Go Cargo

I'd been hearing a lot about Cargo makeup lately, particularly from Lucky magazine and the Lucky beauty blog. They really steered me right with a post on Weleda skincare products (wonderful, full of botanicals), so I decided to follow another recommendation and buy the Cargo mattifier. I went to Sephora on 34th Street and came home with this: The blu-ray kit, an incredible deal for $59. Bought alone, the products in this Sephora exlcusive would normally add up to $130. You get:

• pressed powder (matte, clean, effective, use sparingly)
• blush/highlighter (nice light rose color, no disco highlighter here)
  
• lip gloss (love the full spectrum of color, lasts long, smells good)
• mascara (miracle comb, lashes crazy long, no flaking, easy to remove)
• high definition mattifier (am totally addicted, keeps everything in place, feels like silk)

I'm going back to 34th Street for their botanical lipstick. The tube is embedded with seeds, so plant upon completion and see flowers grow. What's not to love about Cargo?

Sephora, 130 W. 34th between 6th & 7th

Winter White

When one is going to a warmer locale with winter legs, one panics and wants to do things one normally would never do. Please, remain calm and do not visit a random tanning place and get sprayed. There are too many unknown variables that could produce a frighteningly dark or orangeish hue. Control your color with a good self-tanning product from a reputable brand. Try Clarins at Sephora. They have a decent selection of self-tanners, with or without sunscreen, and for body, face or just legs. I bought the Sheer Bronze Tinted Self Tanning For Legs, $29.50, but I'm putting it on my arms too (will I be breaking a beauty commandment and turn to stone if I put the leg cream on my arms? I'll keep you updated). The tint is key, advice I got from Jean Godfrey-June in her book Free Gift with Purchase.* The beauty director of Lucky Magazine and a devoted self-tanner, she notes that the tint makes application much faster and effective as you can see what's going onto your skin. And she's right. Just remember the tint color is not going to be the color of your tan.

The staff at Sephora also recommends Bliss's "A Tan For All Seasons." They say women love this spray's ease of use. It's a little more expensive at $36. I'm a longtime Clarins fan so I stuck with brand loyalty. Here are some application tips from Ms. Godfrey-June's book, which I recommend buying for your girlfriends as a holiday gift. It's not just funny but also full of great beauty advice and fashion magazine lore:

-don't sweat the pre-tanning exfoliation (unless you've got scary feet)
-blend, blend, blend
-go gently in nooks and crannies, like ankles and elbows
-don't sit in your bathroom waiting to dry - put on some dark clothes and go

And regarding that last tip, I was amazed at how quickly the Clarins dried.

*buy this book for insider beauty advice. It's very entertaining and is a great holiday girlfriend gift.

Sephora, 130 W. 34th between Broadway & 7th, 212-326-9461