Author: Lindsay

Baci Di Sole at NYC’s De Berardinis Salon

Is there anything more glamorous than visiting a salon in NYC? I think not. Especially for this Oklahoma girl. So, while I was up in the big city for NYFW, I swung by De Berardinis Salon in Chelsea for one of their signature services, Baci Di Sole. Side note, I was also in serious need for a trim and they were kind enough to put their scissors to use.

I met with Adrian, the owner of De Berardinis Salon, to chat about the hair coloring service. Now, keep in mind I have never colored my hair. For some reason, being in NYC makes me braver. And I knew I was seeing more and more greys so I was going to have to bite the bullet at some point.

Adrian explained Baci Di Sole would be subtle highlights with a ombre effect. To learn the process, Adrian (who is quite the handsome fellow, ladies) visited a salon in Milan where the service was developed. Hair is teased and then color is painted on, so the effect is an imperfect, highly natural look. Perfect for a first-timer, no? The process never touched the scalp, which I appreciated since I suffer from sensitive skin. Adrian used both Goldwell and Wella hair color.

For me, he chose a warm dark blond/light brown. I love the way it brightens my complexion. And it is truly subtle, but I can feel the way the texture and look of my hair has more depth. Color changes the way hair behaves and my fine hair loves the increased hold of color-treated hair.

I’ve been growing my hair out for years so I surprised myself when I let Adrian cut as he saw fit before the color treatment (he cut it dry since we were doing color processing). But it is a good thing. He cut about four inches of dead hair. Now my ends are healthy (and sun-kissed blond). Bottom line, I am tempted to fly back to NYC for my next cut and color. This guy is truly talented. My blowout was the perfect beachy wave. He used Kérastase’s newest styling line, Couture Styling – more on those products soon to come on Belle Belle. Oh, and De Berardinis Salon also had a great Blow Dry Bar!

Check out my instagrams here, here and here for the final result. I’m hooked and love to natural, sun-kissed look.

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE MAY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

Happy Birthday Belle Belle – Drugstore Favorites and a Giveaway

Now, I am three for three. Every single year, I somehow manage to miss my blog birthday! On September 15th, Belle Belle turned three years old! In fact, this is the 836th post. Whoa – that is a lot of chatting about beauty. In honor of the (belated) celebration, I’ve teamed up with CVS for a red-hot giveaway. And I am going to share some of my favorite drugstore buys from the last couple of weeks.

L’Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur is like nothing I’ve tried before. Technically a “finishing cream” this magical stuff actually blurs lines and uneven texture. The gel-like texture finishes skin with a matte finish, prepping it for tinted moisturizer or foundation (of which amazingly I find I need less of). Meanwhile, Rivitalift goes to work smoothing and lifting skin over time.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Pearl Black Cherry was a purchase inspired by my friend and blogging buddy, Opinion Nothing. When we had dinner last week, she was rocking a bold, dark and rich lip. While it wasn’t this exact shade, I love the berry, purplish stain of Black Cherry. It gives my skin a little bit of a fancy Snow White / goth look that I love for fall.

L’Oreal Colour Riche Eyeliner in Violet and Cobalt are both great budget ways to play with color. These liners have a rich and soft pencil with vibrant pigments. I like layering both over darker liquid liner for a little twist on a cat eye look. The smudging tool on the opposite end is perfect if you wish to work the color further up the lid for a bolder look.

Speaking of liquid eyeliner, I am finally trying out Covergirl Line Exact Liquid Liner Pen – I had been hearing rave reviews. At first, I was so mad that I had accidentally bought brown rather than black. But I actually like the softer look it gives. The felt pen feels far more luxurious than the drugstore price point. And the ultra-pigmented liquid dries fast and stays all day.

Revlon Lash Potion Volume & Length Mascara by Grow Luscious in Black just might have been inspired by those gorgeous Emma Stone ads. While the effect isn’t as “false-like” like other formulas, I love that it contains strengthening proteins, amino acids and essential vitamins – which all work to improve the look of lashes. I get tons of product on the soft, classic and large wand. And natural full lashes ensue.

