebrate his new collection for Lancome and had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with the designer.  His friendly nature and charismatic energy made it all the easier to get the scoop for you guys.

January Jones and even the First Lady, Michelle Obama have all donned Mr. Wu's apparel.  Although we may not all be able to afford his previous collections, we can afford this new collection!

What was it like working with Lancome?

It's been a wonderful experience. I've been a huge fan for their product for so long. It's a beautiful beautiful product and no one can deny that. To be able to collaborate with them was a dream come true because I love beauty. In every sense of that word. I love makeup. I love beautiful things. I love beautiful women. So this felt really natural and a really appropriate collaboration for me.

What was your favorite part of the collaboration?

Picking the colors of course! I'm like a kid in a candy store. Who doesn't want to pick the colors and dig into the archives. The collection is not only wearable but also glamorous. That's a great thing about the collection, it not only worked really well for my runway show but in different ways it could work in everyones everyday lives.

What was the overall inspiration of the collection?

The first collection was really about doing my favorite things. Violet is one of my favorite colors so I've gravitated towards it throughout my entire life and career. So that was one of key colors of the collection. I love a red lip, so we offer three different kinds of red lip in the collection. As well as three different kinds of red nail polish. It would be such a gorgeous essential to any woman's beauty arsenal or beauty regime. I really designed into what women really want and would embrace.

What is your favorite product?

The navy mascara. I think it is so cool.  I can imagine all the girls I know wanting to wear that. Along with the rest of the pallet. This is something you want like all the time. It's so subtle and works on everyone and so chic. I mean who wouldn't want that?

What can we expect from you for this years NYFW? 

Well you can definitely see my makeup collection on each of the models. I think you'll see me take a real step forward again. Every season is a step forward and this season is no different.

The collection will be on sale for a limited time in Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman during New York Fashion Week.

5 Favorites from Jurlique, Lancome, Aerin and More...

From a powerful serum with 18 botanical extracts that makes my pores disappear to the perfect on-the-go bronzer and a celeb stylist recommended blow out spray, you're definitely going to be tempted to get your hands on at least a few of these new products.  Enjoy my recommendations!

At Jurlique's latest event, I watched a slide show of reasons why this new serum was beyond worth trying.  Convinced by the 18 botanical extracts and clinical trials, I began trying it the very next day.  I obviously haven't even given it the full eight weeks yet, but I will tell you that their new Advanced Serum Herbal Recovery made this list already because it immediately gave my skin a nice finish and minimizes my pores like no other!  I have large pores that I hate, but don't use products with silicones because they break me out.  This all natural serum really worked and after using it for a few more weeks my skins radiance should also be in check. - NOTE: This is launching in September.

Achieving volume without weighing my hair down is always a challenge.  Celeb Stylist, Harry Josh, promised me the John Frieda Luxurious Volume Blow-Out Spray would be my saving grace and of course, he was right.  I've been spritzing it on damp hair and blow drying with a round brush.  My hair is fuller and I'm glad I found something made for my hair type.

When I received Aerin's new summer collection I gasped.  Not only is it beautiful, but I actually love everything.  My favorite is the Pretty Bronze Portable Illuminating Powder.  It's a tiny bronzer that's packaged with a brush (available in two shades) so it's easy for travel.  It already accompanied me to Puerto Rico and Miami and will be a staple in my bag all summer long.

Something else I added to my makeup bag was Lancome's Color Design Palette in Plum Splendor.  Their new eye palettes are again, stunning with high pigmented, smooth shades.  I like keeping my makeup bag as streamlined as possible and this palette has everything I need to create a daytime or nighttime look.

The Mark Cosmetics Exotic Beauty Face Mosaics is so pretty!  As soon as I saw this product the design and colors reminded me of another more expensive brand's bronzer, but this one gives a luminescent glow for less than a third of the price.

Celebrate Genifique Day with Lancome & St. Jude, It's More than Just A Charity Donation

Truth is most beauty brands are charitable.  I can't tell you how many pitches I receive about brands donating to different organizations for various causes, and while it's wonderful (I believe they all should be donating), it's not really news worth posting on BeautySweetSpot.   Right?  Well last week I got to experience the St. Jude Children's Research Center in Memphis, TN, Lancome's charity of choice.  This was something different. For the past three years, Lancome partnered with St. Jude to create Genifique Day, celebrated on October 19th, $7 from the purchase of any size Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate will be donated to St. Jude.

