Are you a dark-eyed lass? So am I. I have the rings underneath my eyes to prove it.
Unfortunately, I am not a European beauty. Their deep-set eyes make dark circles appear
mysterious and smoldering, a bit world-weary, but in a beautiful way. I’m Asian, so dark circles just make me look tired and blah, not sexy and mysterious, unfortunately.

From what I’ve read, there are two kinds of dark circles: yellow-based shadows or blue-based shadows.
Blue-based shadows are caused by blood pooling underneath the thin skin of the eye. Yellow-based is mostly caused by sun damage. The blue-based shadows are harder to treat.
Vitamin K is usually recommended to assuage the shadows.Yellow-based shadows are caused by sun damage and is easier to treat.

I have a little bit of both. One product that I’ve used with much success
is Murad’s Lighten and Brighten Eye Treatment.

It contains the following ingredients:
1. Hydroquinone lightens skin and diminishes the appearance of dark circles
2. Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, together with other firming and conditioning ingredients, reduces the appearance of the slackening of the skin while relieving puffiness and under-eye bags
3. Olive Extract and Manganese Gluconate help neutralize the effects of the most abundant pollutants, thereby enhancing firmness and reducing dryness.

I have a feeling that the hydroquinone is the key ingredient here. Hydroquinone is a melanin-inhibitor. It does not bleach the skin but does reduce the pigmentation of the skin. And it WORKS. I have lighter circles. They haven’t completely disappeared but I have noticed a difference. Hurray!!

As for the price: yes it is expensive ($75 for .5 fl oz), but if you are curious, visit your local Sephora and ask for a sample. It is worth it, trust me.

This is an interesting blog about dark circles: Mydarkcirclesblog.com. It is extensive and informative. I found it because of a recent write up in the NY Times.

It’s Summer! It’s HOT, its HUMID, its SWEATY!! Why would you choose this season to bust a creative, artistic makeup face?!!

I want to preface with I have nothing against originality and artistry. If you have the juevos to sport a unique look than more power to you, BUT…there are two things I can NOT stand:

• chicks that wear a full face of makeup at the gym!
• chicks that are literally sweating off their layers of makeup in the summer heat!

If you notice the common thread in both of my pet peeves is SWEAT! Sweat is the enemy of makeup. I literally saw a girl the other day that had sweat streaks along her hairline that cleared a path through her foundation. Barf!

So here are my Summer tips:

1. Lighten the Make-up - Skip the heavy foundation, skip the heavy eyeliner, skip the false lashes, skip the dark eyebrows! I am not saying go out there bare faced but just well lighten up. My advice for the foundation is to mix your regular foundation with your regular moisturizer. Should add a touch of coverage, some SPF protection and it will give you a nice summer glow. Not to be mistaken with a dewy sweaty face.

2. Metallic Eyeshadows Rock - A touch of gold or silver shadow along your crease and some waterproof mascara should be the beginning and the end of your Summer makeup. Wait, feel free to add some tinted chapstick or some lip gloss too.

3. Melted Makeup - Don’t be an idiot like me and leave your makeup bag in your gym bag in a 100 degree weather! I can’t count how many lipsticks I have discovered morphed beyond recognition because of this…

4. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize - Well if you don’t already prep your skin with moisturizer you are living in a dream ozone protected world. But in the Summer heat moisturizer and chapstick is a girls best friend! I use Burt’s Bees on the lips and I am currently using Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer on the face. (Great stuff, light and not heavy.)

Thus concludes my lecture, remember I rant because I care. - Michelle

Umm, Shiseido is replacing Angelina Jolie with Agyness Deyn. Raise your hand if you have never heard of Agyness Deyn (cue me raising my hand) I have nothing against the girl it just seems odd to replace an international beauty like Angie, with well…. a nobody?

(Source: Celebrity Brands Blog)

Smarter Beauty Summary:

 Love Samples? - Check out the great sampling deal from New Beauty Magazine

NARS Liquid Eyeliner - In my opinion the best liquid eyeliner out there!

Limited Edition Animal Print Tweezers from Sephora  - Tweezerman Beauty Tools

Well you can think of this post as the second part to another post written by Wendy Korn about Tweezerman Beauty Tools - The Perfect Tweezer.

Well for you gals that loved the variety of colors provided by Tweezerman they are currently selling Limited Editon animal print versions of the high quality tweezers.

You now have your choice of leopard, zebra, crocodile and giraffe! Grrr-eat stuff.

You still get the same quality and lifetime sharpening provided by Tweezerman.

Price - $25

To purchase the Limited Edition Animal Print Tweezers from Sephora, click here.

What is too follow is a straight up beauty recommendation from me to you!

Well I am Asian, actually strike that I am Filipino, so Islander? But I am not your tan, petite garden variety version, nope I happen to be 5′7, pale as snow and big!

Well fact of the matter is I am super pale. Literally every time I choose not to wear makeup to work I am literally bombarded with, “Oohh you don’t look so good.” followed by “Are you sick?”

The one makeup product I can not live without is: liquid liner! I literally look like a ghost without it. Thus I have had 28 years of experience trying to find the best one. I have invested mucho mas dinero trying to find one that is relatively easy to apply, has a vibrant yet matted color and does not bleed or shift when I sweat, dance or exercise.

