Just Call Me Bronzilla

The Product: L'Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Luminous Self-Tanning Lotion

The Claim: Contains light-reflecting micro-pearls that create a luminous, streak-free, bronze glow immediately upon application. The lotion smoothes on effortlessly and is absorbed quickly. Rich in Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, this lotion replenishes and hydrates while it develops your sunless tan. Apply daily until you get your desired tone and then repeat application once or twice a week to maintain your golden bronze.

The Results: I love the immediate bronze glow this lotion leaves on the skin. The feel of it is nice, too--it's more of a gel consistency than a lotion, and it absorbs quickly. The morning after applying I was shocked at how bronze I was. I looked like I had spent a month tanning in Rio; it was truly amazing. One warning: this product is really pigmented to give such a dark tan, so any streaking is really obvious. I actually think I would prefer it without the self-tanning action, and only as a shimmer product.

Pony Up With Christian Siriano

In keeping with my love for Christian Siriano this week, I thought I'd post the how-to for the funky ponytails at his recent show.

The Look:
This is a low, sleek ponytail adorned with a textured bouquet of waves; a play of smooth versus rough. Hair is sleek and groomed on each side of the head and through the ponytail, with a slightly rough, matte finish on top and elegant, textured waves pinned above the pony. The finished look is chic and contemporary with a bit of attitude.

Get the Look/Step-by-Step:

• Step 1: Create a deep side part. Draw a horseshoe-shaped section of hair along the top of the head, from each brow-line. Isolate this section of hair and pin in place with a single-pronged hair clip.

• Step 2: Pull the bottom half of hair into a ponytail and secure with a bungee elastic. Divide ponytail into sections with fingers and spray with Aveda Air Control™ Hair Spray for workable hold.

• Step 3: Use a flat iron to straighten the ponytail section by section, creating a smooth, sleek finish.

• Step 4: Unclip the top section of hair and comb it back and over the ponytail. Sprinkle Aveda Pure Abundance™ Hair Potion and massage into hair to create volume and matte, rough texture.

• Step 5: Working with the same top section, divide hair into smaller pieces and spray with Aveda Air Control™ Hair Spray. Wrap each piece of hair around a ceramic Curl Rod, creating spirals, until the entire top section of hair has been curled.

• Step 6: Brush through spirals, loosening curls into soft waves. Loosely backcomb waves to create fullness, volume and texture, and shorten the length of hair.

• Step 7: Pin the sides and ends of wavy hair against the head, close to the base of the ponytail. Hair is sculpted into a voluminous, undulating chignon adorning the ponytail.

• Step 8: Work Aveda Light Elements™ Texturizing Creme into palms. Smooth hair along the sides of the head and above the ears to create a sleekness and shine.

• Step 9: Finish the look with Aveda Air Control™ Hair Spray for shine and hold.

Aveda Products Used:
Aveda Light Elements™ Texturizing Creme
Aveda Pure Abundance™ Hair Potion
Aveda Air Control™ Hair Spray


Antoinette Beenders Quotes:

Q: What was your inspiration for this look? How did you collaborate with the designer to create the look?
“Christian and I worked together to create a hair look that reflects the inspiration behind his collection: waves and the ocean, with shimmering silks, silvers, and blues. I call this look the “wave” because of the back-combed wave that floats atop the ponytail. Since Christian is a young designer, the hair look is elegant yet very modern.”

Q: How could a woman achieve this look on her own?
“This is an elegant, alternative version of the ponytail—beautiful for evening. Using a fine comb, separate the front/top of hair and part it into a horseshoe shaped section on the top of the head. Tie the rest of hair into a low ponytail. Rake the front/top of hair back with Aveda Light Elements™ Texturizing Creme, and curl with a curling rod. Brush through curls and backcomb slightly, then pin teased hair to the base of the ponytail, creating loose, textured waves. Finish look with Aveda Air Control™ Hair Spray.”