While there we learned about St. Jude, watched Lancome give the teenage patients makeovers, toured the campus, and met a very special patient and her mother.  There were no tears at St. Jude.  No long faces of exhaustion or worry on the children's parents either.  Instead, it was filled with life, optimism and hope.  It's absolutely incredible to see that after all these children go through, at the end of the day, kids bounce back to be kids.

I came home from this trip feeling very connected to the cause, appreciating Lancome's dedication beyond the donation and donating myself.  You can donate here once or sign up monthly.  The whole hospital is run on donations.  I learned that it cost $1.8 million to run it daily and not a dime comes out of the families pockets, ensuring each child gets the best care despite financial backgrounds and health insurance plans.

Makeup Artist Scoop: Behind the Scenes at the Emmys with Gretchen Mol

As I was watching the Emmy red carpet (yes, live on E! of course), I was chatting with some of my favorite celebrity makeup artists who created the looks for some of the biggest stars for the evening.  First, Daniel Martin, a friend of Boardwalk Empire's Gretchen Mol, who after about a week of debate decided to swap out a red lip for a contemporary eye. First introduced to Mol through an editor at Vanity Fair about 2 1/2 years ago, he's been the artist behind her fresh faced looks ever since.  Creating her Emmys look began last Wednesday when he received a picture of her red, vintage Valentino gown, but was finalized just this morning.

"Gretchen's very classic looking so when she gets dressed up she can look retro," Martin exlpains.  "Initially we wanted to do a red lip with the red dress, but  keeping that in mind, we swapped it out for an eye to make her look more modern and chic."

Prep began at 12:30 PST, but before they even got together, Mol texted Martin to remind him to bring his Clarisonic Opal.  "I got her addicted to it," he says.  After cleansing, he used Lancome Genifique Eye Light Pearl, around her eye area and also as a highlighter on her cheekbones.  Topping off her skin with Armani Maestro Foundation, since it "looks great on camera whether it's still photography or video."

The real focus was on her eyes.  "She has small eyes so if she wears anything heavy on them when she smiles they get lost so I had to be strategic about creating depth without eating up the eye," Matin explains.  His secret?  Concentrating color on the outer corners.

He drew a subtle cat eye with Lancome's Le Crayon Kohl in Black Coffee and smoked it out so there were no harsh lines and continued to create a sensual look using a combination of black and coffee toned shadows.  "Her eyes change color from blue to green to grey and reflect what she's wearing beautifully," Martin says.  "The red Valentino and dark sultry eyes make them appear green tonight.

Lancome L'Absolu Rouge Lipstick in Rich Cashmere and nude gloss completed the look.  In her clutch?  The lipstick and blotting papers were all she needed.

Dear Jeannine... How do I find a good drugstore mascara?

Hi Jeannine, I was wondering if you could suggest a good mascara that I could buy from a drugstore. I just finished my Rimmel Lash Accelerator, which I like, but I'm looking for something else. Mind you my lashes are very short and straight. Thanks so much! -T Hi T,

Thanks for your message!  It's great that you were using the Rimmel Lash Accelerator since your lashes are short and you want length.  I would recommend continuing to use a lash growth serum (that mascara has one in it that works over time).  Try Talika Lipocils Expert. I've used it and it works as long as you're compliant.

My number one tip is to take the extra two seconds and use an eyelash curler before applying your mascara.  Not only will it give you the desired curl you wish for, but it will also help to separate your lashes before you coat them.  My favorite is Lancome Le Curler, because it's designed really well.

Now onto the mascara!  To conquer the length right away, you want a mascara that has micro-fibers in it that attach onto the ends of each individual lash.  Sounds crazy right? Try Maybelline Illegal Lengths.  It will give you a false lash effect!  Let me know how you make out!

xo,

Jeannine

Introducing Lancome's Le Curler, I'm a Curler Girl! Are You?

Exciting news!  Lancome just launched Le Curler, a very well structured lash curler, and asked me to be part of their video series called, "Chronicles of A Curler Girl."  I couldn't have been more excited since my lash curler is my secret weapon!  Check out the series on their Facebook page and confess – What kind of curler girl are you?

