100 Bloggers Unite! Ralph Lauren's Pink Pony Raises Money to Fight Cancer

As you know, tomorrow is October 1st, which means you are about to be bombarded by pink everything and information about Breast Cancer. (I'll be part of the bombardment, watch for a different product each day that will help raise money for a Breast Cancer charity.)

However, you may not know about Ralph Lauren's commitment to raising money. For over 20 years Ralph Lauren has been committed to raising money for Breast Cancer. The Pink Pony was created as a global year round effort to raise funds, and this year is the 10 year anniversary! While originally created to raise funds for Breast Cancer, the Pink Pony has expanded to include all cancers. Pink Pony's mission is now to help address the needs of the medically underserved bringing quality cancer care, access to cancer care, and early detection for those who need it most.

To help celebrate The Pink Pony's 10th Anniversary and to raise additional money this October, Ralph Lauren is going all out! There will be a new luxury product, the first annual Pink Pony online public auction hosted by Charity Buzz, and a text-to-donate campaign.

Read on to find out more about my picture above (complete with baby bump!) and this year's special initiatives!

Obsessing over a Moody Bee

I'm a big sucker for lip products. I carry a few in my pockets at all times. I have about 10-15 in my purse on any given day. And I admit to having a fairly large drawerful in my bathroom. I'm pretty picky, items that I don't love just get tossed rather than sticking around to be sticky and non-hydrating.

One of my favorite lip balms has long been the Peppermint Balm from Burt's Bees. Well, this is the smaller, family business upgrade if you will. Rather than being just peppermint, this beeswax lipbalm is Vanilla Peppermint (mmm.....).

The Moody Bee applies more easily than the Burt's Bees. Rather than feeling like a layer of wax on your lips that needs a few moments to heat up and melt into you, the Moody Bee seems to be "premelted." It has an amazing hydrating feeling as you apply it, but it is still the beeswax balm that I love! So, immediate hydration with a light layer of beeswax to help hold the moisture in to your lips.

Best of all, the Burt's lip gloss "glue" trick works equally well with Moody Bee! I learned this from a makeup artist for Becca. Apply a beeswax lipbalm (this doesn't seem to work with other balms), blot lightly with a tissue. Wait a minute or two for the remaining balm to dry (it really creates a bit of a wax layer), then apply your lip gloss. I swear this works like a charm! My lip gloss lasts for an extra hour or two if I use this trick. In addition, the application of balm before gloss really does help my lips feel so much softer.

Moody Bee is made by the Moody family in British Columbia, a small family business. If you're lucky you might run into it in stores (this will likely only happen if you live in Canada), if not you can order from their on-line store. I've been carrying tubes of Moody Bee with me everywhere, and I fully admit to taking tubes of Burt's out of my purse to replace them with Moody Bee. Yes, it is that good.

Moody Bee

DuWop's Private Nude and Plum Lipsticks

I've been trying out a few secret lippies, and I'm so excited to share them with you! They're my current secret to the perfect lippie shade, and they feel like a balm!

Read about them on Outblush

Peter Som's Amazing GWP at Beauty.com

I love it when Beauty.com comes out with a new special gift with purchase. They pretty much go all out, collaborating with an amazing designer to create the bag, then filling it with samples of the products that you likely had your eye on already, but weren't quite ready to splurge on yet. (Tip: click the image above to enlarge it and get a better idea of what the Peter Som bag looks like.)

Peter Som for Beauty.com Gift with Purchase

Weekend Weblinks

Yes, this mess is my makeup closet. This is purely where my stash of over 400 polishes and products that I'm not currently using or testing lives, my actual storage in my bathroom is a large vanity with a ton of drawers, which are organized, though I freely admit to a giant jumbled mess on the countertop.


Phyrra shows you a gorgeous glitter eye video makeup tutorial with the LE Halloween Collection from Glamour Doll Eyes.

