Palacinka Beauty

Winner of the Beautyfix Package Giveaway!

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Congratulations to Brittany Robson for winning our Beautyfix giveaway!

If you didn't win, we urge you to join the beautyfix program! For more informaton about the program, please read below:

Each season you'll receive your Beautyfix with only those products reviewed and hand selected by their panel of industry experts and top beauty bloggers.

Each shipment will contain an abundant collection of deluxe samples and full size products. You can cancel or pause your membership anytime, so there is nothing to lose. The retail value will be

hundreds of dollars – you'll only pay $50*!

Included in this first beauty fix kit (which also includes complimentary bag, pictured above are:

(Just some of the brands Included):

Jane Iradale

M Labs

Perricone M.D.

*Quarterly fee. You'll also receive a $25 gift card to glow.com just for sharing your opinions.

For more information please visit beautyfix.com

Palacinka Reader Question: Best Products for Ingrown Hair

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Question: I like to remove the hair on my bikini area, sometimes I wax, Other times I use a razor or hair removal cream. Unfortunately, no matter what I use, I always get those painful bumps of ingrown hairs.

It´s not only painful, but uncomfortable, and I´m getting a lot of scars.

Would you let me know what can I do to avoid this? - Andrea A.
Answer: There are 3 products that all of us at Palacinka Beauty swear by to prevent and eliminate ingrown hairs.

Everyone has their own preference, and each one of our picks has a different delivery method. The first is bliss ingrown hair eliminating peeling pads (pictured, above) which are pre-moistened pads which are gentle on the skin and great for travel (you can tuck a few into a tight sealed small zip lock baggie). The next is the cult classic, Tend Skin Liquid, For Men and Women, which is a clear liquid applied with a cotton ball. This one does sting a bit at first, but is super effective at destroying ingrown hairs, preventing future ones and leaving skin soft and smooth to boot! The third is Barc Razor Bump Relief, which is a light cream in a pump bottle. It's alcohol free and when we first tested this product last year, we were blown away with how effective it was at eliminating current ingrown hairs, and with use after every shave, preventing any future ones!

* For our international readers, some of these products, may not ship internationally at the time, but try using the My US mail forwarding service to get your hands on these items and anything else you read about on the Palacinka Beauty Blog!

Top 25 Beauty Products of 2008

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Every year the entire Palacinka Beauty team reflects on the all the wonderful products that we've tried and wrote about for Palacinka Beauty Blog. This year we've narrowed it down to the 25 products that the majority of us have continued to use, tell all our friends about, re-buy, and are overall obsessed with!

Of course we have already started our 2009 reviews of lovely new products, but in the meantime, enjoy our Top 25 Beauty Products of 2008 (in no particular order), along with full reviews for more information. We'll be back right after the New Year with all new reviews and beauty giveaways too!

WE WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY (AND BEAUTIFUL) NEW YEAR!!!

Palacinka Reader Question: Best Treatments for Damaged Hair

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:30:00 +0000

Question: I wanted to check with you to see if you knew of any products that actually help with hair breakage or proven products that help with hair regrowth? - Satina I.

Answer: We've found that Rene Furterer has some excellent products to help with thinning hair and hair breakage. One of our testers swears by Rene Furterer Vitalfan Antichute Thin Hair 60 Capsules (pictured, left). As part of an overall program also using Furterer hair treatments (below), regular trims, minimizing flat irons and blow dryer usage she saw significant results -- regrowth around her edges, much less breakage and indeed thicker hair, particularly in the back where she had the most damage. Our tester has naturally kinky/curly hair that was relaxed, but we have also seen great results with testers with dry/damaged hair that is naturally wavy or curly.

Rene Furterer RF80 Concentrated Hair Strengthening Formula 12 Ampoules

Rene Furterer Karite Revitalizing Program

Editor's Note: Another hair healthy tip for relaxed and/or chemically treated hair is to air dry after shampooing and using a heat cap (available at most beauty supply stores) to apply hair masks/conditioners.

Here are a few other hair products we swear by for healthy hair!

Korres Serum Rice Proteins To Protect Hair From Splitting .5 oz

Ojon SWA™ Liquid-Hair Building 4-Step Ritual Kit Swa™ Liquid-Hair Building 4-Step Ritual Kit

Phyto Phytophanere Dietary Supplement - Hair & Nails 120 Caplets

Winners of the Bourjois Giftpack Giveaway!

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:30:00 +0000

We are happy to announce the 5 winners of the Bourjois cosmetics gift pack just in time for the holidays, courtesy of Palacinka Beauty Blog and our friends at Bourjois.

Congratulations and Happy Holidays to all of you!

