Just because a product is popular and works for a lot of people doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right for you.  For example, I recently used a tester size eye cream all over my face and had a terrible reaction.  Another good reason to get a sample of the product you are thinking of purchasing before you close the deal. This way you don’t pay full price for an item you can’t use.

It seems like products are being produced with more chemicals, botanical’s and God only knows what. So, it’s tough to say that unless you know what to look for on the ingredients list, you may not have a clue what those long scientific ingredient names really stand for. Always, read the ingredient list on anything you use on or put in your body.

To test a product to see if you may have a negative reaction to it, simply place a pea size amount on the skin behind your ear, or on the inside of your elbow. Do this before you go to bed at night. You may also place a bandage over the product  to prevent wiping it off and for optimal test results.

These tests may seem a bit extreme to some, so you can keep them for products used on the face or hair.  Believe me, if you have had any type of sensitivity in the past or a reaction, you won’t want to skip the patch test.

It’s finally here! Award season is upon us, and to me that means all new beauty and fashion trends.

Sure, Fashion Week gives us a heads up on what hair styles, makeup trends and fashion is to come in the next season. In reality it’s the celebrities who take the runways visions and spin them off into what’s really wearable.

There is so much to look out for when the celebs hit the red carpet. Glowing skin, and the foundation on top, dewy or matte finish? Lip shades, which of course go with the type of eye, smokey eye, or something more subdude? Hair color, hair texture, hair length and style. Don’t forget the manicure either!

The Golden Globes are this Sunday, and I will definitely be watching. So, don’t worry if you miss it, I’ll be taking notes and sharing with you in up coming posts!

Your Feet:

The other day I was at the nail salon and the girl next to me had some wrongfully long-a** toenails. Now, there is no good explanation for this as far as I am concerned. I don’t care if you can’t get into the salon/spa to get a pedicure on a regular basis, clip your toenails girl!  It didn’t even stop there, she even claimed to have “crusty calluses” on the bottom of her feet.

Since this blog is based on beauty tips I’m going to direct those out there who had no clue about a certain section at the drug store. The personal care, or beauty isle. Here you can find, toe nail clippers, pumice stones, nail files, and even cream specifically geared to smoothing the rough skin on your feet.

Our feet literally carry everything on them. Like anything else, they need maintenance. What would we do if we neglected them and they suddenly couldn’t perform the everyday duties we rely on so much? Especially since it’s sandal season,  I’m going to share a few pointers of what I do in between pedicures to maintain soft and gorgeous feet.

1. In shower pumice stone or pumice file.

Use it on the bottoms of your feet to keep dead skin from becoming calluses.

2. baby-oil.

Straight out of the shower it locks in moisture to keep feet soft.

3. Foot Cream – one that is specifically geared towared keeping calluses at bay.

I apply mine at night and place socks over my feet so it soaks in all night.

4. Clippers & Nail file.

If you can’t get in to have someone else keep your nails in shape, keep them trimmed at home. There is no excuse for talons as toenails.

Everyone has a few staples in their beauty routine that they can’t live without. Here are Brookemoinet.com’s, favorite thing’s.

1. Aveda Body Wash in Shampure or Energizing scent.

“The natural scents from Aveda wake me up inside. Their body wash is a pure and refreshing way to start the day!”

2. Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo -

“I like to use this on more than just Sunday to help fade my color after I just have it done.   Helps my colored hair look more natural.”

3. La Roche Posay- Biomedic Micro Exfoliating Scrub-

“The best exfoliating facial scrub out there by a land slide! Every exfoliating cleaser I’ve tried doesn’t come close to the exfoliating power of this product.  It deeply exfoliates without being too harsh on the skin. Like a microdermabrasion at your own sink.”

4. Oral-B Glide Silk Floss-

“Glides through my tight teeth without getting stuck or fraying”

5. Bath and Body Works gentle foaming hand wash-

“Affordably luxurious. Your guests will compliment it every time they use it. Leaves a nice soft scent on hands.”

6. T.N. Dickensons Witch Hazel-

“Great as a post face-wash astringent. I could bathe in this stuff! “

7. Burt’s Bees Chap-stick-

“My lips can’t live without it! I love that it’s natural.  I know it not just creating a barrier over my lips like most chap-sticks out there, it’s also healing and moisturizing them.”