The Pink Sith swoons over her new Burberry Beauty Sheer Eyeshadow in Rosewood. Come see why this taupe shadow is making her head spin!

Beautiful Makeup Search had a great article about Retinoids and picking one that works for you.

TriMirror is a cool site that lets you send in images and get immediate feedback on your look! This looks like it might be great for those that are undecided while shopping. Try it on... snap a pic and hear back in a few minutes!

Michelle over at All Lacquered Up has her swatches up already of the new MAC Venomous Villians nail polishes. I just got these products (I'll try to get some pics up soon!) and Michelle is right- the pictures really do not do these polishes justice! You'll need to decide which are must haves for you (luckily 2 of them have Orly dupes, because I know all of these will sell out quickly for sure).

Finally, also over at Pink Sith, JoeyBunny was ranting about her makeup storage. I'm curious what everyone here uses? You can see how I store my polish collection and products that I'm keeping as backups above. How have you solved this issue?

Prada Infusion d’Iris Eau de Toilette, A Subtle Iris for Everyday

A few years ago (I think it was 2007 if my sources are correct), Prada released their Infusion d'Iris in an Eau de Parfum. The scent was a hit, and eventually added to their permanent line of fragrances. However, there were some who wanted a lighter version, and now Prada is responding with an Eau de Toilette version.

However, rather than simply taking the same notes and changing the concentration of the fragrance, Prada went one step further. They worked with Daniela Andrier, who created the first fragrance, to create a companion to the EDP that creates a lighter feeling. The notes are very different, but I think that she's succeeded!

Top Notes: Neroli, Lily-of-the-Valley, Violet
Middle Notes: Iris, muget, Galbanum
Base Notes: Heliotrope, Cedar

Overall this is a very light and airy fragrance. I almost want to describe the scent as powdery (and some on-line have called the Violet top note powdery), though for me only the initial dry down period is powdery. When I first apply this scent it is a fresh, sweet fragrance that is definitely powdery. The initial dry down is a tad more Violet than Iris on me, though I do definitely have some hint of the Iris note.

After about 30-45 minutes the violet does fad a bit (and the scent becomes less powdery). This is when the fragrance takes on more depth. The Iris comes out a little more (finally overpowering the violet, though that does not completely fad into the background), and I can get a hint of the Heliotrope and Cedar. The scent stays fairly light, though definitely more floral than the EDP version. The scent lasts most of the day on me, and as the day wears on (think late afternoon) I am once again picking up the Violet note quite a bit.

Overall, this is a very pretty and light floral fragrance. I think that it is a bit heavier on the Violet than the Iris notes throughout most of the day. However, since Violet is definitely one of my favorite notes, I have to say that I'm in love! I've found this fragrance to be the perfect late summer/early fall fragrance. I'm not quite ready to transition into the heavier scents, but I don't want the same super sweet summer scents either. I've loved this for days at work, out running errands or just hanging out at home.

Prada Fragrances

Pixi's Lid and Line- What is all the Fuss About over at Target?

If you're like me, you've seen the big display of Pixi at Target and wondered about the products. I don't know much about Pixi, but I've loved that when I check out a product in their line I find that there are multiple uses. The Lid and Line is the perfect example- it isn't just a liner! There's a smudge sponge and a sponge that is somehow infused with shadow.

What I've found is that the Lid and Line is in fact, absolutely perfect for recreating the easy smokey eye that Makeup Artist Jake Bailey taught me a few years ago. In fact, it might be a bit easier with the Pixi product.

I line my lid with the liner, making sure to really get the color down into the last line. I do line the lid a bit thicker than usual, and use a slanted stiff brush to blend the liner down into the lash line, and then using my finger I blend the color up a little onto the lid. I then use the shadow all over my lid. Underneath the lid I may use either the liner in my lash line or if I'm going for a more subtle look, use the shadow underneath the lashes. Overall, this smokey eye takes about 3 or 4 minutes and lasts all day!