1. Carol Gentry

2. Karin Aaberg

3. Kathe Elwell

4. Stephanie Wagner

5. Farrah @ ffidler *Our very first twitter.com promotion winner! If you didn't catch this, make sure you follow us on twitter now so that you don't miss out on all the upcoming special twitter beauty promotions we're going to have!

Each gift pack will contain:
3D Mobile High Shine Lip Gloss Cell Charm Accessory (shown, above)
Baume de Nuit Night Lip Balm

Bronzing Powder
Illuminating Concealer PenEffet

Lancome Le Vernis Nail Color in Midnight Glam

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:45:00 +0000

Midnight Glam, pictured left.

Tester: Asian (Japanese) about Molly Roncal's complexion.

"In all my years of using various Lancome products, I can't believe I had never tried their nail polishes!

Testing Lancome's Le Vernis was a special treat since I LOVE discovering new nail colors and I also happen to lean towards dark shades.

Midnight Glam is a true, deep, shiny navy blue. There is no shimmer, glitter or metallic effect, but the color is so pure and intense, this was by far one of my favorite dark shades of 08. In natural light I also saw a slight bit of deep violet, which was so pretty! This makes a fantastic color for manicures or pedicures as well. The formula is med/thick and spread easily. The lasting power was also great. After my initial manicure, my nails barely chipped, using just a clear base coat over the color a few times a week.

The takeaway? This is a VERY pretty, sexy, bold color and fantastic formula. The bottle/box is also super luxe for all you packaging addicts. :) If you haven't had the pleasure of using Lancome's nail polishes -- now is the time, and this is the color!" T.N.

Go-->Lancome Le Vernis Nail Color in Midnight Glam

Win a BeautyFix Package worth $400!

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Palacinka Beauty Blog, in conjunction with our friends at beautyfix.com, are giving away one of the first editions of Beautyfix!

Beautyfix is a fantastic program. Each season you'll receive your Beautyfix with only those products reviewed and hand selected by their panel of industry experts and top beauty bloggers.

Each shipment will contain an abundant collection of deluxe samples and full size products. You can cancel or pause your membership anytime, so there is nothing to lose. The retail value will be

hundreds of dollars – you'll only pay $50*!

Included in this first beauty fix kit (which also includes complimentary bag, pictured above are:

Just some of the brands Included:

Jane Iradale

M Labs

Perricone M.D.

To enter to win simply send an e-mail to palacinkabeauty@gmail.com with:

1. Your name

2. Shipping address

3. Put in the subject line- beautyfix

Giveaway ends Monday December 22nd, 2008.

Rules:

1 entry per person. Multiple entries will not be counted

Winner must be a U.S. resident.

*Quarterly fee. You'll also receive a $25 gift card to glow.com just for sharing your opinions.

For more information please visit beautyfix.com

Join Palacinka Beauty Blog on Facebook!

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:20:00 +0000

If you love Facebook then join our Palacinka Beauty Blog group!

We share special news, sales, and beauty giveaways exclusively to our Facebook group, so don't miss out.

Join the Palacinka Beauty Blog group on Facebook today.

To "add us as friend" on Facebook, just head over to our page, run by blog manager, Simone Dilinger.

Weekend Beauty Steal: Nivea Natural Tone Body Lotion

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:08:00 +0000

$6.29

Tester: Hispanic (Cuban) with dry skin and light/moderate hyper pigmentation on legs/lower body.

"I grew up in a household that used Nivea, but had not used a Nivea product in a while, so I was curious what this new skin tone evening version would do for me.

Overall, I loved that the lotion still provided it's usual skin softening and moisturizing properties, just like classic versions. The lotion is lightweight and creamy with a silky feel. It absorbed very well and still felt light on my skin. I also used this on my hands and even after a few washes they stayed moisturized, which I was very impressed with. I happen to like scented lotions, and this was right up my alley - it's a round, slightly sweet smell that did linger a while on me. Not overwhelming, but present for certain.

I used the lotion long enough (over 4 weeks, 1-2 times a day) to also see some improvement (approx 40%) in the skin tone of my lower body. Of course, with any skin evening product, continuous use is key, but I would say that if I maintain my regular use another 4-6 weeks, I imagine an additional 30-40% improvement in my skin tone, which is great for a product with this price! This will definitely stay a body care staple for me." L.F.

Editor's Note: This does not contain hydroquinone (the active skin tone ingredient is Octadecenedioic Acid) but there is a very low SPF (4) so if using before outdoor activity or prolonged sun exposure an additional sunscreen is essential.

Go-->Nivea Body Natural Tone Body Lotion for an Even Skin Tone SPF 4

Impluse Buy of the Week: Tory Burch Metallic Snake Makeup Bag

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:00:00 +0000

When we saw this cosmetic bag during a recent trip to the Tory Burch store, we just simply could not help ourselves! The small cosmetic bag is the perfect size to throw in your handbag with all your daily essentials, and the color is even more luxurious in person. This is the perfect little posh touch for all your treasured makeup finds.