Now for the good part. CVS and I have teamed up together to giveaway! I am a huge fan of CVS Beauty Club and thanks to my (frequent) beauty purchases, I can’t tell you how much I love those loyalty benefits like $5 ExtraBucks for every $50 spent on beauty. I also love shopping there because you can return any beauty product and get a full refund within 60 days of purchase. (sign up here) So now here is your chance to win a $50 CVS Gift Card. Just enter using the widget below. I can’t wait to hear how you’d spend yours if you won! (US Only)

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Metallic and Navy Graphic Nails and ManiCure Pinterest Sweepstakes with Suave and Q-tips!

So here is that exciting news I’ve been dying to share with you! I have teamed up with Suave^® and Q-tips^® for the ManiCure Pinterest Sweepstakes which just launched this week. Over the next four weeks, I will be sharing six nail art designs created by myself. This week’s inspiration is Fashion; perfect as we are in the throes of fashion month and I just returned from NYFW. Not only will I be sharing how to get these nail art looks, but I will also be sharing tips on keeping skin hydrated and nails looking clean and healthy.

So, a little detail about the ManiCure Pinterest Sweepstakes– make sure to head over to the Suave Beauty Pinterest page and pin one of my featured looks (or any other looks by my fellow influencers) and copy the pin URL to the Suave Beauty Facebook page to enter for the chance to win Suave^® Skin Solutions Body Lotions and Q-tips^® Precision Tips^™ cotton swabs or $500 for the ultimate day of beauty and style!

And now back to the nail art. I had the chance to be backstage at a couple spring 2014 shows and I kept seeing graphic lines and bold colors. While these were naturally inspired by spring colors, I wanted to translate into a look for our current season. Metallic on navy is what I am rocking, and here is my step-by-step guide to get the look:

Start off with moisturized and soft hands. I’ve been loving the Suave^® Skin Solutions Smoothing Body Lotion with Cocoa Butter & Shea with cocoa butter and shea. My hands were so dry from all those hours on an airplane. They already appear softer and are smoother after a couple days of slathering this on. Not to mention I love the tropical soothing scent.

I use a little alcohol on a Q-tips® Precision Tips™ cotton swab to make sure my nail beds are oil-free. While this can dry out nails, I’ve found mine run on the oilier side and to ensure the longest lasting manicure, especially when doing time consuming nail art, I like to be better safe than sorry.

Next, I apply a nail strengthening base coat and allow to dry for a good five minutes. For bold gemstone colors like navy, I like to apply two to three coats for a glossy and opaque base. Make sure to let your navy base dry thoroughly before you head in on your nail art. I like to use Q-tips^® Precision Tips^™ cotton swabs with a little nail polish remover to clean up around the nail and on the cuticles.

Lastly, use a very thin nail art brush to draw lines either horizontally or vertically across the nail. I like to vary the direction of the lines for an imperfect but still graphic look. Use the Q-tips^® Precision Tips^™ cotton swabs again to clean up any mistakes. And Voila!

This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Influencer for Suave® and Q-tips^®. Visit www.facebook.com/SuaveBeauty for the chance to win Suave^® Skin Solutions Body Lotions and Q-tips^® Precision Tips^™ cotton swabs or $500 for the ultimate day of beauty and style.

Laura Mercier’s Iconic Tinted Moisturizer Gets Three New Shades!

I’ve had a return to an old favorite recently and it is just in time for some exciting new from Laura Mercier. I feel like I kind of grew up on Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer. It is sheer and light-weight, offering a great balance of coverage with SPF 20. The natural dewy finish is right up my alley. And the formula plays well with my dry, sensitive skin. Since my early days of loving Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer, a little bit has changed. Most recently, there are three new shades – hooray for greater shade ranges!