I've been using the #2 Smoky Blue for this look, but I really want to pick up the #4 Smoky Olive or #6 Smoky Plum next.

Pixi's Lid and Line

Fun Links

L’Oréal Professionnel has teamed up with Vogue.com for lucky readers to discover INOA (Innovation No Ammonia), the new Ammonia-free permanent haircolor with ODS technology. Enter Now until September 24th for the chance to win a trip to Paris, New York or your local hair salon, a $1,000 shopping spree and INOA hair treatment.


Tom's of Maine is hosting a chat tonight on their Facebook Page with green guru Sophie Uliano. She'll give you tips on how to live green fabulously, without breaking the bank! The chat is tonight, Wednesday, September 15, 2010 – 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m.to 9:00 p.m. EST


Dr. Murad (yes, he of the amazing skin care line) is about to release a new book, The Water Secret. I have to admit, I first heard about this water theory of his (during a bloggers' tour of Murad in the summer of 2008), I was a bit skeptical. Something about the water content of our bodies changing as we age (this is true, the water content of a baby is different than a toddler than a teen than your 80 year old grandma), and that this was related to aging. Truly, this was about all that was mentioned on the tour and I was thinking this sounded a bit strange.

Fast forward a few years, and Dr. Murad has released a book about his theory. I have an advance copy and while I haven't read it yet (truthfully, I've been a bit busy studying for Critical Care Boards in a few months and being a pregnant sleepy person), I have skimmed it and the bits of it I've read do make sense. There's a lot in there about improving your diet by increasing fruits and veggies, paying attention to your body's signals, etc. All of that sounds good to me. Hopefully I'll have a chance to read more of the book soon, but already I admit that it isn't as new-age as it all sounds. Really, it sounds just like improving your life style.

If you're interested in learning more about his theory and how you could change your habits, Dr. Murad will be holding a webinar on September 22nd at 11AM PST (2PM EST). Murad is offering a special promotion for Webinar attendees. Those who pre-order a copy of the book will receive a bonus size AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser (The cleanser is worth $62, I used to use it a few years ago and I really loved it. I have a tube of it in my skin care stash that I pull out every now and then, I definitely recommend checking it out).

You can register for the webinar and pre-order your book (with free cleanser) HERE


I did get a free copy of Dr. Murad's book

Yup, I'm a Strivectin Insider

You may not have heard yet (though, I do think that the news is getting a bit hard to avoid), but Strivectin has completely revamped their product formulas and is embarking upon a major campaign to make sure you know about it. There are clever ads, placements of product in stores, and there was even an article in the NY Times about the re-release.

(I have to say that I did think the article was a bit unfair as they only mention one of the active ingredients, there is no real mention of the anti-oxidants or peptides included in the formula, as well they didn't seem to understand that Strivectin's research on the new product was done with the product in it's final form, not just parts of the products.)

Regardless, Strivectin has decided that part of the release would be a panel of bloggers trying out the product and sharing with their readers. Yup, I was picked to be one of the bloggers. What does that mean? They asked me to try out the products, write about them a few times, and I get to hold a giveaway. There was no mention that I should have a particular opinion about the products, no pressure to like the products, but they did want me to understand what is in the products, so they held a very informative webinar to teach everyone about the technology.

All of this makes me kinda love Strivectin. I admit that I've long been curious about the brand, but didn't want to spend the money on the products myself to try them out. I jump all over opportunities to give products away to my readers. But best of all, they openly told us to be honest about our opinions with our readers!

Read on to see what exactly is in this stuff.

Derek Lam Spring/Summer 2011

If you're anything like me, you have a big collection of very pretty eye liners and eye shadows at home that you can't really wear everyday. That bright purple? The navy with silver shimmer? Can you really incorporate them into your every day life? Or, at least the part of your life where you do things like go out for dinner to CPK with your husband, maybe not the part where you are raking the leaves in your yard? Though, the navy idea would be really great for the season football tickets I now have for games in a very big, big college stadium that shall remain nameless.