Logo at center and logo zip pull.

The small is 4 in" T x 6in" L. But if that's not enough to keep all your precious beauty items for daily use or travel, move up to the medium or large size (pictured, left) which come in this same incredible color!

Here are a few suggestions on what to keep stocked inside:

Bobbi Brown Cocoa Mauve Collection

Guerlain le 2 Mascara

Lime Wedge Emery Boards

Nurturing Force Facial Blotting Paper

Go-->Tory Burch Metallic Snake Makeup Bag

Jurlique Friends and Family Holiday Sale

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:15:00 +0000

This holiday season there is simply no reason not to take advantage of some of the best beauty discounts offered in years! Case in point - our friends at Jurlique, (one of our favorite organic skincare lines) have a friends and family sale.

Take 25% of all Jurlique items today through Sunday December 14th!

Use code: FF2508 online at Jurlique.com

Lancome Debuts on HSN Dec.11th!

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:55:00 +0000

Our friends at Lancome wanted all of our readers to know that Lancôme is making its debut on HSN this Thursday and Friday, December 11th and 12th. Representing Lancôme will be Joan Poulton, vice president of education who has an amazing amount of product knowledge.

The star product of the show will be Ôscillation (shown left), their red-hot vibrating power mascara. Joan will discuss why Ôscillation is the mascara of the year and show how this innovative product is so revolutionary.

She'll also showcase two of Lancôme's cult products: Bi-Facil, the must-have eye makeup remover, and Cils Booster XL (pictured, below), the best-selling luxury lash primer around.

There's more good news! For all big HSN fans, there will be flexpay and free shipping and handling too! Happy Shopping :)

The show times are as follows:

Thursday, December 11 3 p.m., 8 p.m.
Friday, December 12 9 a.m., 2 p.m.

Special Limited Edition PHYTO 7 Gold Available Now!

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Our fabulous friends at PHYTO wanted all of you to know about a special limited edition product and some new ones that are now available to keep your hair strong, shiny and protected this winter season!

PHYTO 7 GOLD (pictured left and below) is a limited edition version of the cult favorite, PHYTO 7. January 2009 marks the 40th year anniversary of this daily hydrating cream (leave-in) for dry hair.Use on wet or dry hair. Perfect for split ends and calming static electricity. SAME formula with 20% more! $26.00

Some other great PHYTO products to try this winter are:
Phyto Phytonectar Pre-Shampoo Ultra Nourishing Oil Treatment - Ultra Dry Hair 1.7 oz

Phyto Phytonectar Ultra Nourishing Shampoo 5.07 oz

Phyto 7 Gold Limited Edition 40th Anniversary 2.03 oz

CHANEL Joues Contraste - Mirage (Rose Bronze)

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Tester: Hispanic (Mexican) about Eva Medes' complexion with combination skin and good skin tone.

"Ah, yet another luxury in life that can only be provided by CHANEL!

This blush has quickly become a "must have" makeup product for me every day. It is truly a makeup lovers dream.

First, it has a fresh rose petal scent which wafted in the air as I swept the finely milled, silky blush across my cheeks. The fragrance was not cloying or too strong, and lasted faintly on my skin for a few minutes (although on more oily skins this scent will last longer, but it's so pleasant you won't mind at all).

The shade itself it also the perfect color to compliment not only many skin tones but fit many different makeup looks. It's a neutral medium pink with slight golden iridescent sheen, which is one of the most unique I've ever seen. It's very pigmented and finely milled, but goes on a lot sheerer than the shade in the compact. On my cheeks, Rose Bronze was slightly more bronzey than rosy pink, and gave me the perfect amount of shimmer that was perfect for day or night. What I really loved about the shade itself it was how it always managed to make me look natural and healthy, even when I applied more for a stronger effect.

The packaging is also lovely -- the blush is housed in a traditional black CHANEL compact and includes a big mirror (and a tiny brush). For daily use I used a much larger, fluffy blush brush to apply, but the tiny one worked for quick touch ups and travel just fine.

Another benefit of treating yourself to this luxury is that it really does last a long time because of the high quality and pigment density. It's an all around winner!" T.A.

Editor's Note: This will work best up to a Kerry Washington shade.

Go--> CHANEL Joues Contraste - Mirage (Rose Bronze)

Om Skincare- Elixir de Beauté Champagne Facial Cleanser

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Tester: Multi-Ethnic (Italian&Dominican) with combination skin and occational breakouts.

"When I was first given this cleanser to try I thought to myself , "Well, if it has anything to do with Champagne (one of my biggest loves), I'm all in." Although, I did think that a cleanser with Champagne in the name was a bit on the gimicky side at first glance.

