Romy Raves

I just had to throw that in for you Sound of Music fans Being a beauty blogger, I am constantly asked about which products are my favorite, that’s like asking a mother which of her children she loves best. It’s impossible and unfair to choose, yet I often find certain products that stand out above the rest, ones that I find myself addicted to, love at first trial, can’t get enough of, etc. So following is Part One of a list of new products that I currently adore:

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye This is an amazing full coverage, waterproof, highly pigmented concealer that offers insane coverage (it even conceals bruising and swelling!), won’t cling to fine lines and wrinkles and it stays put. It also contains high concentrations of Vitamins K, A, C, E and collagen which reduces under eye puffiness and discoloration while strengthening the delicate skin of the under eye area. This concealer is genius, works wonders on my bags and dark circles, and I am totally obsessed with it!!

Golden Door Eye Gel with Vitamin K This is a wonderfully hydrating, skin-firming eye treatment gel that helps reduce the appearance of dark circles, fine lines, and puffiness. It contains peptides, amino acids, and plant extracts such as Vitamin K, Spirulina, and Aloe Vera Extract which together deliver instant and visibly noticeable results. I have recently dabbled into the world of fillers, and am especially loving how this product accelerates the healing of the swelling and bruising under my eyes after my injections.

Repechage Eye Rescue Pads If you haven’t noticed by now, I am obsessed with eye products because in all honesty this is my most problematic area. These fabulous eye freshening pads instantly cool and offer soothing relief for my tired, puffy, irritated eyes. The pads contain seaweed and four types of natural teas which work together to hydrate, replenish, refresh and deliver anti-aging ingredients that rejuvenate the eyes in just ten minutes. I use these pads every Sunday along with my facial mask du jour and adore how refreshed and supple my undereye area looks.

Kaplan MD Sheer Berry Lip 20 Moisture Therapy + SPF This is a dermatologist formulated lip treatment that moisturizes, contours, plumps, and protects all-in-one. LIP 20 contains 10 active ingredients to help prevent aging, including: SPF 20 sunburn protection, highly moisturizing seabuckthorn berry extract,  hyaluronic filling spheres which immediately smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and patented peptides and marine collagen to contour and redefine the lip line. I love the sheer color, fullness, moisturizing, and how this product makes my lips feel. I also adore the super cool high tech James Bond looking packaging.

Buddha Balm in Crushed Mint Pineapple Buddha Balm is a yummy flavorful soy based lip balm that contains vitamins, nutrients and essential fatty acids. These yummy balms come in a variety of hip trendy flavors like Crushed Mint Pineapple, Lychee Pomegranate, Mandarin Orange Ginger and Burnt Sugar Fig which are all designed to awaken (Buddha translated means “awaken”) the senses and promote awareness. I love the tasty sweet flavors of these balms and especially adore that they are handmade locally in Los Angeles-I love supporting local businesses!

This weekend, I am heading to ‘Vegas Baby’ to attend Cosmoprof North America and I am very much looking forward to my virginal tour. This conference is the only all encompassing business-to-business beauty trade show in North America and particpants come to see the latest trends and innovations from all segments of the beauty industry.  To me (a self-professed beauty junkie), this sounds like Nirvana, and although I intend to cover every inch of this delicious show on my quest to find the latest beauty innovations, I am especially excited about some of the companies in the coveted Discover Beauty area. This special section of the show features a carefully edited selection of unique beauty brands who will unveil new and innovative products that currently have minimal presence in the US. As a beauty trend maven, this is what I live for!  Below is a glimpse of the some of the brands and products that I am most excited about:

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Billion Dollar Brows

This beauty maven is definitely brow challenged, so I am always on the hunt for products that enhance and help my brows come to life. Therefore, I am very intrigued by Billion Dollar Brows and the products that they offer to help me cope with my dilemma. I am especially interested in trying Brow Boost, a conditioning product that they claim can help your brows appear fuller by making your brow hairs look healthier-watch out Brooke Shields! Â

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 Hissyfit

RR: Love the brand name, Hissyfit, it totally grabs this Diva’s attention, what’s the story behind it?