8. Cetaphil Cream-

“Heals the driest skin in an instant. Great for sensitive skin and skin affected by eczema as well. I love slathering it on myhands before I go to sleep. “

9. Pedicure by OPI “Soften”-

“Amazing callus softener with AHA & Green Tea Extract. Apply before bed and wake up with baby soft feet.”

10. Baby Oil-

“For me it’s the best eye makeup remover. It loosens even the toughest, waterproof mascara, or lash glue, or eye paint you may have worn that evening. Plus, you won’t be doing a lot of rubbing with this, which can cause premature aging around the eyes.”

11. Bed Head Masterpiece Hair Spray-

“Smells delicious! Leaves a clean shine, and holds any masterpiece in place. Use a little for a lighter hold, or you can build it up for a stiffer hold.”

February is the most romantic month of the year, and the magazines, fashion industry, beauty industry, and the rest of the world knows it.

Check out February magazine issues for the sweetest and sultry looks to try through-out the year!  Glam it up for a special date, or keep it soft for a sweet night in with your sweetie.  Rip out the beauty tips and keep them for a special date that may come your way in a few months.

Let the romantic fabrics of what you are wearing to inspire your hair and makeup.  For instance, Tulle and lace, and silky fabric is very now, so keep your hair soft by adding loose curls or a soft french twist with your makeup dewy and light.

xo

Turns out the girl coloring my hair was in fact an armature (I knew it) despite her rave reviews online. It also doesn’t help that I consider myself an expert in hair color (on others hair) and I am super anal about making sure the hair is saturated when doing an all over color. (I noticed several strands that still had light spots once my cutting stylist blow dried my hair at the end of the service.) To be fair the poor girl didn’t really stand a chance doing my color. When I was an “assistant” to a “top” colorist at the last salon I worked at, I wanted to pull my hair out every time I had to endure the sight of  her doing a color.  Bleeds with high-lights, sloppy coloring techniques, same toner for almost every client, I said “WTF in my head on a daily basis… So this girl at Prive, who probably only has two years out of beauty school (at the most),  didn’t stand a chance once I stepped into her chair.
Thank heaven the stylist who cut my hair was a real expert, who even helped launch Toni and Guy salons, the makers of TIGI and BED HEAD in Europe. Nice work Franck!
So, in the end I was happy for the change but I was left unsatisfied and wanted more.  More Blonde!

 Damn my need for change…

The other day on TV I saw save vs. splurge beauty product comparisons on the NBC Today Show. This sort of information I try to store in the back of my head untill I am out searching for a certain item I think I “need” at that moment.  So, there I was in Walgreens yesterday and there in front of me was the Caress Evenly Gorgeous exfoliating body wash. What is so special about this body wash is it contains actual brown sugar to slough away dead skin cells, just like FRESH Brown Sugar scrub. Only difference , the price is a mere fraction of FRESH! I love you FRESH but in these tough economic times and with this diamond of a find, why would you pay more? Caress Evenly Gorgeous also smells delicious, so you aren’t deprived of the yummy scent of brown sugar that you get in the more expensive scrub.

The second the product touched my skin, it felt luxurious and I fell in love with SPONGE. Its only been one week of using the line and I can visibly see a difference in the texture of my skin . In the evening I apply the velvety product called Ladi Avokanto, and  without fail my skin glows when I look in the mirror the next morning, thanks to this anti-aging serum. Day cream, night cream, aromatherapy mist, anti-aging serum, it’s all a heavenly combination of products I recommend everyone to try.

 I am always looking for the perfect shade of nude lipstick. I feel what might read as “nude” on  the tube may really come out as “mauve”, “pink”,or just plain “muddy”.  So, the other day when I needed a quick pick-me-up for my lips I decided to grab a random Maybelline lip-plumping lipstick that said it was “In The Nude”, I thought, “if its too pink, I don’t care because it was cheap anyway”.

Well, to my surprise it was actually what it said it was, NUDE.  Who knew? And as an added bonus it had a slight tingle, that gave my lips a little plump.  It moisturized them nicely too, and in the winter that’s a major plus.

So, thank you Maybelline for being affordable and honest, and for doing right by my lips!

So, where am I going with this? I’m going to continue to bless you with the honest knowledge and advice about skincare and beauty, in 2010.

Happy Holidays!

 Congrats, you’re in the know!