EXCLUSIVE: Lea Michele's SAG Awards Makeup

I just got off the phone with Lea Michele's Makeup Artist, Melanie Inglessis for Lancome.  Literally, she sent Lea off to the red carpet for the SAG Awards and called me as she was packing up her kit.  New BFF!  Their day began at noon and she called promptly at 3:30PST/6:30EST.  It took Lea 3 1/2 hours to get ready with her glam squad today.  Here's the scoop... Lea texted her prep team a pic of her dress about a week ago so they could brainstorm and collaborate on her look for the night.  "Once we saw the dress we decided to go for a feminine, yet sexy and soft look," Inglessis commented.

Using an angular brush, Inglessis used Lancome Liner Design Long Wear Caligraphy  Liner in Trendy Grey to line Lea's upper lids.   "It's a classic installation on the retro feel of black, winged eyeliner."  The trick to doing it yourself is to keep your eyes open and stare straight into the mirror as your drag the brush out and wing it exactly where your eye ends.  Q-tips are a savior in case your line comes out too thick.  Following the winged line, Inglessis blended Illamasqua white shadow with Lancome Color Design Eye Shadow in a matte grey called  Ciel du Sior.

"Because it's long lasting, which is good for the red carpet, I use Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Foundation (available in March) and always define and contour Lea's cheekbones," Inglessis said.  The pop of color on her cheeks is credited to Shu Uemura Glow On Blush.  "Powder makes everyone look old so I only powder her T-Zone right before she hits the red carpet and she carries blotting papers in her bag."

To enhance Lea's natural red lip color, Inglessis dabbed Lancome Rouge In Love Lipstick in Rouge Rendez Vous on her lips with her ring finger.  "I didn't need to define her lips and wanted them to look really natural so tapping worked," Inglessis explained.  She then did the same with Rodial Glam Lip Balm.  Lea carried both in her clutch.

Holiday Party Must Have: Lancome Christmas Crackers

In my family, with each holiday comes another tradition.  I'm so excited for Thanksgiving, because we have fun traditions that have been going on since I was young and this year I have to introduce the Lancome Christmas Crackers.  

After reading this post you're either going to:

1. think my family is super weird

2. completely relate 

3. not care about my family at all and still want the Lancome Christmas Crackers

Every Thanksgiving my whole family on my dad's side gets together (think 30 loud Italians), watch the Cowboys game (yes, we're all die-hard fans) and eat a ton of food including meatless lasagna for my vegetarian cousin and I who aren't so into the idea of Tofurky.  Seems normal right?  Until Morris family tradition.  

After we eat my aunt hands us these party crackers and we pop them open to find little puzzles and plastic toys in them.  We each get a different prize and trade amongst the table, but one thing we all get in them are paper crowns. Now picture this, we all sit at the table and wear the paper crowns through desert!  Needless to say, it's fun and it's been a family tradition since we were little.  Yes, I'm still doing this now at 28 and my boyfriend, Joe was introduced into it last year.  

This year, I'm dying to bring the Lancome Christmas Crackers, ($38 for a pack of six) at least for the ladies at the table.  Instead of popping open little plastic rings and puzzles we can never figure out, we can each have a mini Lancome giftable!  Of course, a festive hat is included along with a beauty tip!  I think they're so adorable and would be a great additive to a holiday party with your girlfriends.  I'm not so sure about my big Italian family!   

How To Rock Selena Gomez's MTV VMA Makeup Look

Selena Gomez looked stunning last night at the MTV Video Music Awards as she had an honorable role to play, hosting the pre-show.  While I thought her black mini and updo made her look a little too mature (Britney anyone?), I like how she kept her makeup natural.  I got the scoop from her makeup artist, Karan Mitchell on how to get the look. "To compliment her lace gown, I went for a classic and clean route with Selena's makeup," Mitchell states.  The look consisted of bronzed skin, smoldering eyes, bold brows and a metallic pink lip.

1. Start with your eyes.  Blend the colors in the Lancome Color Design 5 Pan Palette in Bronze Amour across your lid and up into your crease.

2. Trace your top and bottom inner rims with Lancome Le Stylo EyeLiner in Noir then use two coats of Hypnose Doll Lashes Mascara in So Black on your top lashes and one coat on the bottom.