Then, much like with a glass of champagne that I wouldn't have thought would have much of an impact on me - I was pleasantly surprised with this cleanser. The texture is a light/medium weight pebble brown colored liquid with a bit of a gel feel as well. I've rarely felt a texture like this. The cleanser has tons of very small exfoliating Champagne grapeseeds (hence the Champagne name) which didn't feel rough, but were nicely effective. I also loved how concentrated this cleanser was. With just a small pea sized amount mixed with water there was tons of lather, and a great scub to boot!

The cleanser has a very nice fragrance (vagely "grape-y" but more on the fresh side) , and after rinsing my skin felt soft, smooth and supple. I loved how the longer I used it the texture of my skin improved and had that wonderful healthy glow. This was truly a pleasure to use and was excellent in combination with their two other products which I was equally impressed with. The Crème Luxe 2 and Extrait de Caviar cream for eyes.

If you are looking for a new skin treat this is definately the line to go with!" V.T.

Go-->Elixir de Beauté Champagne Facial Cleanser

The Only 10 Holiday Beauty Gift Ideas You Will Need This Year

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:00:00 +0000

This year the Palacinka Beauty team searched far and wide and spent lots of time thinking about what those on your holiday gift giving list would love in the way of beauty this holiday season.

Our gift ideas include budget-friendly (one is under $10!), unique, practical and extravagant items that also make beautiful investments for that special someone.

So without further adieu, here are the Only 10 Holiday Beauty Gift Ideas you will need this year!

1. Guerlain Le 2 de Guerlain Mascara in Butterfly Sparkle. One of the best mascaras ever created in our opinion. The sleek golden packaging is awe inspiring too!

2. Bumble & Bumble Hair Band Ball You can never have too many bands, and Bumble and Bumble has found a great way to keep a ton of them together! You'll get points for creativity and practicality with this one!

Included:100 festively hued hair bands wrapped as a holiday bauble - perfect for stocking stuffers, office offerings, teacher treats or any seasonal gift-giving.

Go--> http://www.bumbleandbumble.com/

3. Urban Decay Poison Lip Gloss Ring. This is cosmetic jewelry (with 2 shades for changes) for the rocker/goth girl (or boy) in all of us.

Shades included -Stoned: Heatherette (shimmering beige w/ touch of silver sparkle), Guys Love Betsey (sheer candy apple red), Naked (pinky-nude)

Go--> http://www.urbandecay.com/

4. (Men's fragrance) Desire is one of Dunhill's older fragrances, but believe us when we tell you when the man in your life smells this he will not be disappointed - and neither will you!

Think: sexy apples!

Go--> http://www.perfume.com/

5. (Women's Fragrance) Neil Morris for Takishimaya One of the best fragrances we had the pleasure of trying this year. You'll also see the Takashimaya gift wrap/bag is to die for!

Go--> http://www.takashimaya-ny.com/

6. Yves Saint Laurent The Bow Collection- Multi Usage Palette The Bow Collection - Multi Usage Palette. The YSL Bow Collection clutch case is as luxurious as these beautiful and universally flattering shades.

7. A collection of three must-have CHANEL nail shades inspired by the runways of Paris. It's beautiful. It's CHANEL. Enough said.

Go--> http://www.chanel.com

8. Soap & Glory Scrub Triangle Mini Gift Set. The Soap & Glory line is the brain child of Marcia Kilgore (founder of Bliss) and one of the most amazing body care lines on the market now.

Go--> http://www.Target.com (Under $10!)

9. mark Most Loved Lips Kit This set of lip glosses comes with the cute pouch! Practical and perfect for any teen.

Go--> http://www.meetmark.com/ (Under $20!)

10. Chantecaille Le Tigre Bengali Palette

This is one of our favorite makeup lines because their products have some of the most luxurious textures and shades around -- and it's a packaging junkies dream.

...11 If the previous 10 gift suggestions don't work for you, try taking a look at our Impulse Buys of the Week feature for more! Happy Shopping...

Olay Pro-X Pre-Release Sold Out! But there's good news...

palacinkabeauty@gmail.com (Palacinka Beauty) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:30:00 +0000

Last week we told you about Olay Professional Pro-X's special pre-order opportunity. We've just been told that there are 1,000 women are waiting to be among the first to experience Olay Professional Pro-X.

While the national launch is in January, a limited pre-release of 1,000 Olay Professional Pro-X Anti-Aging Starter Protocols sold-out of pre-sale inventory today in only 17 minutes.

But, if you're still interesting in the latest line from Olay, just go to www.olayprofessional.com. Olay is taking pre-orders for an additional 20,000 Olay Professional Pro-X Anti-Aging Starter Protocols. Women can sign up now to be on the waiting list and pre-order one – with $10 off PLUS free shipping! Good Luck!