Anyways, my whole point is that sometimes it can be hard to see ways to work these fun colors into our normal lives. Once you hit about 26, it seems like the approach to makeup changes. There's less color and sparkle. Why? Who wants to look like a teenie bopper or Vegas Showgirl when really you're a lawyer or stay at home mom? You want to be taken seriously. So, the makeup is less exciting and we forget how to incorporate color into our everyday lives. Unless it is taupe.

Well, Estée Lauder Creative Makeup Director Tom Pecheux is coming to our rescue with this look he created for the Derek Lam Spring/Summer 2011 runway. Yes, the color is rather bright, but think of how easily this can be adapted with any color! I'm picturing a navy, plum or even a dark gray-green. You could do this with almost any color, the point is that Tom is showing how to balance the rest of the face around the color. (Apparently the answer is a little color on the rest of the lid, perfect skin and light nude lips. I don't know about you but these pictures make me want to run to my nearest Estée counter and buy every face product Tom used. I also must have that lipstick when it comes out this spring!)

Read on to see what Tom used to create this look.

Selena Gomez at the 2010 VMA Awards

I have to be honest. I am not 100% sure who Selena Gomez is. I know she has a movie coming out (I seem to recall seeing her name in a commercial for it), and I think she's one of those girls that has a show on the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. (Ah Ha! A quick check of her Wiki page reveals she is from the Disney Channel. And was born when I was in high school. Sigh.)

I wasn't a huge fan of her VMA dress, but I think from the neck up her VMA look was amazing! Her makeup is fresh (look at how perfect her skin is!) but doesn't age her, is appropriate for being only 18, and yet also works for the Red Carpet. Her hair is young, but not your typical "running errands" pony tail. Overall, it worked for me!

Makeup Artist Karan Mitchell for Nyx Cosmetics created her makeup, the directions are below!

For Eyes
Karan started with Nyx Concealor Jar in Fair as a base on the lid and then added a shade of ‘Highlight’ and blended from the crease up to the brow. She then applied the highly pigmented sapphire blue shade from Nyx Cosmetics Eye Shadow Trio in Aquamarine on the lids as well as slightly above the crease. Karan then blended the deep blue in the I Dream of Antigua Nyx Cosmetics 5 Color Eye Shadow Palette on the outside corners of her lids. Over that Karan lined the entire eye with Magic Kohl eye liner pencil by Givenchy. Two coats of Nyx Professional Mascara in Black finished the look.

For the Lips
The lip look was finished with Nyx Cosmetics Lipstick shade #174 nude, and Nyx Mega Shine Lipgloss in #104 Sweet Heart for that soft fresh nude lip look!

For Face
Karan created a fresh faced healthy glow for Selena by using Nyx Cosmetics Tango with Bronzer Stix #2 in Merengue Flush. This was applied to the apples of her cheeks.

Image Credit: Wireimage.com
NYX Cosmetics

Avon's Walk for Breast Cancer

I'm sure you've seen it on your local news, you've had friends walk it, or maybe you've even done it yourself. The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer takes place in various cities around the country and is really about celebrating and supporting each others journeys. Each person walks for their own reason but together we are united for 2 days by a single cause – to end this deadly disease.



I hope you're interested in walking! For those of you that are interested in the New York City Walk on October 16/17th, I have great news!
Avon is offering 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic readers a $20 discount of the normal $65 registration fee. Use the code WALK13 when you register.

Avon Walk

Tarte's Passport to the Amazon Collection

While typically I'll feature palettes that I want before they come out, today I decided to feature an entire collection that I want! This is Tarte's

• emphasEYES Waterproof clay brow mouse in taupe, medium or rich brown
• Amazonian clay infused natural cheek stain in perfect rose
• Vitamin infused lipgloss in paradise (a sheer berry pink)
• Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara
• Amazonian clay infused eyeshadow palette in shimmering light pink, shimmering sand and shimmering cocoa
• emphasEYES Waterproof clay shadow/liner with brush in blackened plum

For today only the price is $39.98 through QVC, after today it will be $48

You can order it here from QVC

The Ultimate Fashion Forward Updo at Christian Siriano SS 2011, by Aveda!