3.  Brush your brows up to a 45 degree angle and fill them in with Modele Sourcils Brow Groomer in Brunet.  After penciling them in, brush over them again to make sure they're blended.

4. Apply concealor where needed then use an illuminator like Lancome Eclat Miracle Complexion Illuminator all over the face for added glow.  You can mix it into your foundation too if you want more coverage.

5. Using Lancome's Blush Subtil in Sheer Amourose, brush it onto the apples of your cheeks and blend it up into your temples.

6. Line your lips with Lancome Color Fever Gloss in Hibis-Kiss and use Lancome Color Design Lipstick in Fashion Icon.

Girl Crush: Mila Kunis, A Guide to Her Complete Oscar Look

I have a total girl crush on Mila Kunis.  I think she's totally sexy without even trying and was so excited to see her pull off a girly yet sultry look at the Oscars last night. Her hair and makeup were on point complimenting that gorge lavender Elie Saab gown.  Here's the full scoop on how to get her look:

Tracey Levy of Lancome gave her a sultry overall look to compliment her gown.  The focus was on her eyes.  Products used: Lancome Color Design 5 Pan Palette in Coral Crush, Color Design Eye Shadow in Impress, Le Crayon Khol Eyeliner in Black and Hypnose Waterproof Custom Volume Mascara in Black.  A dusting of Blush Subtil in Sheer Amourose and hint of Color Fever Gloss in Blazing Pink combined with La Laque Fever Lipshine in Lucent Nude topped it off.

Tresemme Celeb Stylist, Mara Roszak, gave Mila a romantic updo.  She began by applying Tresemme Naturals Mousse to her wet hair and rough dried it parting it to the side.  Then, with a 1" curling iron she waved the hair away from the face.  Once all curled, she brushed them out with her fingertips and pulled Mila's hair softly into a messy chignon that was structured, yet unstructured.

Get Sofia Vergara's Golden Globes Makeup Look

Before she opens her mouth I think Sofia Vergara is one of the most beautiful women, then when she speaks, she's totally girl crush worthy.  For this years Golden Globes, the Modern Family star rocked a fuchsia Vera Wang and had her makeup done by Kayleen McAdams and opted to concentrate on her eyes. To get the look, fill in your brows with Lancome Le Crayon Poudre in Brunet, and use Artliner in Aubergine, layer Definicils High Definition and Hypnose Custom Mascaras.  McAdams also used a new eyeshadow palette on Vergara that's not out until February called Color Design 5 Pan Palette in Coral Crush.

Her fresh face had a hint of Lancome Blush Subtil in rose Fresque and L'Absolu Nu in Sheer Mousse was on her poute, that color doesn't come out until March, but hey, something to look forward to!

Seen & Heard: Beauty Secrets from Your Fave A-Listers

We all look to celebs to see what they're using and how they get their flawless skin, fabulous locks and overall glow.  Well, we compiled some of their latest tips and tricks to bring you the scoop.  Check it out: Julia Roberts:

“I love eyeliner. I always think if I put enough on, I’ll turn into Sophia Loren.”  I heard her favorite is Lancome Le Crayon Khol eyeliner in Black Ebony, which makes Julia’s stunning eyes pop.

Kim Kardashian:

Her secret is out, “I always style my hair first then pin it back while I do my makeup. Before I apply my foundation I sprinkle Bare Escentuals shimmer powder on my face to get a pretty glow.”

Beyonce:

“I always keep a pair of Ray-Bans handy! And sometimes I put a little gold eye shadow in the inner corners of my eyes—it’s more subtle than white, but it still really makes you look more awake.”

Fergie: Fergie swears by Moroccan oil to keep her strands healthy, "I brush it through my hair and let it soak all night."

Katy Perry: “I pop individual lashes on with tweezers.” Try her favorite - Tweezerman tweezers to apply false eyelashes.

Jessica Biel:

"For Christmas when I was 12, my mom gave me a Lancome cleanser, toner, and moisturizer and said, 'Make a little effort now and it will make a big difference in the long run.'" Jessica swears by consistency for your skin care is the key to keeping your complexion clear.

