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Beauty, Body, Fashion, Hair, Makeup, Skin

#BeautyBookmarks: The News You Need to Know

There’s so much happening in the industry that I can’t possibly cover them all! But to keep you informed on what’s shaking, I’m serving up the biggest beauty and fashion headlines of the day right here!

Photos via Bustle and Glamour, respectively.

The Fenty Effect shows no signs of slowing down as new and established brands are bolstering their shade ranges. In fact, Revlon has partnered with Allure’s founding editor Linda Wells to launch Flesh, a new beauty brand with inclusivity at its core and foundation sticks that comes in 40 shades (Fenty’s magic number, which has now become industry standard for complexion products). The line is expected to hit Ulta stores exclusively on June 24th, so mark your calendars now, kittens! [Teen Vogue]

Another brand following in Fenty’s footsteps: Tarte Cosmetics. After its latest foundation and concealer launches were criticized for having a limited shade ranges, the brand went back to the drawing board to expand the Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Foundation from 25 to 40 shades and the Creaseless Concealer from 14 to 30 shades that just hit shelves. And it’s not stopping there, as the brand plans to do the same for other formulas in the line, stating, “We are excited to share that our shape tape matte & hydrating foundations, shape tape concealer & Rainforest of the Sea water foundations will get shade extensions this year.” [Bustle]

If you’re already on the hunt for Father’s Day gifts (it’s June 17th, but it will be here before you know it), Lush has got you covered. Forget the ties and grilling gear, the brand is serving up a batch of bathtime and grooming goodies, including a solid beard oil and a handlebar mustache soap you might want to snap up for yourself. [Allure]

Sure, we might use Spotify to listen to some of our favorite podcasts (The Read, Unladylike, and Fat Mascara quickly come to mind), but Tidal is taking streaming to a different level. The platform announced on Wednesday that it will add beauty content with an entertainment alongside some of its music-related shows. The first to hit small screens is Get the Look (hmm, that sounds familiar) in which various beauty vloggers will channel stars like Nicki Minaj and Rihanna in some of their hottest music videos., so if you don’t have an account, don’t forget to create another email account to score a free trial and check them out. [The Cut]

We’ve all been eagerly anticipating any new news on the upcoming Aaliyah x MAC collaboration, and we’ve finally got a better look at what’s expected to hit beauty counters this summer. The roster will include an orange-toned lipstick, a deep plum lip gloss, a bronzer embossed with the late singer’s signature as well as the nude lipstick and dark eyeshadow palette we’ve previously had a peek at —all housed in glossy, burgundy packaging. And we won’t have to wait much longer as the collection will become available online on June 20th before hitting stores the next day. Set your alarms because this one is sure to sell out ASAP! [Bustle]

But that’s not the only collaboration coming soon — far from it! L’Oreal is rocking the runway by linking up with Valentino to produce prestige beauty buys and fragrances for the brand that has already birthed a number of successful scents (I remember when Valentina and its second iteration first launched!). But if you’re looking for something with more sheen, Pinrose has partnered with Sephora to unleash a slew shimmery, holographic glosses, highlighters, and even a rainbow-hued brush set to ensure you can be seen from space all season long. [PopSugar, Elite Daily]

Since Memorial Day, everyone’s been looking to splash into summer. And it looks like mega model Hunter McGrady is making sure each beach body (because every body is a beach body) is ready with a line of sexy swimwear that budget babes will love in partnership with Playful Promises. With cute keyhole cutouts, little bits of lace, and a splash of sequins on a variety of sultry silhouettes, you can expect temperatures to rise (and pulses to race) as soon as you step onto the sand. [Glamour]

May 31, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body

#OnMyVanity: Soap & Glory’s Sugar Crush 3-In-1 Creamy Body Wash

I receive a slew of samples, and when I find something I like, I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Disclosure: I received a sample of this from the brand for consideration, but the opinions are all my own.