Well hands down my favorite liquid liner is from NARS. I love, love, love this stuff. It does not bleed, it does not run, the color is bold yet matted and I have been nursing the same bottle for over a year now! I am barely reaching the bottom and I wear the stuff almost everyday.

The only drawback I can imagine is that some might not be accustomed to applying the liquid liner with a brush, but if you really are a constant liquid liner user then you have harnessed your skills over the years and could apply eye makeup in a bumpy car ride or in stop and go traffic. Right!?

If you are a liquid liner junkie like I am then stop wasting your money on other versions and invest your hard earned money on a bottle of NARS liquid liner.

Price: $27.50

You will Thank ME!

The smart folks at New Beauty magazine have come up with an ingenious idea! They are offering a program called “Beauty In A Tube.”

Every 3 months, you will receive a tube filled with sample sized beauty products. Beautiful. I consider myself a smart consumer, and I want to spend my money on products that work, not the ones that claim to work. As we all know, price point does not always guarantee results. Some drugstore products are superior to their more expensive cousins in the department store. This is a great opportunity to sample products that might be out of your price range or products that you may have just been curious to try.

Here is a list of products that have been given out in the past:

• Obagi
• GoSmile
• Estee Lauder
• Colorscience
• Aveda
• Dr. Brandt
• Bioelements
• Babor
• Jane Iredale
• Lancome

You not only get skin-care products but also make-up!

Check out: New Beauty Test Tube “The World’s Most Unique Beauty Sampling Program”

Editor’s Note:

Just so you know, that post I just wrote, the program…is $29.95 every 3 months.

It’s not free– i don’t want to mislead anyone…

Sorry about that ladies!

Smarter Beauty Staff

Celebrity Hairstyle Alert - I feel a thousand copy cats squirming in excitement! Well not to toot my own horn but this was the hairstyle I had before I cut bangs so I guess I am ahead of the curve for once?! Hee, hee…

This is my dark haired version?

(Source: Glamour.com)

Whilst in the land of Smarter Beauty Blogging …

The Legend of Kevyn Aucoin

Bumble & Bumble Hair Products

Myth Buster! - Does drinking the bottled water you leave in your car cause cancer?

Want to become a Clinique Insider’s Club member? Find out how by clicking here…

We’re excited to tell you that Clinique is starting up an awesome program called the Clinique Insider’s Club! They just started accepting applications.

Clinique will be selecting 20 women from the submitted applications to be “Clinique Insiders.”

As “Insiders” the women will get an exclusive sneak peek at the latest Clinique Skincare, and Makeup products and will have the opportunity to give product reviews and opinions which will be seen, heard and read on Clinique.com!

Insiders will also have access to special upcoming events and will receive a special welcome kit which includes full-size Clinique products and a Flip Video digital camcorder!

If your interested apply here:  Application to become Clinique Insider

Good Luck Girls!

Well I usually immediately delete all the novellas and prayers my Mom sends me but this one sparked my interest because I have heard that heating up food in certain types of plastic or styrofoam releases toxins that when consumed are carcinogens. So it seemed plausible, here is the email I got from my Mom:

Subject: IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WARN YOUR WIVES/FRIENDS AND DAUGHTERS

Bottled water in your car…..very dangerous, woman!!!!
This is how Sheryl Crow got breast cancer. She was on the Ellen show and
said this same exact thing. This has been identified as the most common
cause of the high levels in breast cancer, especially in Australia ..

A friend whose mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The Doctor
told her: women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.

The doctor said that the heat and the plastic of the bottle have certain
chemicals that can lead to breast cancer. So please be
careful and do not
drink bottled water that has been left in a car, and, pass this on to all
the women in your life. This information is the kind we need to know and be
aware and just might save us!!!! The heat causes toxins from the plastic to
leak into the water and they have found these toxins in breast tissue. Use
a stainless steel Canteen or a glass bottle when you can!!!

Well bottom line I hit internet engines fast and hard to figure out whether this email was bogus. Mainly because it seems logical and I happen to be a frequent sipper of left over bottled water in my ol’ car. Here is what I found:

IT IS FALSE!  - Drinking bottled water left in your car will not give you Breast Cancer

(Source: Snopes.com)

So there you have it gals, you will not get Breast Cancer from drinking the warm water you left in your car. Whew! 

Now that it’s summer, I go a bit blonder. It’s sweet. I like to think of myself as a fey surfer girl with 70’s love sensibilities. While everyone is wearing flip flops, I choose suede booties and light dresses. I keep my hair simple. I use the classic Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray. It gives that sexy, salty wind-tossed texture to your hair. And the smell is delicious. Exactly like the beach and waves. Spray it into damp hair (not wet) and let air dry. Twirl a few pieces with fingers to let set, put in loose bun and later on in the day, after you’ve gone on your morning walk with your honey, let it down and be the hippie goddess you are.

If you want to check out all of the other excellent Bumble and Bumble Products, go to:

(click on image to visit site)

Reinvent yourself as the Hippie Heiress, The Surreal Socialite, the Mid-West Mademoiselle, or my favorite: The Rhinestone Roadie.