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Beauty Deals & Steals

This year I'm welcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday with open arms. Every beauty junkie waits for this time to stock up on her favorite must have products, and I got a sneak peak at some of the best beauty and style deals out there! Get ready to save on splurge-worthy products without breaking the bank. Starting Black Friday:

• Urban Decay’s best-selling eye shadows, colored mascara, and glosses are only $6. Also make sure to check out chic nail polish sets and eyeshadow palettes for just $12!

• Get  the perfect gift for any man at Anthony.com and enjoy a 20% discount off any purchase and with a purchase of $50 or more you can score a free Tool Kit + complimentary ground shipping.

• Get perfect skin this season with Zeno, which uses heat to kill acne bacteria, unclog pores and prevention blemishes. Lucky for us, www.myzeno.com is offering 25% off the entire site and free shipping.

• Stock up for the season with AHAVA and try the amazing Dead Sea Mineral-boosting line which is one of my favorites. If you spend $50 you will get 15% off and a deluxe size Hand/Body/Foot cream with code GIVE15. Spend $100 and get 20% off plus a deluxe Hand/Body/Foot cream, and Exfoliating Washcloth, and a Botanic Bliss Set, use coupon code GIVE20. If you spend $200 you will get 30% off with a deluxe size Hand/Body/Foot Cream, and Exfoliating Washing, and a Botanic Bliss Set, use code GIVE30.

• Lancome is having a great deal and if you blink you will miss it. It’s on their top mascaras! Each time you purchase a mascara you get a free gift too!

• Elizabeth Arden is offering 25% off all makeup, skincare and fragrance (with free shipping of course!) on any order on www.elizabetharden.com.

• Order all of your hair essentials from Lockandmane.com and receive 25% off by using code Friends at check out.

Starting Cyber Monday:

• Stila is having an exclusive online sample sale. You won’t feel guilty because your favorite products are up to 80% off.

• Beauty.com is saving the best deals till Cyber Monday with 20% off hair appliances, 40% off Arcona Raspberry Resurfacing Peel, and even 80% off Laura Geller sets and palettes. Spend $50 and Beauty.com will give you a free Lela Rose tin packed with 24 amazing samples, and get this a $10 Beauty Gift Card! It’s like getting paid to shop!

• Sally Beauty is offering 20% off all orders of only $25! Check out www.sallybeauty.com and get ready for lots of great deals!

• Shop Elizabeth Arden and with any $65 purchase, you'll get a 31-piece Black Tote with a retail value of over $300! This bag is the ultimate makeup kit, it includes everything from blushes, to mascara, to glosses and more! Keep it for yourself or use it as the perfect gift for the beauty maven in your life. Use coupon code CYBER65 at check out to redeem this offer.

• Lierac Paris is having a Friends & Family sale running through Fri. 12/3.  30% off all products atwww.lierac-usa.com Just enter code: FF2010.

Tons of Makeup at Costello Tagliapietra, But You'd Never Know

Back at Milk Studios today the scene was surprisingly calm and well organized for the Costello Tagliapietra show.  With 23 models coming from prior shows who needed to be molded into the Costello girl, stylists and artists were busy at work, but seemed anything but frantic. All of the girls wore high side buns directly above their left ears.  "It's a throwback," commented Nelson Vercher, the lead stylist from the Rita Hazan Salon.  "Back in the day ladies used to wear their hair like this when they wore hats."  He used Phytovolume Actif Maximizing Volume Spray to create texture, but then just a piece of elastic to secure the ponytail that he wrapped and tied, wrapped and tied about three times and cut the ends.  It's definitely not practical for the every day girl, but a sweet backstage trick.  After looping the hair around itself he secured with bobby pins and sprayed with L'Oreal Elnett Hair Spray.

The coolest thing about the look was the makeup.  The models fresh faces looked like they were barely wearing any at all, but of course they had tons on.  I learned a great trick from MAC makeup artist, Lisa Butler, about how to wear makeup while keeping your skin looking fresh and dewy.... When applying foundation place a blob on the top of your hand along with a blob of your daily moisturizer right next to it.  Use a big brush and begin applying your foundation.  Use light layers and when certain areas don't need as much coverage (maybe your forehead) mix in some moisturizer with your foundation to dilute it and keep your skin dewy.  On other areas (like your chin) that may need heavier coverage, go heavier with the foundation and don't mix in the moisturizer.  The key is to layer lightly.

The nails were all buffed clean by Lancome.