I might be very detailed about my skincare routine, but shaving is another story. I usually skip it in the winter to help keep me warm (jk) since who’s going to see my leg hair under layers of leggings, tights, and trousers? I just don’t feel like it’s spring until I feel the silky softness of my freshly shaven legs. (I consider it summer already since it’s been hot enough to need shorts.)

But razors are only half the battle though as what you use to score some slip can determine how much hair you actually take off as well as how your skin will look and feel after a razor’s run over it. I’m pretty low-maintenance most of the time, using a bar of soap to smooth over my stems and slathering on loads of body cream as soon as I step out of the show to compensate for moisture loss. But it wasn’t until this winter that I started re-thinking my shaving routine for the season ahead.

May 15, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body, Hair, Makeup, Skin

Sephora Is Sprucing Up Shelves With a New “Clean” Beauty Category

Embed from Getty Images

Sephora is proving that you don’t have to wait until Earth Day to clean up your act or your beauty routine.

On June 1st the retailer is launching a new category called “Clean at Sephora” as an easy way for shoppers to snap up beauty buys that don’t contain harmful ingredients like parabens, formaldehyde, mineral oils, and phthalates. According to Women’s Wear Daily, Sephora partnered with over 50 brands, including fan favorites like Drunk Elephant, Boscia, Supergoop, and more, with over 2,000 qualifying products that will receive a “Clean at Sephora” seal on the packaging and the products’ pages on the site as well as its own landing page. Plus, green beauty brands like Indie Lee and Go-To Skin Care will find their way to more Sephora shelves and employees will be educated on the new initiative so they can steer you in the right direction.

Photo courtesy of Sephora via Allure.

“Sephora continues to demystify beauty choices for clients, helping them find the right products for them, based on their lifestyle needs,” the brand explained in a statement to Allure. “Many of them are looking to shop brands and products that are ‘free of’ and Sephora is responding to help them do that, easily and conveniently in-store, online, and on mobile. Together with Sephora’s brands, industry experts, external council — including feedback from clients — Sephora has curated a partnership with its brands across cosmetics, skin care, hair care, and fragrance that stand behind the ‘Clean at Sephora’ category.”

So what kind of products ingredients wouldn’t receive the “Clean at Sephora” seal of approval? According to Allure, aside from the ones mentioned above, products containing ingredients like the sulfates SLS and SLES, retinylpalmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban won’t be included. And the ingredient list grows when it comes to fragrances. The gloss also notes that beauty brands that qualify should have “less than one percent of synthetic fragrances and no undisclosed fragrances.”

While the news comes on the heels of other retailers like Neiman Marcus and Bluemercury taking similar steps to clean things up as well as Kourtney Kardashian‘s recent trip to Capitol Hill to call for updated cosmetics regulations, WWD says Sephora has walked this path previously in 2008 and has continually made efforts, especially with its . But the clean up won’t stop at just the shelves either, as the retailer is looking to install LED lights in all North American stores and even developed a zero-emissions delivery truck at its headquarters.

As Sephora’s Chief Merchandising Officer Artemis Patrick put it, all these changes came from listening to customers. The store’s studies found that 60% of shoppers peruse a product’s ingredient list before they buy, and 54% only stock natural or clean items on their vanities. (So remember that your dollar is your vote for what you want more of!) “We have identified some common chemicals that are in certain products that our clients have asked about. It’s not about whether it’s good or it’s bad, it’s about being transparent, ” he told WWD. “While this is not necessarily a new thing, what we have seen is that the efficacy of the products that are out there are at an all-time high, so you can actually get products without these ingredients if you so choose and still get the efficacy of the product that you want and love.”

May 11, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body, Fashion, Hair, Lifestyle, Makeup

May the Fourth Be With You: Chic Star Wars Swag to Add to Your Collection

A post shared by Val’s Vanity (@valsvanity) on May 4, 2018 at 1:33pm PDT

“May the 4th be with of you!”

