Last Minute Costume: '60s Flower Child at Sephora's Beauty Studio

Susanna S., a graphic designer at Sephora, in search of a last minute Halloween costume at Sephora Powell Street.

Her Inspiration: '60s flower child
Her Beauty Advisor: Joshua C.
Her Makeup: Paperself Peacock Eyelashes on eyes, MAKE UP FOR EVER 12 Flash Color Case on cheeks, SEPHORA COLLECTION Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Candy Pink on lips
Beauty Tip: Use eye liner as a guide for applying lashes —and apply after for a seamless lash line.
Beauty Rule: No look is complete without a luxe lash and pop of cheek color–Halloween or not.

Statement Lip Series, Week 1

Sephora staffers' experiments with vivid lips in edgy textures

The Lips: Jill R., Business Development Manager
The Staple: Dior Rouge Dior Lipcolor in Star Fuchsia
The Statement: Violent Lips Temporary Lip Tattoos in Pink Glitterati
The Result: Proof that glitter can be chic.

A Meet & Greet with Soap & Glory

Marcia Kilgore, founder of Soap & Glory, talks scrubbing, the importance of showering responsibly, and what makes her giggle uncontrollably. To inject some of her humor in your daily rituals, leave your name and email address in our comments field for a chance to win the following:

• Sexy Mother Pucker XL Extreme-Plump Collagen Lip Shine

• Clean On Me Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel

• The Righteous Body Butter

• Make Yourself Youthful Rejuvenating Face Serum
  

Enter by Thursday, 10/27, 9 a.m. PST, and we'll choose 3 winners at random. Good luck!

Beauty & the Blog: How did you start your business?

Marcia Kilgore: I had terrible skin, and had suffered from acne from the time I turned twelve. After 8 years of cover-up, sulfur masks, and topical antibiotics, I thought I’d go to facial school to try to sort myself out. One summer, I took a crash course in skincare treatments at the Christine Valmy school on Fifth Avenue, started giving facials to friends on my living room floor, and the rest is history.



B&TB: Did you have a beauty background before you launched Soap & Glory?

MG: Uh, that would be an affirmative! I was a personal trainer as a teenager, moved to New York when I was 18, went to skincare school to fix my own oily face, and opened a little salon called LET'S FACE IT. When that got bigger, I opened a bigger place and called it BLISS. I sold Bliss in 2004 so I could focus on having a family, and launched Soap & Glory in 2006 as a hobby, really. (Fair to say, it's now the biggest hobby I have ever had.)



B&TB: How did you come up with Soap & Glory’s cheeky names? Walk us through your creative process.

MG: We brainstorm with the team at Headquarters, and surf the net looking for phrases we can ‘modify.’ I walk down the street on a sunny day and suddenly, a light bulb goes off and I start giggling uncontrollably. The inspiration comes from everywhere. However, as with everything, you have to have input to have output. The most important thing for creativity is being able to read, look, absorb, and see new things. To talk to people, listen, learn. Like they say, creative in, creative out.

B&TB: Your brand advocates the 2-Minute Rinse. Do you practice it yourself?
MG: At Soap & Glory, we sell an awful lot of shower gel. So, in a ‘greening’ meeting last year, a sustainability specialist told us that the BIG PROBLEM we’d be facing in the not-too-distant future was WATER SHORTAGE. It hit home that we should try to get people thinking about showering responsibly. The whole idea is about getting people to use less than 2 minutes of RUNNING WATER when they shower. It's not the overall shower time. You can scrub, soap up, shampoo for as long as you like, just don't leave the tap running the whole time. If everybody did a 2-Minute Rinse even three times a week, rather than a 20 minute shower, the water saving would be pretty profound.
And OF COURSE I practice it myself. I've got it down to a science. I can probably even do a 1-MINUTE RINSE, when pushed. (If you've got a minute, I'll show you how.)
 


B&TB: Since coming to the States, have you observed any differences between American and British beauty rituals?

MG: I lived in New York for 15 years, actually, so I'm pretty au fait with beauty rituals on both sides of the pond. The main difference between European beauty and American beauty is the sheer level of perfection expected in America. Teeth are whiter. Hair is glossier. Makeup is more perfect. Imperfections are disguised, hidden, or fixed. In Britain, while women are definitely into grooming, it's a little messier, a little more 'devil may care', and done with perhaps a little less focus. I remember when I first arrived from New York thinking how unkempt everyone's hair was. Then I realized it rained all the time, so trying to have dead straight locks all day was futile. If I had to sum it all up, I'd say British beauty is just a tad less competitive, while American beauty is awe-inspiring. 



B&TB: Share some British beauty slang with us.