The Beauty Gal's Guide to Fashion's Night Out

Fashion's Night Out is this Friday and I don't even know where to begin!  Last year I ran around the Meatpacking District and visited Scoop, Diane Von Furstenberg, Theory and Tory Burch (who had an old school bar-b-que outside her store!).  This year, it's time to explore something new.  Here's a guide of some of New York's hottest beauty brands and what their plans are for FNO. In case you're not located in NYC, check out the special on prime time on Tuesday, September 14th hosted by Oscar de la Renta, Diane Von Furstenberg, Justin Timberlake, and Anna Wintour.

Fashion's Night Out 2010 PSA from Fashion's Night Out on Vimeo.

VuBar, Votre Vu customized airstream

• Meatpacking District
• photos on a red carpet, skincare samples, pastry chef, ice luge

Co Bigelow Apothecary

• 414 6th Ave., 6-10pm
• Vinny Guadagnino of MTV's hit show The Jersey Shore will be at the store from 7pm to 8pm, touch ups by jane iredale makeup artists, manicures by Barielle, Mamma Mio mocktails

Rimmel London

• Reiss Store, 387 West Broadway
• 10% discount on Reiss merchandise, Reiss makeup bag full of Rimmel makeup, Rimmel makeup artists offering touch ups, photo booth, Face of Rimmel - Coco Rocha – making an appearance

Kiehl's

• 109 3rd Ave @ 13th St., 6:30-11pm
• karaoke, performances by Jordan Sparks, Adrienne Bailon and Caridee English, prizes, cotton candy and cocktails

The Plaza Beauty

• The Plaza Hotel
• complimentary mini-facials, hand treatments and makeup touch ups

Maria Bonita Salon & Spa

• 12 Prince St., 7-11pm
• complimentary mini facials, updo's, aromatherapy, DJ

Rita Hazan

• Intermix at 210 Columbus Ave., 5 - 8pm
• complimentary blow outs and champagne

Lancome

• Bloomingdales on 59th St.
• meet Spokesmodels, watch tango dancers, check out the fall color collection - French Coquettes

Natori Fragrance

• Saks Fifth Ave, 6-10pm
• receive a free Natori candle (worth $75) with a purchase of $130 or more, lingerie raffles

Phyto Universe

• 715 Lexington @ 58th St., 6-8pm
• free hair and scalp analyses, 20% off haircare, skincare and services, enter to win complimentary treatments, champaign

Laura Geller

• Lulu Guinness 394 Bleecker St., 7-10pm
• Laura Geller makeup artists on hand for free lip painting, free product samples

Caudalie

• Vera Wang Bridal Salon 991 Madison Ave, 6-7:30pm
• brides will be greeted and pampered by Vera herself, music, mini spa services and giveaways

Sue Devitt

• Barneys New York, 660 Madison Ave., 6-10pm
• meet Sue Devitt, receive freebies, makeup touchups

Maybelline

• Meatpacking District, 9th and 13th St.
• free mini-makeovers, Spokesmodels, freebies, DJ, strut your stuff contest

Sally Hershberger Downtown & Teen Vogue

• 425 W. 14th St.
• blockparty for the ASOS fashion show, performance by VV Brown

Redken

• 565 Fifth Ave btw. 46th and 47th Sts, 6-10pm
• first 100 shoppers receive a free tote with hair products, 20% off all items
• Betsey Johnson 138 Wooster St.
• free hair touch ups by Redken fashion week stylists, first 100 shoppers receive freebies

Latest Self Tanner Obsession

I'm a huge self tanner snob. Having tried almost all of them, liking a handful, but loving only a very select few I have to dish about my latest fave: Lancome Flash Bronzer Tinted Anti-Age Self-Tanning Face Lotion SPF 15. I've always been a fan of Lancome self tanners because they're tinted so you can see where you're applying them and they leave you with a natural looking tan that develops in less than a half hour.  It's not a gradual self tanner (like Jergens that you apply every day as your moisturizer), but it is buildable so after three days you can self tan again to get darker.  The color also fades gracefully.

So why is this new Lancome tanner different?  It contains anti-aging ingredients in it so it works to prevent aging while making you a bronze goddess.  You can even put it on in the morning and use it as your moisturizer because it has SPF of 15 in it.  Pretty sweet deal.