When it comes to Star Wars, there is no such thing as too much merch, especially since the franchise was acquired by Disney. And it’s gone far beyond action figures, t-shirts, and Lego sets. Since The Force Awakens was released, there has been an explosion of Star Wars-themed, well, everything. And with Solo hitting theaters this month, the mania doesn’t look like it’ll be calming down anytime soon.

With the plethora of products on display from fashion and beauty to even housewares and home decor, there’s plenty of ways to show your love for the ever-growing film franchise on this special day. But everything need not have the bold logo emblazoned across it in order to pay homage. In fact, some of the most recent iterations are subtler than some of the products we’ve collected in the past. So I decided to search the shelves for some chic ways to honor the story that took place in a galaxy far, far away because for die-hard fans, Star Wars day isn’t just today or tomorrow (you know, Revenge of the Fifth), it’s a 365-days a year kind of thing.

May 4, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body

#OnMyVanity: Degree UltraClear Black + White Pure Clean Dry Spray

Disclosure: I receive a slew of samples, and when I find something I like, I can’t wait to tell you all about it! In this case, I received a sample of this from the brand for consideration, but the opinions are all my own.

It never fails. If the temperature is remotely above freezing, I tend to sweat at the drop of a hat, something that many plus-size people deal. It’s the reason why blowout season for me starts around the same time as the holiday season and usually ends before Easter. But even with chillier temperatures in the forecasts, the layering required to keep warm tends to leave me sweating in places other than my pits.

April 10, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body

Show Your Stash: KillaCrytal’s Mani Musts and Much More!

Photo courtesy of Crystal Leung.

I know I’m not the only one curious about celebs and influencers’ favorite beauty buys as well as who and what shape their view of beauty in the biz.

Mercury retrograde has been devastating for so many, but it has also served up a few amazing surprises. The astrological phenomenon is known to bring people back from our past, and it occurred a little earlier than expected when I was recently scrolling through my Instagram feed and stumbled on a set of decadent digits belonging to @KillaCrystal, aka Crystal Leung. The designer and former MindBodyGreen art director, who’s worked with brands like Anthropologie, Thinx, and Starbucks (just to name a few), and I went to college together but had lost touch since we graduated. She was not only open to reconnecting with me but even invited me over to her home office and mini salon, filled with everything from foils and glitters to crystals and photo-ready props, for a magnificent manicure of my own that I’m honestly having a hard time giving up right now.

“My nails are always done, and I wanted to see what I do to them throughout the year and to document my nail art game to hopefully improve,” she told me of the start of the budding Instagram account. She explained that she had played around with nail art in the past, even curating her work on herself and her circle of friends under the hashtag #killacrystalnails. But she saw 2018 as the perfect time to launch a separate Instagram account as well as its own hashtag, #killacrystalnailfiles, where she showcases her serious skills in the form of vibrant metallics and holographic hues covered in crystals and fresh foils on a weekly basis. And after becoming totally taken with her intricate tips, I had to find out how she used her eye for design for her magical manicures plus a few of her current nail art necessities.

One of KillaCrystal’s Ultimate manicures, courtesy of Crystal Leung.

On her approach to beauty: “[D]iscover and experiment. One of my cardinal rules for my personal style is to try everything out (twice even) because you never know how it will turn out on you. The moments when I try something I didn’t think would work on me and then it becomes my new fave item feels a bit magical. Everyone should try it, I dare you. My personal style, fashion-wise, has evolved like everyone else throughout their lives, but the thing that remains consistent is my fearlessness to try out all the weird things just to see what it looks like.”

On her beauty idols: “I don’t remember who my beauty idols [were] growing up because no one looked like me in the magazines that I read. But I do remember appreciating those who had a more daring eccentric style and personality that still holds true today.”