It's definitely not surprising to me that Christian Siriano is the most successful designer to come out of the stress cooker that is Project Runway. I hate to make the obvious statement, but his designs are fierce, and I admit to really wishing I had places to wear his designs. And the money to afford them. But I digress.

Really, I wanted to share the amazing hair in by Aveda's lead stylist Antoinette Beenders in Christian's Spring 2011 show. True, this is not an updo that would work for every occasion. But, you have to admit that it looks amazing with Cristian's designs, and now I want to invent occasions to have this hair style.

Fashion's Night Out

The insanity that was Fashion's Night Out in 2009 has grown to insane proportions this year (literally!) I can't even tell you how many emails I have received telling me about different events throughout New York tomorrow night. There was enough going on last year that I was completely overwhelmed, and I think I just ended up going out for dinner with friends (yes, I was in NYC last year, this year I'll be here at home, enjoying how cozy my house is and being a sleepy pregnant lady).

What exactly is FNO? It was started as a way to encourage us to spend money basically. They wanted to help get consumers out to the stores and help boost the economy (really), and while the "official" FNO events aren't sales, they do have some pretty amazing perks from rubbing elbows with celebs and the fashion elite (I caught a glimpse of my favorite Michael Kors last year!), to having an Olson twin as your bartender. And you can bet that there will be some deals to snatch up, at both the FNO event locations and all the surrounding stores.

If you're overwhelmed by everything that is going on, there are a few resources to help you out. My favorite is the New York Post's Interactive Map, which is especially amazing for those of us that aren't New Yorkers and get easily confused by which part of Bleeker Street has a particular Marc Jacob's store. The official Fashion's Night Out website also has a great "search" feature if you're interested in something in particular.

Read on to see which events caught my eye...

Prevention Magazine Picks the Top Anti-Aging Products

I'm sure everyone is familiar with Allure's annual beauty awards. They've been insanely successful over the years, and when a product wins you can be sure that the company is going to brag about it!

However, you might not be aware of other magazine's beauty awards. They're out there, and truthfully if a magazine has similar interests you're more likely to find products that work for you in their features and awards.

Case in point: Prevention Magazine's 2010 Beauty Awards. Their primary focus? Anti-aging. Honestly, they didn't just decide to throw up a list of anti-aging best sellers either.

Read on to see why their awards are different.

Cover FX Treasure Hunt!

Cover FX is launching a new product called Eye Prep FX in mid-September. To celebrate, they're holding A Treasure Hunt! (Seriously, how cool is this??) In cities across the US (and there are a lot of them, check out the list to see if your town is included) From September 7th – 11th, check out Cover FX's Facebook Page for specific clues and locations on where you can find the hidden treasures in a city near you. All packages include the new Eye Prep FX, and some lucky winners may receive gift cards up to $100 in select treasure boxes redeemable at participating Cover FX retailers.

Twirl by Kate Spade: A Fragrance Release I'm Excited About!

I have to admit that I'm generally not excited about perfume and makeup ads. I do find them interesting, and I'll even post about them every now and then, but until now I haven't found myself hoping a commercial appears on tv. I'm about to start! Why?

Find out after the jump. And let me brag a little.

Donna Karan's Be Delicious: 5 Years Old with a New Facebook Page and a Contest!

Donna Karan's Be Delicious is a great fragrance if you're looking for a light, clean scent. I love it, and I've found myself reaching for it quite a bit over this insanely hot (and humid!) summer.

In order to celebrate both the 5th Anniversary of Be Delicious and the new DKNY Fragrance Facebook community (it opens today!), DKNY offered to sponsor a contest here on 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic!

