Sephora's 10th Anniversary Party

Unfortunately, I don't have photos, but I must share as there is nothing I can think of that's more beauty-related than Sephora turning 10. So I (somehow) scored an invite to last night's über chic affair held at a Lower East Side venue, complete with red carpet. Side note: I've attended two red carpet events THIS WEEK - who do I think I AM? I didn't see many celebs this time, just Dina Lohan whom Carol Shaw, founder of LORAC Cosmetics was able to spot from very far away. She's a pro. Carol and her account exec were super fun, BTW. They entertained me utterly while we schvitzed for a few minutes in line. Stay tuned for some upcoming LORAC reviews.

Highlights included a live performance by Natasha Bedingfield and Ashanti. Samantha Ronson fulfilled her duties as DJ in between acts. I often have wondered what makes a phenom DJ and why certain DJs are in such high demand - but I no longer wonder after hearing Samantha seamlessly go from a fabulous Prince (Kiss) mix to the selected works of Jay Z's The Black Album mixed with something else that I couldn't quite identify.

Lastly, we each got to create our OWN goody bags from a wall of products upon leaving AND scored a huge Sephora Midnight Train [to Georgia?] Case. Product brands included Dr. Brandt, Benefit, Clarins, Stila, and Smashbox, to name a few. A good time was had by ALL, but especially me as I decided I'd toast with 3 glasses of Veuve Clicquot!

Happy birthday, Sephora! Here's to MANY more years, beauty authority!

Is One of us Supposed to be a Dog in this Scenario?

Happy Friday, gals!

As a tribute one of my FAVE movie characters of all time, hair chameleon Sally Albright, I've decided to put together some hair tips that I ALWAYS incorporate into my routine. They're simple, but oh-so-necessary. BT dubs, remember this scene from When Harry Met Sally? It's my fave.

Meg Ryan's hair is, admittedly, 80s-big and somewhat lackluster, but that was en vogue in those days. Though shine wasn't in, you can still recognize the health of that mane. And also? We simply must laud her ability to rock at least four different textures throughout the tenure of the film. Here's what I recommend for Sally Hair.

Right before showering, brush through your hair with a large paddle brush to distribute the oils along the hair shaft to your ends. I love this wooden one ($32) from Sephora.

Unless you have wildly greasy hair, don't wash two days in a row. I'd recommend going as long as you can in between with the help of dry shampoos and volumizing agents. Even if you don't have fine hair, volumizers extend the life of a blowout by at LEAST 24 hours. Don't let a stylist blow you out without spritzing one on your locks first. I'm loving Keratin Amino Acids-infused Phyto Phytovolume Actif ($28). I spray a HUGE amount of it from root to tip and love its ability to coat the hair in order to create a non-sticky, pliably amplified texture. Its subtle, vaguely powdery scent is so uniquely French. Je l'adore.

Have a great weekend!

Lock it up.

Gals, happy Friday. I hesitate to admit this, but I really don't like to share my products. Obviously, I'm happy to lend some gloss when we're on the go, or provide "night makeup" for a Day-to-Night Barbie transformation for a friend who can't make it home to spruce up on a weeknight. But free-for-all sharing of cosmetics and beauty products makes me intensely NERV. In college, I lived with SIX other girls in a most communist beauty/fashion situation. I'm still missing key items I dream about including but not limited to a blouse I purchased while studying abroad in Paris and numerous cosmetics. One morning, I skipped a class and returned to my room only to find one roommate who will remain nameless using all my products while I was gone. And she freaked because I startled her. My deepest APOLOGIES, roommate who will remain nameless. I would never want to startle YOU whilst you were doing your daily primping in my room. How rude of me.

I'm still annoyed about it, clearly. But Sephora has come out with something that would have solved ALL of my 1999-to-2002 sticky-fingered roommate issues. Their adorable new Raffia Train Case comes with its own LOCK AND KEY. Genius, n'est-ce pas? It's sold as part of Sephora's Safari Summer 2008 Collection for $78 at Sephora and Sephora.com.

Celebrate Earth Day with CARGO PlantLove Lipsticks

The new celebrity PlantLove shades have been created by celebrity mothers, Kim Raver, Angie Harmon and Denise Richards. The trio joined forces with CARGO to help make the world a more beautiful and earth friendly place.

CARGO PlantLove is a revolutionary lipstick containing a lipstick tube made entirely out of corn - a renewable and abundant resource. The outer carton is also made of flower paper embedded with real flower seeds, which are plantable, so they allow you to give more green back to the earth.

