I made it to the final round of Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger Awards!

allureweek22I am so beyond thrilled to announce that I avoided elimination again… and I’m one of the four remaining bloggers competing in the fifth and final round of the Beauty Blogger Awards! Not only that… but I was voted “Most Buzzworthy” for the fourth consecutive week! Wow!

The new challenge posted this morning was our $50 makeup challenge. Allure sent us each a $50 AmEx Gift Card and told us to hit up a drugstore and get creative! I took mine to Target and created a look inspired by Adele’s Grammy look. I had an absolute blast with this and I hope you all enjoy it too!

This time next week, Allure will reveal the Beauty Blogger of the Year, as well as two runner ups and the overall “Most Buzzworthy” winner. Until then, I need you guys to do what you do best… vote, like, and tweet! You can vote every day this week until voting closes at noon on Friday. Thank you so very much for your continuous love and support! I’m so excited!

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every day this week (until Friday before noon). We are in the fifth and final round of the contest, so I can use your help now more than ever! It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Didn’t do anything for Mom yet? Never fear! You procrastinators still have time to scoop something up. Or you could skip the present and treat Mom to a day of beauty with her daughter! Either way, here are a few fun beauty ideas at all different price points for Mom…

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Elizabeth Arden Beauty Icons Set

This signature set ($250) contains several full sized Arden products that have reached cult status including the Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum and Visible Difference Hydration Boost Night Mask. To me, this is a quintessential batch of tried-and-true products for mom… probably because one of my first beauty product memories is seeing the Ceramide Capsules on my own mom’s nightstand when I was little.

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Bath and Body Works Rome Honeysuckle Amore Collection

Not all of us can afford to send our Moms to Italy, but we can make her smell like it! Create the atmosphere of a stroll through one of Italy’s most glamorous cities with this “Rome scented” set of products. I’m addicted to this light fruity floral fragrance. Hints of Italian Peach, Blackberry and Green Mandarin mingle beautifully with the Pink Honeysuckle. Affordable, lusciously scented options in the collection include shower gel ($11), body lotion ($11), and a fine fragrance mist ($14).

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LUSH Mother’s Day in Paradise

It’s no secret that I love me some LUSH… and they are always whipping up something fresh for special occasions. The Mother’s Day in Paradise set ($56.95) features some of the line’s most popular picks: The Comforter, a best-selling bubble bar, and Dream Cream body lotion. Mother’s Day in Paradise also includes three freshly made exclusives, the Secret Garden Bath Bomb, Mumkin bubble bar, and Madame Butterfly reusable bubble bar.

diormani2Dior Manicure Essentials Set

This convenient kit ($62) offers the essentials required for perfectly manicured nails. The limited edition set includes Dior bestsellers like Crème Apricot nail cream, Pelline cuticle emollient, a base coat and top coat, and an orange wood stick and nail file. All goodies are packaged in a chic patent travel pouch, too!

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Beauty Box Subscription

Ok, if you subscribe for her now, chances are she won’t get her box of goodies before Sunday… but the beauty of this option is that she’ll get an ongoing series of gifts! Birchbox and Glossybox are two of the most popular, both feature a variety of brand new deluxe product samples delivered straight to your door each month.

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Mother/Daughter Beauty Day

Many salons like Drybar (remember how much I love Drybar?) are offering Mother’s Day deals. The blowout experts are offering specially priced packs of blowouts. The more you buy, the more you save! A 3 pack of blowouts will run for $90 (a $15 savings) and a 12 pack costs $325 (a $95 savings!). Drybar also offers a Mother’s Day Special package with a blowout, dry shampoo, and shower cap for $55. Not in your budget? Treat mom to a service at home! Blow out her hair yourself or create a makeshift pedi-spa and paint her nails. If you completely screw it up it won’t matter, she’s your mom and she will love it! (But… if you have one of those moms, you should probably just take her to Drybar).

When all else fails… make Mom a martini. Nothing says “thanks for raising me” like a freshly shaken cocktail. 😉 Happy Mother’s Day to all!