MG: Sadly, I am a technological product ingredient geek rather than a street-smart beauty slang slinging type. I can talk you through the action of imidazodinyl urea, hyaluronic acid, and how dihydroxyacetone tans dead cells though. Any takers? Anyone? Anyone? 


B&TB: Your products have the most beautiful scents. Tell us about your favorite scents.
MG: I'm addicted to our original Soap & Glory pink scent. It's in many of our bath and body products and has a top note of bergamot and rose, mid of strawberry, peach, and ozone, and a drydown of musks and sandalwood.
I love it because it's fresh, clean, a little fruity, and just feminine enough without being overpowering. I don't like when you walk through a room and can 'name that fragrance', but I like fragrance. Soap & Glory Original Pink is perfect because it makes you feel 'finished', without screaming 'SCENTED'. 
 
I also have a farmhouse in the south of France, so inevitably, I love lavender, but I don't necessarily want to smell like a bunch of sprigs.


B&TB: Can you reveal a few beauty tips you swear by?


MG: Scrub often. It's like a gym for your skin. (You can even do it daily as long as your skin isn’t sensitive. Face and body, both, with formulations that fit, a gentle one for the face, and something more robust for your body. Scrubbing stimulates circulation, which improves the oxygen levels reaching your skin, which makes everything look healthier and function better at a cellular level.

Keep your face out of the sun (SPF everyday please) or in ten years, you’ll be wearing it as your neck.

Blush. Should go on the balls of your cheeks where it would naturally happen if you, say, ran up a hill. Start your makeup there, and everything else falls into place better. 




B&TB: Any new products in the works that you can tell us about?

MG: More flavors in our legendary Body Butter, an even faster working version of our award-winning Make Yourself Youthful Regenerating Serum, the world's greatest everyday antiaging Moisturizer, a lip balm that will beat up everybody else's lip balm. I'm also open to suggestions, so please SEND 'EM!

The Sweet Side of Kandee Johnson

Celebrity makeup artist, YouTube beauty phenomenon, and now CoverFX brand ambassador, Kandee Johnson, is making an appearance at Sephora Santa Monica, this Saturday, October 22 from 3:00 to 4:00pm. We got face time with the social media star to uncover how she got her big break, and what beauty trend she thinks is “un-normal but so unique.”

B&TB: What inspired you to start a blog?
KJ: I thought it would be fun to share all the stuff I like. I think the first beauty blog I did was about mascara. And a few months later, I ventured into my first YouTube video on how I clean makeup brushes.

B&TB: How did you get your ‘big break’?
KJ: I don't know when I can pinpoint [it]. It just feels like I had [a lot of] little breaks, but to me each one felt amazing and surreal. When I first would get recognized out in public and when I saw my face printed in ELLE magazine, those were pretty amazing!

B&TB: What beauty trend are you loving right now?
KJ: The tangerine mouth. I had been a hot pink lip fan for a long time, but something about a heavy black eyeliner and an electric orange mouth is so "un-normal" and unique.

B&TB: What do you do when you’re not filming for your 5 million viewers?
KJ: I'm a mom of 4, so I am always working! I am either blogging, trying to catch up on emails, making snacks, answering people on Facebook, or testing out new products that look fun or interesting. If I had a dream day off, I would probably go antique hunting or paint.

B&TB: What’s your favorite Cover FX product to use on-set?
KJ: I am absolutely addicted to using the cream foundations as concealers. I was hunting at my local Sephora for a new concealer for myself– and was instantly amazed and in love with how flawless and perfect my skin looked. My Cover FX cream foundation goes with me everywhere now!

B&TB: Where do you find inspiration for new looks?
KJ: Anywhere and everywhere–whether I see a beautiful color on a vintage kimono that would make a beautiful lip or I see something artistic that could translate into a makeup palette. And, vintage anything inspires me. The colors of sunsets and colors in nature, plus fashion, and fabrics. And, of course, I get inspired by my "Internet family" that share things they love and want to see.

B&TB: Who is your beauty icon?
KJ: I've always loved the classic Hollywood legends. Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and Sophia Loren all had such iconic style. Women looked amazing back then: their hair was always perfect, makeup and wardrobe were always perfect. For a modern day beauty icon, I have to say Gwen Stefani. She has the classic pin-up look that is timeless, just like the Hollywood starlets of the '40s and '50s. It's just perfectly classy and classic!

B&TB: If you could give one piece of advice to women out there, what would it be?
KJ: Have fun with color! Have fun with makeup! You only live once, and each day your face and your body are waiting to say, let's play dress-up! Whether it's with a hot pink flower in your hair or a bright tangerine lip gloss, dress to impress you!

In Our Makeup Bag Right Now: Benefit Watt's Up!

