Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog

Baby, it's cold outside, and whether you have hat head or winter dry hair, you can tame those flyaways, damage, and frizz with a hair mask. The mane difference between a hair mask and conditioner is the concentration of ingredients.

Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine, from L'Oreal ($6),

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Mask ($7),

and Nioxin Deep Repair Hair Masque ($12) were the top three picks from the panel of Good Housekeeping.

Why was Frosty the Snowman a happy, jolly soul? Because Frosty took an early retirement and is living in warm Miami Beach, Florida. The ole' Frost is quite a bit thinner now and not as pale. His trick of the trade is self-tanning products. His two faves are Fusion Beauty and St. Tropez Instant Tanning System (Sephora). The Snow MAN has ordered the Glow Fusion AirGlow blower and will report the outcome to the women and girls of Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog.

Thumpety thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump, look at Frosty go.
Thumpety thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump --

Poor old Frosty can't seem to shake the thump yet, but doctors are hopeful they can cure his altered gait.

Almost Packed delights with a dog purse that will make you howl.

When you're skiing down a snowy slope, a red nose is as natural as windblown hair. It gives you that "I'm-having-healthy-fun" look, but when you are stepping out for the evening, the last thing you want is the "Rudolph-the-Red-Nosed Reindeer" look. Cover that honker with one of the five top concealers.

• Dermablend Concealer: You won't hear any snickering out of Dasher, Dancer, and Prancer with this high intensity coverage. It covers everything! Even those cute freckles -- uh, age spots.
• Prescriptives Camouflage Cream: The Holy Grail of the cosmetic surgery patient. Just imagine what it could do for a glowing beak.
• Maybelline Great Wear Concealer: This fave of drugstore and budget aficionados will have you shouting out with glee.
• M.A.C. Studio Finish Concealer: Vixen would be uber-jealous of the staying power of this lightweight but long lasting concealer.
• Revlon Colorstay Concealer : A good entry concealer at a good price, but the naked truth is that this product won't cover that scarlet schnozzola.

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"What's a good way to keep your makeup from fading/disappearing later in the day without caking it on and looking like a doll?"

Vanessa Dunn, Sephora Pro Beauty Team expert, helped me out with this one.

Her response: "A great way to keep your makeup from fading/disappearing later in the day, without caking it on, is with foundation primer, eyeshadow primer, a cheek stain and lip stain. Start with a foundation primer. They're light, sheer, and create a barrier on your skin, so that when you perspire your makeup is not lifted. Similar to foundation primers, eyeshadow primers allow for shadow to remain on the lids, and last, throughout the day. It's important to make sure that your primer is dry before applying shadow. What I love about cheek stains and lip stains are that they’re waterproof, have a high concentration of pigment (color) and dry very quickly, so you don't have to worry about reapplying. Stains can be applied with your finger, which you should also use for blending. Keep in mind, since stains are waterproof, you'll need to work quickly before the stain dries. Stains come in various formulas and shades, so it's easy to choose one that's right for you. For a natural shade to compliment your skin tone, simply match the color to the palm of your hand."

Thanks, Vanessa

I have yet to find the perfect solution to ironing out my facial winkles, and my laugh lines are no laughing matter now that they are carving out a niche in my face. I would gladly consider Botox except that a 20-year ride of Botox would cost as much as a new BMW 335i coupe. (The truth: $40,000 for Botox or the BMW). So what's a girl to do? Spackle, girls, spackle!

The truth: My previous primer, Perfekt Skin Perfecting Gel, was a perfect symphony of primer and foundation, but it only lasted approximately 24 pumps, to the tune of $1,000 a year. (My SephoraBFF indicated that it should last 240 pumps.) In the quest for the perfect primer, my primer morgue includes, among, others, Laura Geller's Spackle Makeup Primer which tends to coagulate in my lines like platelets in a blood vessel, Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer and Nars Makeup Primer which left a filmy residue that looked like the inside of my shower door.

The naked truth is that anybody's skin looks its best naked -- freshly exfoliated and intensely moisturized -- no matter what you apply as the next layer. Perfekt is still the best smoke and mirrors on the market to date. Although Brains indicates the primer is too costly, Beauty wins this debate: The multitasking Perfekt can be worn as a primer or as a light foundation. It covers redness, fine lines, and looks very natural. I am off to see my little gal pals, Leah and Amy, at Sephora to turn in my empty container of Perfekt for a new one with the hopes that I can achieve a 240-pump regimen.


Once again, I must applaud our local Sephora girls and Chantelle who helped at the Christ Child Society fashion show fundraiser. Between Sephora's gals and Chantelle, owner and stylist who owns the salon Flashbangs, they turned our models into supermodels.