On her first beauty memory: “My cousin and my mom putting lipstick on me for pictures at a family wedding. It was a dark burnt maroon and it looked horrible on me. Even as a kid, I knew it was not a good color for my skin tone. I never really cared for lipstick anyway. It is always [the] last priority [in] my makeup routine.”

Maybelline ExpertWear Eyeshadow Duo, discontinued.

On her first beauty buy: “A Maybelline duo smoky eyeshadow palette from CVS to use with my forever-borrowed eyeliner from my mom.”

On the best beauty advice she’s received: “[Use] sunscreen and moisturize, and don’t pluck your eyebrows when you’re in your twenties.”

On her best beauty tip to share: “[Use] Jojoba oil for your face and/or whole body moisturizer.”

On Her favorite beauty buy of 2018, so far: “Boy brow by Glossier in clear and in black. Clear is for my baby hairs, black is for my brows.”

April 4, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body, Hair, Makeup, Skin

Skip The Subscription & Treat Yourself to a Target Beauty Box for $7

Photo via Target.com.

There’s nothing like the giddy anticipation of opening up a box filled with a mysterious array of tiny treasures, but doing so might be a bit much for many who either can’t afford to keep up with a subscription beyond a few months or haven’t finished the samples they initially received yet. But Target is delivering the best of both worlds: a slew of beauty buys to sample for less than the price of a full-sized product — minus any commitment.

The retailer has just released a range of six themed beauty boxes that are $7 each and come housed in pretty, Insta-ready printed packaging that makes any last-minute gifting super simple. Each is designed to tackle a specific beauty need whether you just need something to help you get out the door in the morning, repair the damage your hair has incurred, or even simply wind down for the day. So you don’t have to worry about getting stuck with samples you won’t use (though you can always gather them into a gift basket for someone in your circle who could use it).

April 4, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body, Hair, Makeup, Skin

10 Egg-cellent Beauty Buys To Add To Your Easter Basket

Embed from Getty Images

To be honest, I almost forgot that Easter was upon us since I’m so used to it falling around the middle of April, not on April Fool’s Day. (I can only imagine what kind of crazy pranks will pop up on social media this weekend!) But the holiday brings back a wave of memories of my mom getting me dolled up in pastel frills for a few photos before heading off for Easter service and then a slew of Easter egg hunts, with the youngest of us popping open all of our collected plastic eggs to scoop the trinkets and treats housed inside.

Many might think that Easter baskets are just kids’ stuff, but why should the little ones have all the fun? I figure it’s a fun opportunity to treat yourself, especially during Mercury retrograde. In keeping with the spirit of the celebration, I’ve found a slew of beauty buys that are sure to soothe and tighten skin, pump up the volume of your locks, and make your beauty look absolutely egg-cellent (you knew that was coming!), using the power or inspiration from eggs themselves. After all, egg whites are a classic DIY mask ingredient thanks to the albumin’s ability to help tighten pores for a smoother-looking visage. And according to Refinery29, the yolk comes packed with proteins, vitamins, and fatty acids to help nourish skin and hair and hang onto hydration. So whether you’re want to start small on the egg trend or splurge on something extra special for your skin, there’s a little something for everyone.

March 30, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body, Makeup

Show Your Stash: Rachel ten Brink’s Best Beauty Buys, Fragrance Finds, and More

Photon Courtesy of Rachel ten Brink

I know I’m not the only one curious about celebs, influencers, and industry insiders’ favorite beauty buys as well as who and what shapes their view of beauty in the biz.

Whether we consider ourselves a makeup maven, mane master, nail art authority, or fragrance aficionado, most of us have our pick on what we like to focus on or get the most excited about when it comes to beauty. But Rachel ten Brink likes to dabble — it’s pretty much the premise behind both of her brands she co-founded (and currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer for both). Scentbird, a monthly subscription sampling service, offers users a chance to find a fragrance they’ll fall head over heels for by taking their tastes, mood, and occasion, via a quick quiz, into account or simply select a scent they’re dying to spritz. Deck of Scarlet works similarly by offering users a new full-sized palette every other month, which comes complete with liners and lip colors, and partnering with influencers like Roxette Arisa to curate the colors.