The DKNY Facebook page will host the Delicious Core Club, in honor of the Be Delicious fragrance. The Delicious Core Club will house fresh content, interview series, behind-the-scenes, interactive contests and more. If you love this scent as much as I do, it will definitely be worth checking out!

You can win a 5th year anniversary edition of Be Delicious eau de toilette! Enter below.



DKNY Fragrance Facebook community
I've received samples of this fragrance in the past, and DKNY is supplying the prize.

Win It! Kenzo's New NightShift Cream and Fresh Jelly and Gumdrops Cleanser

Kenzo is launching two great new skin care products, and I just had to tell you about them!

NightShift Cream is described as "a gentle ginger cream that moisturizes and regenerates the skin while you sleep. It revitalizes the skin and replenishes the face throughout the night. By morning, skin looks smoothers and the complexion is fresh and youthful." The companion cleanser is Fresh Jelly and Gumdrops Cleanser, "a cleanser that exfoliates, cleanses, and purifies the skin. As you wash, smart beads roll over the face and rid the skin of all its surface impurities. Rinse off and the skin is clean and purified leaving a brighter complexion."

Kenzo has agreed to sponsor a giveaway!

This giveaway is open to those in the United States and by entering you'll be added to the Kenzo e-mail list. (I've been on it for years, I get rare emails and they don't sell the list, it's worth entering!)




Kenzo USA
Like Kenzo? Check them out: Kenzo on Facebook and Kenzo on Twitter
The prizes will be provided by Kenzo

A New Way to Sample Nail Polish: Zoya's Spoons

I've known about this for a while, but was told to keep things hush hush until today. What are those things in the picture?

They're little plastic spoons, basically shaped like a nail, but with Zoya nail polish on them. They've all been painted with the same formulas that the company sells in the bottles. You'll be able to buy them (for only 50 cents each with free shipping) to preview and see exactly what a color looks like in person before you commit to a full purchase.

The amount you spent on the spoons will be credited toward future purchases, so it really is a very low risk order. I love the idea of checking out colors first, no more guessing based on on-line color swatches!

Zoya Nail Polish

Oxy Clinical Solutions: What is it? And, Want to Win It?

Oxy recently released a new collection of products, and while you might not think they're new and different, they actually are new and different. Why is that? Looking at the list of ingredients, you'll see the old stand-by ingredients benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. Yes, these two have been out a long time. But, you know what? Not much is really going to change in over the counter acne treatment. And those two ingredients really do work.

The "new and different" part of Oxy Clinical is that the products are all formulated with time release of the active ingredients! I would likely have to recruit my super smart biomedical engineering/tissue engineering/drug delivery researching professor husband to explain exactly how this works, but just trust me that it does. Active ingredients are released over a much longer period of time, which means that not only are they fighting your pimples longer, but your skin will likely tolerate this better! The days of dry, flaky skin from your Oxy pads are gone!

In the collection are:
• Advanced Face Wash: Up to 80% of the "AcneShield advanced salicylic acid technology" remains on your skin after rinsing
• Clinical Clearing Treatment: The micro-encapsulated benzoyl peroxide remains on the skin longer to reach the acne bacteria deep inside your pores, killing 99% in 8 hours.
• Hydrating Therapy: Salicylic acid to help unclog pores, hydration with hyaluronic acid and a "Ploy-Pore" technology to help absorb extra oil.

While I can't try out the system for a review (that salicylic acid is a pregnancy no-no), Oxy did offer to sponsor a Back to School giveaway! 2 people will win an Oxy Clinical Solutions Pack, which contains all of the above products!

To win, you'll need to follow both Oxy Skin Care and 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic and retweet the sentence below to win. You have until 5 pm EST on Friday September 3rd, open to US residents. I'll DM the winners for their shipping info!

Win an Oxy Clinical Solutions Pack! Follow @15MinBeauty and @OxySkinCare and RT to win! http://bit.ly/95tpwy #15minbeautyoxy

Oxy Clinical Solutions
The prizes are being provided by Oxy