[P.S. Don’t forget to check back on Monday to see if I’m still in the running for Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! Two bloggers will be eliminated at 9 a.m. Monday, but if I make it through I’ll need your help to make it through the final round of the contest! Either way, I’m so thankful for all of the voting, liking, and tweeting you all have done already!]

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Get the Look: Emmy Rossum’s Pretty-in-Punk Nails from the Met Gala

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I did a little nailspotting and fell in love with Emmy Rossum’s designer fingertips she rocked at the Met Gala earlier this week. Her polish was perfectly on point with the theme of the evening, PUNK: Chaos to Couture.

Anyone can play matchy-matchy with a gown color, so I really admired the attention to detail and embellishments her nail artist used to create this look. butter LONDON Global Ambassador Katie Hughes was the brains behind the operation, and she incorporated pieces from Emmy’s dress to construct this couture nail decoration.

Katie was inspired by Emmy’s soft, billowing dress and used pieces of lace – the same fabric from which her dress was created – supplied direct from designer Donna Karan. image003Individual crystals, also used on her dress, enhanced the look to pull together an elegant, yet edgy look.

“Emmy knew she really wanted to incorporate the fabric from the dress somehow, but with a twist that gave it an unexpected edge,” Katie said. “Together we decided to use both the fabric and the stones to create a nail that was both delicate and edgy. It looked awesome.”

Here’s the scoop on how she did it:

  • Katie began by painting Emmy’s nails with two coats of butter LONDON Nail Lacquer in Yummy Mummy followed by a layer of butter LONDON P.D. Quick Top Coat.
  • She then cut individual pieces of lace to perfectly cover Emmy’s nails and placed them down on the wet nails, letting the lace dry on top of the nail.
  • Once the nails were dry, Katie placed glue on random spots of the nail where the crystals would be adhered, and then placed each crystal onto the nail.

Such a fun look! What do you think? Would you rock this nail art? I say go for it!

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday (Fridays before noon). We are in the fourth round of the contest. On Monday, two bloggers will be eliminated, so I could use your help now more than ever to help get me to the fifth and final round! It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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I’m still in the running for Allure’s Beauty Blogger of the Year!

I can’t believe it! The fourth round of Allure’s hunt for the Beauty Blogger of the Year is here… and I’m still in! Not only that… but I was also named “Most Buzzworthy” for the third consecutive week! Woo-hoo!

It’s down to six of us now and the competition is fierce. These bloggers are awesome, so I feel very fortunate to be included in this group! In the new challenge, I hit the streets of my hometown in sunny South Florida to find a makeover candidate and create a little beauty at the beach! I created a beachy bronze look for her and detailed the steps I took to create that golden glow.

Vote, tweet, like, and share my new challenge entry every day this week (before noon on Friday) to help get me to the end! I could use your help now more than ever to get me through to the final round. I owe you all martinis when this is all over! In the meantime, enjoy a Bumble Bee Shot. Bzzz! 😉bumblebee2

The Bumble Bee

1 oz Three Olives Vanilla Vodka

Splash of Drambuie

Mix ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Strain into shot glass.

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday. Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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My Etsy Beauty Favorites

Let’s hear it for the little guys! Fancy packaging paired with a high price tag does not necessarily equal quality. Some of my favorite products were custom blended with love by home grown companies. Want to support some local entrepreneurs and independent companies with me? Here are a handful of my homemade favorites that I’ve found via Etsy, the ultimate handmade marketplace!

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OhSudz Skin Corrector Trio

The quality of these concealers is just as good (if not better than) some of the professional creams I’ve tried of the same type. OhSudz offers a trio of shades of your choice and even lists similar department store shades for comparison. Included in the shade choices are two yellow tones to choose from, a regular yellow based tone and a light yellow. The light yellow is perfect for me – it works great as a highlighter and also conceals purple tones underneath my eyes like a charm!

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Noella Beauty Mineral Foundation

Noella Beauty’s Mineral Foundation is a blend of calming minerals offered in the coverage level of your choice, from sheer to full. The vegan foundation comes in an assortment of shades and blends effortlessly into the skin for a natural looking finish. Noella Beauty will even custom blend a shade for you if you desire a specific tone they don’t offer!

