It’s Mario Badescu week at The Informed Makeup Maven where a new MB product is reviewed everyday.  Don’t forget to enter IMM’s giveaways!

Dao from My Makeup Blog discovered a way to have Gisele Bunchen’s hair without using heat.

Beauty Anonymous takes you to the ocean-inspired makeup collections.

Alison Blackman of the Advice Sisters has just published the Advice Sisters bi-monthly, Summer 2009 What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review column featuring 25 pages chock full of Summer-safe products for every budget and every activity!.

More Than a Pretty Face presents Part 1 of her interview with makeup artist extraordinaire Sam Fine. Stay tuned for Part 2!

The Beauty Couch is giving away two ChapStick True Shimmers to fulfill all your shimmery dreams.

Don’t forget to enter Beauty in Real Life’s giveaway with Perricone MD! Click here to enter to win an Advanced Face Firming Activator!!

Visit Lipgloss Break to Enter to Win Vera Wang Rock Princess and Barielle Summer Sugar Rush Nail Collection!

Do  you remember back in 2006 when Estée Lauder collaborated with Tom Ford on a makeup line?  With the marriage of the two forces they created a complete frenzy with the  limited edition bronzed line called Amber Nude.   It sold out everywhere almost instantly.   I was lucky enough to get a lipstick in Spiced Amber - that was about all that was left that I could find. I’m sure the line went for premium prices on eBay, because the packaging alone was something to be desired. 

This line really captivated our awareness of how beautiful and sexy bronzers could make us look, without damaging our skin in the sun or without using self-tanners.  After this line came out, it made every makeup company take notice.

Now  Estée Lauder’s Bronze Goddess line continues its swoon-worthiness as before.  

The bronzers are available in a few different formulations - Soft Matte, Soft Shimmer, Soft Duo (2 shades in one), and SunBlush Illuminator.  Oil free and made with an oil-control complex to give you a nice, natural bronzed look.

There are other products available in the line such as lip colors, and a nail color, a liquid bronzer and eye palette.   Check for availability online and in store, because these are a hot ticket.   Show off your safe bronzed sexiness for summer!

I personally have never used Perricone MD products.   I don’t know why, but I do know MANY people who swear by them and the good doctor’s books and health suggestions.   In fact, I’ve come to think there is a cult following!

The good people at Perricone MD have given one lucky reader of Fabulous Over Forty the chance to win a full size bottle of their Advanced Face Firming Activator valued at $120.  Perricone products are known as cosmeceuticals - a marriage between pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.    This Advanced Face Firming Activator is formulated with Alpha Lipoic Acid and DMAE and if you check out their website, you’ll see this product has 19 reviews with an average rating of 5 stars!   Like I said, people love this line!

To enter, just tell me in the comments if you’ve tried this line before, and if you have, what you like about it.  If you haven’t tried it before, that’s ok too - just leave your name.   Enter by Tuesday, July 7th at 11:59 PM CST.  Contest open to US residents only.  Good Luck!

Shu Uemura Art of Hair is giving away to one lucky winner one years’ worth of products with a value of approximately $1680.00!   Click HERE to enter and see rules.    But, do it quickly, time is short!

Sweepstakes entry ends June 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

See my review of the Shu Uemura Art of Hair products.

I had this line of new Herbal Essences sent to me recently to try out.   It’s their new Tousle Me Softly line, which immediately brings to mind Gisele Bundchen hair - long, flowy, messy, just-got-out-of-bed hair.   How does someone like me with short hair get that?   Well,  I guess the closest thing for the short hair version is Meg Ryan hair - think “You’ve Got Mail”, that messy, piecy, just-got-out-of-bed hair.

The products are infused with Wild Violet and Pomegranate, which I initially worried would be too sweet or fruity, but it wasn’t at all.   It was just a nice, fresh scent overall.

The shampoo is a nice texture - being thick and creamy and gives a nice lather.   It’s not super-moisturizing, but not drying either.   Just a nice basic shampoo.  

The conditioner however, is very nice and thick and super moisturizing without weighing my super fine hair down.  I could also use it daily with my fine hair and I didn’t experience any long-term weigh down.

The spray gel is probably my least favorite in the line.   It just didn’t work well for my hair type.   It felt like it did absolutely nothing, and those of us with fine hair need oomph!

Now the mousse is WONDERFUL!   I love this mousse - it gives me great volume and body - it really brings out the body in my hair too, adding to that touseled look.

Another piece to the line that absolutely SHOCKED me at how fantastic it is, is the Finishing Touch Cream.   I can tell you that I have tried about a zillion finishing creams, many that hairstylists swear by that won’t weigh down fine hair etc. only to use the teensiest dab and about 1/2 an hour later my hair is either oily or flat as can be or both.    This cream is fantastic!   I have found only one other cream in my zillions I’ve tried  that work on my hair and I just went and re-stocked it a few weeks earlier at $25 for a small jar.  I wish I hadn’t because this is only $5.49 for a HUGE jar.   It doesn’t weigh down my hair, enhances the body I have in my fine hair and I can piece up the look as well.   LOVE IT!

Recently I’ve had a love/hate relationship with hairsprays.   I love them for a bit, but then after a few times I don’t, for whatever reason - sometimes irritating my scalp, sometimes not withstanding the weather, and sometimes both.    The Flexible Hold Hairspray is a pump spray that isn’t sticky, and it holds without being so stiff.   Seriously.   I used this all last week and part of the week before.   No irritating my scalp, and the best part - we had horribly hot and humid weather here - which always does a number on my hair.  It was 95 degrees and the dewpoint in the mid-70’s.   Let me tell you, that is tropical!   I used this at 6:30 a.m., did not re-touch my hairspray or any product and when I got home from work 12 hours later, my hair looked just as good as it did in the morning.   Not kidding.

I was pleasantly surprised by this line of Herbal Essences.   I would definitely buy the last 3 products again, hands down.   And the super-shocking part is the price of the products.  Except for the Finishing Touch Cream, everything is only $2.99!   WOW!    A definite “Beauty on a Budget”. 

Typically I am not a mineral powder wearer.   For the most part I feel like we mix like oil and water.   I know some people absolutely swear by them and they look great.   But I typically have a “reaction” to them, meaning they don’t like me and I don’t like them.

But Alex Sanchez used this Lancôme Tropiques Minerale bronzer on me last month.   Remember my story about how lucky I was that Alex did a makeover on me?  Well he used this mineral bronzer and I loved how it looked so I purchased it.  He used the Natural Glow shade and it gave me a nice warm glow.   It didn’t look fake and it looked nice on my skin - but the trick is to use a very, very little amount on the brush - especially with my fair skin.  And if you purchase this mineral powder - I highly VERY highly recommend the Bronzer Brush with it as it is melt-on-your-skin incredible.

If you don’t want to go the mineral powder bronzer route, try this Poudre Soleil bronzer in a variety of shades from light to dark.  The powder is sheer enough to be buildable for your desired shade.    

Also, I know we’re not talking self-tanners today, but I hear their Flash Bronzer Self Tanner Leg Gel is incredible.   Many people swear by it because you get a bronze glow right away and then the self-tanner kicks in and gives you a lasting “tan”.  I’ve also heard people say that it’s not just for the legs as the name indicates.  

Check out the Lancôme counters to see if there’s a shade or formula for you.