Why we love it: This champagne highlighter is like your personal take-anywhere PhotoShop filter. It's the missing link in our undereye concealer and blush ritual, blending seamlessly with existing makeup for brighter eyes and more lifted-up cheeks. Besides helping us rediscover our cheekbones, Benefit's packaging impresses with a charming retro lightbulb box, a portable twist-top applicator, and a sponge blender.

DERMAdoctor Giveaway + Stressed Skin Rx

Board-certified dermatologist and CEO of DERMAdoctor, Dr. Audrey Kunin, is a champion of overlooked yet common skin concerns. Between Dr. Oz guest appearances and just winning Allure's Best of Beauty award, she tackled our clients' toughest questions below. If you find her expert answers instructive, Dr. Kunin is also offering a chance to win her bestselling "Doctor is In" products, which include a PHOTODYNAMIC therapy, POETRY in Lotion, wrinkle REVENGE for eyes and face, and physical CHEMISTRY. Leave your name and email address below by Wednesday, 10/19, and we'll choose 3 recipients at random.

The Doctor Is In

Q: I've used everything that's "supposed to work" for oily skin. Nothing seems to calm it down or help with my large pores.
A: While one can never actually change the diameter of one's pores, you can find products that declog pore-choking debris and squeeze pores shut. DERMAdoctor Picture Porefect reduces pore size by 29% and within 8 weeks of use, they are almost 40% smaller.

Q: What is an appropriate age to start using a face serum to prevent aging?
A: I feel very strongly that an anti-aging program should begin by one's 21st birthday. It is always much easier to slow down the appearance of aging than to reverse it.

Q: What would be your product recommendations for rosacea-prone, aging and dry skin? I've tried everything.
A: Skin rejuvenation is often as important as rosacea therapy itself. Yet many antiaging ingredients products can irritate sensitive skin. DERMAdoctor's Calm Cool & Corrected anti-redness tranquility cream addresses both. First, redness is countered with NDGA, Oleanolic acid, and superoxide dismutase. Second, antioxidants work to effectively fight free radical damage, yet are gentle to sensitive, rosacea-prone skin. Finally, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, Squalane and shea butter protect and hydrate delicate skin without exacerbating blemishes.

Q: I have normal to combination skin and I am 25 yrs old. I have a lot of fine lines under my eyes and my skin just looks blah.
A: Have you heard about red light as a skin firming, antiaging technology? Traditionally, it's an in-office treatment. Intrigued by the effectiveness of red light and inspired by the use of solar technology as a method of creating energy, I created DERMAdoctor PHOTODYNAMIC Therapy. This formula takes solar-powered technology and turns it into a red light-emitting laser lotion free of downtime, hassle or expense. Within 4 weeks, skin becomes firmer, skin tone evens out, pores appear smaller, and wrinkle lines improve. I'm thrilled Allure just awarded it their Big Breakthrough Best of Beauty Award.

Opening Night of the Sephora Sensorium with 30 Rock's Jane Krakowski

Part lab, part dreamscape, the Sephora Sensorium launched in New York’s Meatpacking district to fanfare—and fragrance lovers. Before stepping in and experiencing it for ourselves, we caught up with 30 Rock actress Jane Krakowski on the red carpet.

Once inside, we marveled at the hands-on maze that let us sniff tables, walk through a timeline of perfumery, and unravel the beautiful connection between scent and memory in a performance art darkroom that sniffed of weekend mornings, fresh-cut grass, and more. After emerging from the exhibit’s “lucid dreams”—a room of scented videos activated by breathing—the experience ended at the fragrance bar, where “scent flights” consumed enthusiasts who scribbled on cards, trying to note characteristics, and guess their favorites. But the best touch? Dangling chandeliers made of famous perfume bottles.

Take a peek inside the Sephora Sensorium by clicking here. If you're in New York anytime between now and November 27, experience it for yourself. Click for hours and directions.

See what everyone's saying: Follow the Sensorium Twitter feed and share your favorites on Sephora's Facebook page.

In Bloom for Fall: Laura Mercier's Face Illuminator

Laura Mercier says her new pressed floral Face Illuminator “puts the bloom back in the rose.” It is truly romantic, delivering a subtly sexy sheen without chalky texture. And, it can be used anywhere (cheeks, eyelids, shoulders, chest) and on all skin tones. For a natural glow, wear it wet with a Crème Cheek Brush.

Win It:
A highly coveted product in the Sephora offices, we’re giving away our last sample to one of our readers. To enter to win, simply tell us: What occasion you would wear the Face Illuminator to this season. Don’t forget to leave your e-mail address in the comments! We’ll pick a winner on Friday, October 14 at 9:00am PST.