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PuraLogica Pink Pearl Radiant Glow Blush

I loooove the silky texture and shimmery finish of PuraLogica’s Radiant Glow Blush. The pink pearl shade is a soft pink packed with the right amount of luminescent shine. It also doubles as a really pretty eyeshadow. The loose mineral blush is also free of talc, oil, and other ingredients that can cause skin irritation.

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Long Winter Soap Co. Lip Balm

I’m a total sucker for a catchy title. Long Winter Soap Company immediately won me over with their “Unicorn Farts” lip balm. I was doubly pleased when I tested it out! It smells amazing (who knew?) and soothes chapped lips completely. The balm is created using natural beeswax, unrefined cocoa butter, unrefined shea butter, and vitamin E, as well as jojoba, sweet almond, grape seed, and flavor oils. It’s carefully formulated to provide an equal balance of protection and softness without that waxy feeling. My other favorite balm flavors from Long Winter Soap include Lavender Peach, Coconut Limeade, and Earl Grey.

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JustPureMinerals Natural Vegan Lipstick

This universally flattering pinky nude tone is the perfect shade for daytime wear. The formula consists of castor oil, jojoba oil, carnauba wax, candied candelilla wax, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, and mica. Also infused with a hint of mint, the lipstick is creamy and glides on smooth for a beautiful natural looking pout.

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday. Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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OCC Teams up with Celeb Drag Queens for new Lip Tar and Lacquer Duos

You better WORK! Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics has enlisted the finest drag queens – Willam, Detox, and Vicky Vox of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame – to serve as the face of the new Lip Tar and Nail Lacquer Duos. If you aren’t a Drag Race fan, you might recognize these stunners from their hilarious songs and YouTube videos like this one:

As evidenced by their killer makeup skills, this trio of classy queens is the perfect fit to promote the new crop of cult classic Lip Tars and Nail Lacquers. The Celebrity Drag Queen Collection features six perfectly paired shades ranging from bubblegum pinks to nearly black reds. In addition to the long lasting lip treat and densely pigmented polish, each duo also includes a lip brush and a collectible drag queen trading card. The sets, each specially priced at $22.50, launch officially on Tuesday and will be sold exclusively on Sephora.com. Here’s a peek at the shades:

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Anime – A bright neon pink setliptar2

Black Dahlia – A super blackened red set

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Kava Kava – A neutral peach set liptar5

NSFW – A true balanced red setliptar6 Strumpet A deep purpled burgundy set

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Grandma – A clean, classic coral set

I am loving me some NSFW, but something tells me Willam can pull it off better than I can. Some girls have all the luck!

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday. Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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Home Spa Recipes from the Fontainebleau Spa Director

Fontainebleau by Fontainebleau

Mineral pool at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach

Josie Feria, Spa Director at the Fontainebleau’s Lapis Spa in Miami Beach, knows a thing or two about spa treatments. After three decades of experience as an expert in multiple areas of the beauty industry, she is currently the mastermind behind every detail of the luxurious sanctuary that is the Lapis Spa. Lapis encourages guests to experience different “water journeys,” designed by Feria, that include the Elements Rain Tunnel, the Bleau Rain Room, and the mineral pool.

Just in time to start prepping your skin for summer, Josie shared with me how to bring the experience of the Lapis Spa to your home with these copycat exfoliating treatments. Each recipe simulates a service on their extensive spa menu… and each one is effortlessly attainable with ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now. Want to transform your bathroom into a Miami style spa oasis? Read on for step-by-step instructions from Josie and get your spa on!

Pre-Summer Body Exfoliation (simulates Spalicious Body Scrub)

Skin softening natural all body exfoliating treatment

• Ingredients: ½ cup olive oil, ¾ cup fine sea salt and drops of your favorite aromatherapy oil. Keep in mind the oil selected should be specific to treatment goal – citrus is energizing – lavender relaxing – peppermint stimulating.

• Place all items in a bowl and blend together.

• Next, step into the shower and moisten the body – apply the blend by hand in circular motion or for increased exfoliation apply with loofah mitt or body brush.

• Rinse off thoroughly. Skin will feel smooth and soft and supple. For further hydration, apply body lotion directly to moist skin.