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HF: Two Aussie girls (one a gold medal Olympian, the other a magazine editor) couldn’t find great wearing daily beauty products that offered the highest possible sun protection with a cosmetic feel so they threw a little ‘Hissyfit’ and created their own. Hissyfit’s motto: if your daily beauty products don’t deliver the 3-in-1 benefits of maximum protection sunscreen, anti-aging skincare and flawless cosmetic finish– then it’s time to throw a Hissyfit! Everything about Hissyfit is bold, bright and sassy, super smart products for super smart women (sounds like me ). As Valentino says: “Don’t trust mother nature darling, she’s way too busy…”

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I just love the tone and ‘tude’ of this company and that alone makes me excited to try their products, although I am especially looking forward to trying Handy Work, their anti-aging hand cream with SPF 30, vitamin e, aloe, and orange and mint essential oils–yummy!

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 Rodial’s Glam Product Line

 I am intrigued by Rodial’s Glam line of products (again its the product names that really attract me) because it is positioned as offering plastic surgery results without the surgery, quite a claim don’t ya think? I am excited to try Glam Balm because it is a one product does it all—firms and tones the skin, boosts collagen production, restores and repairs the skin, smooths fine lines and wrinkles, restores elasticity and promotes healing of the skin, and fights skin conditions such as acne and eczema. I am skeptical about this kitchen sink approach, and I will have to see for myself if these snazzy claims deliver on their promise, but I am very excited to give it a whirl!

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Skin 2 Skin

I am also interested in trying Skin 2 Skin’s Photoaging Repair Creambecause it is an award winning product that has Kinetin-N6, a natural plant extract that is proven to be effective in the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. This wonder cream is supposed to improve skin tone, texture, diminish the visible signs of freckles, brown spots and even out irregular skin tones. With continued use,  this cream will diminish the visible appearance of hyperpigmentation and skin roughness and you can expect to notice a difference in skin tone, texture and moisture retention in as little as 14 days. Sign me up!

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 TouchBack

The last product on my Cosmoprof Discover Beauty hit parade is TouchBack  a real, temporary hair color that you apply to dry hair with a marker-like applicator to cover-up your gray roots instantly. The color actually bonds to your hair so you can brush it without it flaking off, but it does wash out when you shampoo your hair. TouchBack stretches the time between colorings, and anything that saves money these days is music to this recessionista’s ears.

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I hope this little teaser has wet your appetite for these innovative products as well as my other beauty discoveries still to come. Stay tuned for my exciting posts following Cosmoprof as I share my giddiness and newest discoveries with you–I can’t wait!

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Also stay tuned for some fun summer time FREE beauty product giveaways and contests coming soon. You will have a chance to win some the great products that I review here on my blog–Check back soon!

I don’t know about you, but being a busy mom and career woman, I just don’t get enough sleep these days. What that means to all of you beauty mavens is that most mornings, I wake up looking tired, worn out and half asleep. But all that was before I got my new eyelash extensions, and now that I have these beautiful flirty babies, I wake up in the morning looking refreshed, sexy and put together before I do anything–I am absolutely in LOVE!

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I owe my new bright-eyed confidence to Chou Chou Grant, an eyelash extension maven who is one of West Los Angeles’ best kept beauty secrets. She has been applying semi-permanent individual lashes to the eyes of movie and television stars, fashion models, brides and socialites for more than thirty-years. Her mission is to help you enjoy the benefits of looking great with minimal make-up (Gotta love that!). The application takes about an hour and Chou Chou carefully studies the proportions of your facial features to help her achieve the most flattering look before applying the individual lashes, and her extensions typically last ten days to three weeks before you need a fill.

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I think Chou Chou truly is a master, her technique is polished and professional, and her lashes look flawless. I have had extensions in the past, and they cost me more and didn’t look as good or last as long.  I just can’t get over how amazing, sparkly and alert my eyes look all the time and I don’t have to do ANYTHING! I really don’t need to wear any make-up at all and they even camouflage my dark circles which is a huge plus. And when I actually do get around to wearing make-up, the lashes make it look like I have had a professional make-up application and I look like a million bucks.

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Chou Chou doesn’t do the individual Korean lashes but tends to use more of the lash clusters to achieve more impact in a shorter amount of time, and they look like the lashes I wish I was born with. After about an hour in her chair (most extensions take at least 2 hours BTW) you won’t believe the difference, and the best part is that she is much less than many other extensions out there.  She charges $95 for a full set of lashes customized to your face and taste (me, I go for the dramatic look) and it costs $45 for a fill which you might need once or twice a month.Â

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So do yourself favor and give Chou Chou a call at (310) 559-1710 or check out her site Lashes by Chou Chou Tell her that I sent you, and PLEASE post your pics after your transformation. Your future is looking bright!