GLO Gives Back One Smile at a Time

In honor of today’s World Smile Day, we salute the GLO Good Foundation, launched by GLO founders Dr. Johnathan Levine and his wife Stacey, to spread oral health to other underserved communities.Agatha, pictured below, is one of the foundation’s many success stories. A survivor of the Rwandan genocide who lost her entire family, she received a new beautiful smile after losing her front teeth 17 years ago. This summer, the GLO Good team spent 2 weeks in her village, Kigali, giving screenings, lectures, and providing patients with proper tools like toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss.

Agatha - before

Agatha - after

GLO Giveaway!
To celebrate the launch of the GLO Good Foundation (and Agathe’s courageous story), we’re giving away a GLO Brilliant™ Personal Teeth Whitening Device, valued at $275. Just leave a comment below with your e-mail address answering the question: What random act of kindness have you done today to make someone else smile? We’ll choose one winner at random on Wednesday, October 12th at 9:00AM PST.

Laura Mercier Takes Manhattan on October 6

Laura Mercier is taking their message, “Flawless has many faces,” to the streets of NYC (expect flash mobs). Plus, they’re giving away a 30-day supply of Laura’s cult-favorite Foundation Primer at all NYC Sephora locations.* Stop by any of our 10 NYC locations tomorrow to get yours.

For those not in NYC, we’re giving away a complimentary full-size Foundation Primer on the blog. To enter to win, leave a comment below and tell us “What does flawless mean to you?” We will choose 10 lucky recipients on Monday, 10/10 at 10:00am PST. Good luck.


*while supplies last

Get the Look: Contrasting Metallic Lids

This metallic ombre is too pretty to be a rebel yell, but there's something subversively noir about contrasting a neutral and a midnight shade. We suggest trying the look with Bare Escentuals bareMinerals new high-pigmented pressed eye shadow.

Step 1: Take a brush and press a neutral over the inner half of lids. On model: gold from bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow in The Grand Finale.

Step 2: Using a clean brush or the other end of a double-ended one, press a dark shadow on the outer half of lids. On model: royal blue from bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow in The Grand Finale.

Step 3: Overlap and blend into the light side, and buff into the crease line and blend up to form a defined “V” shape.

Step 4: Finish with mascara and quick swipe of nude gloss. On model: Bare Escentuals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara in Black and Pretty Amazing Lip Color in Charisma.

Shop the List: Allure Best of Beauty 2011

Alongside classics recognized since time immemorial (Clinique's moisturizer and NARS Orgasm come to mind), there were also new inductees to Allure's Best of Beauty fold, including Cartier's soignee modern floral, Baiser Vole, and tarte's cheek-plumping blush. Check out who in the Sephora family made the cut.

Eyes
Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Smoky Design
Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Birthday Suit
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner
Lancome Definicils High Definition Mascara
Lancome Definicils Precious Cells High Definition Amplifying Mascara
Benefit Instant Brow Pencil

Lips
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil
Yves Saint Laurent GLOSS PUR
Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE PUR COUTURE in Color 01
Dior Rouge Dior in Hypnotic Red

Cheeks

NARS Blush in Orgasm

Yves Saint Laurant Crème de Blush
Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Tailor-Made Bronzing Powder
Josie Maran Argan Color Stick in Rosy
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush

Complexion
MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Invisible Cover Foundation
MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Microfinish Powder
Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand
NARS Pro-Prime Multi-Protect Primer SPF 30 PA +++
Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup
Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder
LORAC Tantalizer Body Bronzing Luminizer

Skin
Murad Acne Treatment Concealer
Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector
Kate Somerville CytoCell Dark Circle Corrective Eye Cream
Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage
Lancome Genefique Eye Youth Activating Eye Concentrate
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pad
Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Crème
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
Lab Series Skincare for Men Max LS Overnight Renewal Serum
Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Resist24 Collection
Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula
StriVectin-SD Instant Retexturizing Scrub
Prevage Day Ultra Protection Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 30 PA++

Hair
Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious Calming Crème
Living Proof No Frizz Shampoo
Living Proof No Frizz Conditioner
Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk
Living Proof No Frizz Straight Making Styling Cream (for Medium to Thick Hair)

Body
St Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Lotion
St Tropez Everyday Gradual Tan for Body
Jack Black Performance Remedy Body Rehab Scrub & Muscle Soak

Fragrance
DKNY Pure DKNY A Drop of Verbena
Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio
Dior J'Adore
Cartier Baiser Vole
Tom Ford Black Orchid
Chanel No. 5

Tools
Sephora Collection Classic All Over Shadow Brush #22
T3 SinglePass Whirl Professional Styling Wand
T3 SinglePass Professional Straightening & Styling Iron
Clarisonic Skincare Brush
Hourglass Powder Brush No. 1
Tweezerman Slant Tweezers
Beauty Blender
Stila One Step Complexion Brush #33