Pre-Summer Facial for Extra Dry Skin

Skin softening avocado mask for combination or dry skin

• Ingredients: ½ avocado, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. The avocado and coconut oils work as an instant skin softener as the baking soda works as a mild exfoliator.

• Place all items in bowl and blend well together.

• Apply the mixture to your face and leave on for 10-15 minutes.

• Rinse off with warm water.

Foot Scrub for Dry Feet and Heels (simulates Foot Rehab Pedicure)

• Begin by soaking feet in ¼ cup baking soda to reduce inflammation and cleanse feet thoroughly for 10 minutes.

• Using a wet pumice stone rub heels thoroughly yet gently to remove dry callous.

• Next, apply coconut oil to feet.

• Finally, wrap feet in plastic and cover with soft socks for 30 minutes. The plastic and warmth will help the oil to soften the skin.

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday. Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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MAC Launches RiRi Woo on Thursday

ririThe much anticipated RiRi ♥ MAC collection is almost here! First up in the creative collaboration between pop superstar Rihanna and MAC Cosmetics is RiRi Woo, Rihanna’s remixed version of the cult classic lipstick Ruby Woo. RiRi’s take on the matte retro shade, a bluer red, will launch officially on Thursday. Get your e-shopping selves ready ladies, I have a feeling this one is going to sell out quickly! RiRi’s lippy will run for 15 bucks and will be on sale exclusively online and at the MAC pop-up store at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY (for ticket holders of Rihanna’s Summer World Tour shows there this weekend).

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday. Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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Obsession of the Day: Liptini

flirtini

Flirtini Lipstick

The makeup mixologists over at the ‘Tini Beauty Lounge share the Martinis and Mascara philosophy – that cosmetics are more fun with cocktails involved!

The ‘Tini Bar is stocked with top shelf cosmetics designed to wear however you please, straight-up or layered. Each branch of the line – Liptini, Nailtini, and Eyetini – features an assortment of base colors as well as mixers and toppers to create your own custom look. My cocktail of choice? A Flirtini with a little Bellini on top!

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Bellini Lip Gloss

The Flirtini lipstick was designed exclusively for Liptini by celeb makeup artist Terri Apanasewicz who has polished stars liked Cindy Crawford and the country crooners of Lady Antebellum. It has a velvety long-wearing formula spiked with pomegranate and aloe butters. Worn solo, Flirtini is the perfect nude lip shade to pair with a smokey eye. I like to top it off with a swipe of Bellini to glam it up for a glossier finish. Bellini also looks beautiful on its own and creates a really pretty peachy pout.

Liptini even offers a guide for budding bartenders to wade through their 11 Straight-Up Colors, 6 Mixer Lip Base Pencils, 11 Lip Lacquer Stains, 6 Cordials, and 15 Topper Lip Glosses on tap. The possibilities are endless. Cheers to that!

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday. Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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“Most Buzzworthy” for the second week in a row! Join me in an Applebee-tini?

Good morning busy bees! I am so thrilled to announce that I have avoided elimination and continued on to the third round of the contest! Allure’s hunt for the Beauty Blogger of the Year continues… and I have been named “Most Buzzworthy” for the second week in a row. We have a lot to celebrate… and I say we because I couldn’t have done any of this without you guys! I think it’s time for another celebratory cocktail, don’t you think?

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Speaking of which, in the new challenge, I dish my tips for 3-minute makeup, including how to cocktail multitasking products to create the ultimate beauty time-saver. My challenge entry features my “reliable stash” of go-to products (see above) that I use to speed primp when I’ve hit the snooze button too many times.

Remember, you can vote for me once each weekday (until this voting period ends at noon on Friday). Voting helps me get one step closer to becoming Beauty Blogger of the Year… and increases your chances of landing that trip for two to the Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii! Votes, tweets, likes, and shares are all appreciated. I’m raising my Applebee Martini to you all. Thanks for helping me get this far! Let’s keep the buzz going. Cheers!

applebee

Applebee Martini (courtesy of Absolut)

4 parts Absolut Vodka

2 parts apple juice, fresh pressed

1 part runny honey

1 apple wedge

Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with apple.

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday. Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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