The newest shades include:

Cameo (light beige with reddish undertones)
Natural (light beige)
Ochre (beige)

The three new shades look like they have slightly cooler finishes and dot the middle of the shade range. I’m a solid Sand this summer. But over the years, I have also worn Nude and Bisque. I apply with my fingers working outwards, but Laura (admittedly the goddess of great complexion) advises otherwise. Her technique:

apply a small amount on the back of your hand and pickup formula with the narrow end of an egg-shaped sponge or clean fingertips. Apply to the face working on one area at a time. Laura recommends starting at the outer portion of the face and working inwards toward the nose. Avoid excess application around the contours of the face. Blend well. Repeat application until desired coverage is achieved.

Also new since the days I first fell hard for Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer are three new formulations. Oil-free is the same signature sheer, light-weight formula but also controls oil breakthrough while providing hydration to prevent dryness. Oily skin needs hydration too. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating is a favorite of mine, adding an even more radiant finish. And it now also comes in a compact! Tinted Moisturizer Crème Compact SPF 20 is convenient and great for travel and touch-ups on the go.

Laura Mercier is available at countries Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom (currently running a beauty gift) and Sephora.

Shiseido’s NEW IBUKI collection

After a short blog break, excited to bring you some great news about a skin care line designed for women ages 25 to 34 that is just blowing me away with delight. But first, a little on what I have been up to. First, I am working on my column for Oklahoma Magazine. October should be out soon so can’t wait to share that with you next week. I’ve lined up my first “Belle’s Blog School” with some old friends for next month. Excited to try out a new services I will be offering for those who want a one-on-one crash course on how to get up and running on WordPress, Tumbler and social media. Lastly, I’ve been so run down, fighting off a cold for a week. Why is it I always bring back some illness from NYC? Headed out this afternoon to load up on Kleenex and green juice. But now… back to Shiseido’s newest!

Even though I am on the older end of the target age range for this line, I have found its rich, gentle luxury perfect for my skin. I know so many of you readers, fellow bloggers and friends suffer from the blotchy, dry skin thanks to loads of office time and a little play time as well. Cocktails and unhealthy food binges, anyone?

The new IBUKI collection is designed to address uneven skin tone, blemishes, visible pores, and dryness. It uses Shape Memorizing Cell Technology to align and optimize cells. I’ve been using the Purifying Cleanser (which reminds me of my beloved Clé de Peau Beauté Gentle Cleansing Foam – no surprise as they share a parent company). I love how it gently scrubs with very find granules while still foaming. My skin is left clean but not stripped of moisture. The Refining Moisturizer is for those looking for a lotion rather than a thick cream. While it is lightweight, I get all day hydration but I never feel greasy. This thinner moisturizer works great under makeup. Meanwhile, it is correcting pores, breakouts and unevenness. Lastly, I have been test driving Eye Correcting Cream. I’m getting a definite boost in brightness, especially fighting this cold and a couple late nights. The formula is rich but gentle and not too thick.

Other items available from the collection are:

Gentle Cleanser
Softening Concentrate for long-lasting moisture
more intensive Refining Moisturizer Enriched
Protective Moisturizer SPF18 and
Starter Kit ($25) designed to last two weeks – offering a great price point and a perfect way to test out and recharge your regimen

Available at Shiseido.com, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman and Macy’s.

Lovely Links – Enjoy Every Moment

I found this image on Pinterest and felt it was a nice reminder to, even when filled with stress and rushing through life, to step back and realize, each moment is worth savoring. I really feel like so many bloggers, friends and colleagues today are remarking how they are trying to slow down. Are we entering a different era, away from the go-go-go speed? I think we might. I also have been reflecting on this article Lauren shared with me about expectations common in our generation. Speaking of taking a moment, here are some of my favorite spots from around the web that I’ve come across this week:

– benefit cosmetics are coming to airports!

– love these tips on updating your Pinterest board covers.

– this is a great tutorial on lashes and highlights the exact false lashes I use myself!

– love this intro to resources for new bloggers on the bar.

– as a lover of naps, i found this WSJ article enlightening and encouraging

– thank you for all the great comments on this post about finding your passion.

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