That cosmetic curiosity has been instilled in ten Brink since she was small, playing with the products on her mothers’ dressing table and flipping through magazines for the latest launches. And it has served her well throughout her 15 years as a marketer in the beauty business, working for big brands like L’Oreal, Estée Lauder, Procter & Gamble, and Elizabeth Arden before launching both of her own. After playing with Scentbird’s plethora of perfumes and swatching some of the shades from Deck of Scarlet, I reached out the beauty mogul to get her take on how she balances her beauty looks, her biggest influences, and some of her current makeup musts.

On her approach to style: “My approach to beauty is a combination of classic with a pop of color. I grew up in Latin America so I am definitely not afraid of color! A bold red lip, a swish of blue liner, a little glitter here or there, I love all of it. I find it so important to integrate a little bit of the unknown, to not be afraid to try something new; which is one of the reasons my co-founders and I launched Deck of Scarlet.

“For fashion, I like to mix more neutral pieces with bold statement pieces. I love accessories, necklaces, rings, earrings, shoes — I change it up every day. I think when it comes to both beauty and fashion, it’s all about balance and not overpowering one trend with another but instead, utilizing one focal point whether it be a bright lip or a bright red shoes.”

Embed from Getty Images

On her beauty idols: “First of all, I would say my mother. She has always been incredibly glamorous and beautiful. She’s always put together, always enjoys beautiful clothes, fun makeup, and gorgeous fragrances. Her beauty is framed by incredible warmth and empathy; she is truly the person that lights up the room when she enters. I love that she’s always experimenting with Deck of Scarlet makeup and trying out new shades!

“Also, I worked for Estee Lauder earlier in my career and I truly admire her. She was a mother, a wife, and an entrepreneur. I love that she was in her 40’s when she started Estee Lauder and never stopped challenging herself and her company to do better. She understood the power of women, ‘confidence breeds beauty.'”

On Her first big beauty moment: “My first beauty memory is of my mother’s dressing table. She always had gorgeous perfume bottles —Opium, YSL Paris, L’Air du Temps —as well as boxes and boxes of gorgeous makeup. I remember the smell of the Clarins skincare she used at night and YSL Paris when she was going out.”

YSL Lipstick in Prune Avenue.

On her first beauty buy: “I have always been obsessed with beauty. I remember getting Seventeen magazine when I was growing up in Costa Rica. I would study the articles and ads and make a list of stuff I wanted — none of it was available in my local stores, only in the U.S. My dad would travel for work to the U.S. and I would send him with a huge list of items to pick up for me at the drugstore. Poor guy had no idea what he was shopping for!

“Later on, I remember buying myself a YSL lipstick in a deep chocolate brown when I was in college abroad in England at Harvey Nichols in London. It felt incredibly glamorous.”

On the best beauty advice she’s received: “When you’re feeling a little tired or a little beat up, wear red! A bright red lip can totally transform your face and your mood. Confidence goes a long way in making you feel and look beautiful.”

On her favorite beauty tip to share: “Dare to be bold. If you want to try that dark blue lip or holographic highlighter, do it! Just always remember to wash your face at the end of the day. Your skin will thank you later.”

March 21, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body

#OnMyVanity: Sally Hansen Big Polish Guards Cuticle Protectors

I receive a slew of samples, and when I find something I like, I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m the worst when it comes to manicures. Aside from the fact that my nails easily bend and break (making chips inevitable), I can never keep the polish just on my nails during application. I always end up splashing a bit of whatever shade I’ve selected onto my cuticles, resulting in a messy manicure. Sure it only takes a day or so for the excess polish to shed off of my skin, but it’s still not something worthy of showing off on Insta. In fact, I’ve been called out about it in the comments section a few times.

March 19, 2018 by Val

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