Sunscreen for Hair

Always a huge fan of sunscreen, my latest obssession is L'Oreal's EverPure UV Spray. It can be used on wet or dry hair, and is lightweight so it doesn't weigh hair down. It has really helped to keep my color from fading this summer. Weeks later, my highlights are still fresh and vibrant; if it wasn't for the dark roots, I wouldn't even need to get my hair done yet.

Christian Siriano for VS Makeup

I know I'm a little late on posting this collection, but I am loving the Christian Siriano make up collection for Victoria's Secret. The packaging is chic and the colors are bold, a perfect look for fall. My favorite item is the lip gloss in Sublime, and pale pink nude.

The Acne Saga Continues...

Between the acne and the acne scars, it's hard to decide what to work on first. I decided to start with my acne and deal with the rest later. My dermatologist prescribed my a stronger prescription for my face, and recommended that I use extremely gentle cleansers and creams.

Never one to sit around and wait for my face to clear up, I decided to take a more offensive stance and purchased the Patricia Wexler Acnescription Anti-Acne Starting Kit from Bath and Body Works, which includes a cleanser, serum, moisturizer, and spot treatment. I know you're not supposed to use and exfoliator when you have acne, but I have always chosen to ignore this advice. The Exfoliating Cleanser in this kit is amazing, and has really helped get rid of the dead skin left from previous pimple creams. The texure is that of a light exfoliator, so I only use it at night (still use the Clarisonic in the morning with a gentle cleanser). The Anti-Aging Serum is also great, and I am now using it in place of moisturizer at night.

The Oil-Free Hydrator is just terrible. I swear it made my face greasier, and my concealer slid off when applied over it. Yuck. Not a fan at all! The last item, the Spot Treatment, is great, but not as a spot treatment. I found that it didn't dry on my skin, and would roll of when I went to bed, so I've been using it as a face mask on my trouble areas (fyi, trouble area = entire bottom half of my face).

I've noticed an improvement in my skin which I think is primarily due to the prescription, but is enhanced by the Wexler cleanser and serum. I'll keep you updated on the 'facial developments', but hopefully I'm on my way to a cure. Does anyone out there have any other acne products I should try?

Eye Am A Believer

The Product: L'Oreal Revitalift Deep-Set Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream

The Claim: Pro-Retinol A® + Fiber- Restoring Complex targets the delicate eye area's intricate fibrous support with 24-hour repair. The AM treatment is a gentle SPF 15 hydrating cream that helps repair and protect the skin with UVA/UVB SPF 15 sunscreen. The PM treatment helps repair and restore broken skin fibers to reduce deep-set wrinkles around the eyes while you sleep.

The Results: This is the best eye cream I've tried in a long time. I actually put away my $190.00 ReVive eye cream that I had been using in favor of this one. I absolutely LOVE the convenience of having an eye duo for day and night that is attached. It makes me feel better having SPF 15 around my eyes during the day, and I love how luxurious the night cream feels. The product is aimed towards a more mature crowd, and the packaging says it's for "deep-set wrinkle repair," but I still loved it for my 27 year old eyes. I don't have enough wrinkles to notice a huge difference, but after several weeks of use the skin around my eyes seems to be more hydrated and firm.

Collagen For...Your Lashes?

The Product: L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara in Black

The Claim: This Extra Volume Mascara by L'Oreal contains Hydra Collagen which creates up to 12x more volume with no clumps, extra volume brush is twice as thick as traditional brushes. Infused with a complex of collagen and Hyaluronic spheres, clings to lashes and expands to provide lash magnification.

The Results: If you like the DiorShow mascara, you will love this one. It is extremely similar, and at $7.95, what do you have to lose? It adds tons of volume, yet still leaves lashes looking natural. As you know from my previous posts, I don't necessarily think 'natural' is a good thing when it comes to lashes, at least for myself. I like thick, dramatic, almost spidery lashes (I know, it's not for everyone). However, this mascara does what it claims it will--leaves you with lush lashes. It didn't flake, but I did notice that my lashes weren't as full by the end of the day, and the curl had gone out of them. My lashes didn't have the normal stiffness I associate with mascara, possibly due to the collagen. All in all, it's ideal for anyone that wants fullness at a drugstore price.