Best of all? $2.00 from each tube sold is donated to St. Jude’s Pediatrics Research Hospital. Look good; do good.

$20.00, available at Sephora and Sephora.com.

You'll Have to Come Up with Another Reason for Declining Bad Dates.

Hey, girls!

Hope your weekend was fab. I have to tell you about the sublimity that is this super-absorbant Sephora brand hair towel. It's nothing short of phenom. Blow drying your hair sucks (doesn't it? I get tired just THINKING about it sometimes) so I'm always on the lookout for things that both make the drying process shorter and lengthen the time I can go between blowouts.

The hair towel ($20) is made of Aquitex - a material woven from ultra-fine microfibers to wick moisture from hair faster and more thoroughly than ordinary towels. I like to wrap up my hair in this machine washable dream and lotion on up and then do some chores or watch some DVR'd TV for thirty minutes or so before starting the blow dry with my T3 Evolution.

Some tips for prolonging the 'do:
Bain de Terre Scalp Scrub ($15) - I snorted at the sight of this Grace-Adler-style when I received a sample of it and it wasn't until the Beauty Addict's RAVE review that I allowed yet another step into my already-far-too-complicated-hair lifestyle. I was fully intending to use it as a body scrub, for which it can also be used per the box. Well, when the Beauty Addict says that it'll extend your blowout by 36 hours, she MEANS it. I tested it out a few weeks ago and somehow, by exfoliating my scalp (which I plum can't believe NEEDS exfoliation), the telltale I-haven't-washed-my-hair smell was nowhere to be found after 3 days. AND my roots were looking FINE. No hair powder necessary. For $15 for a box of 4, I think it's a steal.

A Satin Pillowcase ($7-30) will make a huge difference when it comes to bedhead.

T3 360 Plump $38 amplifies strands beyond belief without making hair sticky or dull. Thicker roots, whether you have fine or thick hair, mean you can go longer between blowouts. Try it out.

What are your tips for extending a blowout? Share in the comments. Happy Monday!

Lush Flush Lifestyle.

I LURVE a stain. Sometimes a product comes along that I enjoy so much, I instantly run out and buy THREE for fear it will be discontinued or that I may need extras in the event of some kind of beauty famine. Sephora's Lush Flush is one such item. I'd give it a 10 on the TotalBeauty scale. That rating is reserved for VERY special products. This one makes the cut. The packaging is phenom and innovative. It looks like a squeeze tube, but in fact turns out to be a sponge wand! This amuses me to no end. I like to open it in front of fellow beauty junkies just to see their reaction. It's such a packaging fake-out. Also? This stain is the only one I've found that looks just as good on cheeks as it does on lips. I'm usually resigned to use one only on one or the other. And the wand/gel situation makes it SO MUCH easier to store and deal with. I never have to worry about opening it upside down. My entire makeup bag is stained due to the many tints its housed throughout its time. Even my passport is bright pink because I used to keep it in a drawer where I stored my Benetint. Lush Flush, I adore you. At $10, I have no problem purchasing you in multiples! Speaking of blushing, how about Client 9 Eliot Spitzer? How do these disgraced wives stomach standing by their scumbag husbands at press conferences? Someone explain THAT to me.

P.S. I met up with Daneen, who was in town on biz last night for a glass of wine and checked out a stain she recommends, Stila Cherry Crush. I didn't give it a full test-drive, but I smelled it and the scent. is. divine. I'm def going to have to make a purchase.

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Embrace Your Inner Lovie Howell

Confession: When it comes to packing, I'm way more Lovie Howell than Mary Ann. I have an enormous beauty products bag that hangs in which I pack everything non-makeup oriented for travel. My contact lens paraphernalia, toothbrush set, shampoo and conditioner, etc. I then bring an enormous bag full of makeup. When there's a black tie event involved, I like to bring every single cosmetic I think I may possibly use in a world. As I mentioned before, more often than not, I need to include cosmetics for whoever is sharing my room. There's always a "will you line my eyes?" moment. But to find all of my stuff in one bag is a nightmare.

Enter Sephora's gorge Hanging Bag. This is a durable (and adorable!) hangable bag covered in a slick pink, green, and white striped material. I'm not normally a prep... but this bag makes me want to pack it up and take it to Khaki and Pearls Country, as my friend Jammahs calls DC. In fact, I will be doing exactly that come the end of June for my friend Bonnie's wedding.

For $48, you get zippered compartments, a mirror, and two removable makeup bags that attach with velcro. Genius, genius, genius.

Photo Credit: sephora.com