There are so many similar products on the market that sometimes it takes a little something extra to make a product grab your attention. After they’ve got you hooked it takes quality and innovation to keep your attention. Model Co accomplishes both handily.

The Model Co Self Tanning Glove is a great product to work with. It is so much faster than any other self tanner I’ve used and there is no mess to worry about at all. The glove is soft but tough, and can be rubbed from head to toe. It has cocoa butter, and to me it smells like cake batter, yum.  With no chemical fumes, the scent wasn’t just tolerable,  it was a relaxing and enjoyable. The packaging is also great for travel, no worries about bottles or tubes opening accidentally. Tuck the slim packet in your suitcase and call it good! It takes only a few minutes to dry and set, so you can quickly get dressed and finish your day. The color can be deepened with an additional application within 48 hours. If you are exceedingly fair skinned, like myself, this is not the product for you, since the deep color ended up a bit orange on me. Perhaps if they make a lighter version… Also, it needs to be said that you shouldn’t rush this. Take the time to make sure you thoroughly wipe every inch of skin you want tanned. Any spot you miss will be glaringly obvious, trust me, I couldn’t wear short sleeve shirts for a week! I prefer a tinted product for this reason, but if you are a veteran self tanner with medium to dark skin who needs a quick touch up, give these handy gloves a whirl.

The Lip Lights gloss is another product that makes you wonder why nobody thought of this sooner. With an ultra bright light in the cap and a mirror on the tube, you can get perfect application of the smooth shiny gloss no matter where you are. I have yet to pull this out and begin to apply it without getting comments from men and women alike. Most men love the all purpose nature of the mirror and light, while most women just want to know where they can buy it! The color selection is fairly neutral, which is perfect for summer, but you know me, I like a little more color to choose from. Even with the neutral color, I find myself choosing this gloss from my purse far more that I would’ve initially imagined. It has a smooth lightweight texture and isn’t sticky.  Sienna Sunset is a very flattering color, and no added fragrance or flavor make it a nice choice for anyone.

Currently Sephora is the only major nationwide retailer to carry this Australian based brand, though boutiques in 11 states also carry the Model Co line, including Henri Bendel in New York. Like many of our favorite brands, these are products created to fill a need, with a lot of though and planning in each one.  Model Co strives to be revolutionary and innovative, and I have a feeling we will start seeing a lot more of them in the future.

NARS Sephora Exclusive Lip Gloss Collection ($81 Value) (Original Price $45), now $35. This set of five great glosses is $10 off.

NARS Eyeshadow Palette (Original Price $50), now $45.  This palette includes:

- Kilimanjaro I (opalescent gold)
- Bohemian Gold II (iridescent copper)
- Surbaya II (chestnut)
- Himalayas (iridescent pink)
- Ondine (plum with gold shimmer)
- Night Flight (black with cobalt blue pearls) (more…)

There are several lovely shades to choose from for perfect pouts for the holiday season. Reds, Nudes, Plums, Pinks, and Gold can all really accentuate your holiday look.

Red Lips
tarte’s vitamin-infused lipstick in vinyasa (enter before 12.21.08 at this MBB giveaway post to get a chance to win one of these red lipsticks!)
MAC Cult of Cherry lipglass is a new favorite this year, it’s my favorite pure red with a red pearl.
MAC Desire lipstick is a great warmed burgundy wine lustre.
MAC Red She Said lipstick is a pretty blue red cream.
Urban Decay Gash is a stunning blood red.

Nude Lips
Aromaleigh Candy Cane (on sale for $5.32) color crème is a pretty nude pink with iridescent shimmer.
Too Faced Lip of Luxury Lipstick in Centerfold ($18 at Ulta) - Soft Beige with just a hint of pink
MAC Bare is a great light neutral pink with subtle gold shimmer.
Nars Stolen Kisses lip gloss is a sparkling caramel pink color.
Urban Decay Indecent is a pale peach with shimmer.
MAC Sugarrimmed dazzleglass is great alone or layered over another color, as it is a milky pale pink with teal, red and white pearl.

Gold Lips

Benefit 24K Sexy Gold lip gloss is a true gold shimmering lipstick.
MAC Miss Dynamite dazzleglass is a gorgeous sheer orange-y copper with pearl. This looks great alone or layered over another color.
Kat Von D Hustler sheer lip gloss is a sheer yellow gold with iridescent glitter.

Pink Lips
MAC Love Alert dazzleglass is raspberry red with red pearl, and looks lovely alone or layered over another color.
Tarte Apple-a-Day lip gloss is iridescent raspberry rose.

Plum Lips
Too Faced Envy Me is a sheer currant color.
Urban Decay Vinyl is a plum, semi-sheer color.
Kat Von D Stormy ($18 at Sephora) is a plum wine with magenta and gold glitter.

Okay, everyone always talks about making sure you have your “Basics” and about what products you should get to supplement your “Basics”. The thing is, if you’re just jumping into cosmetics, or if you’re looking to branch out a little, you may not be sure where to start. In a (possibly misguided) attempt to be helpful I give you: “Mo’s Rough Guide to The Basics.”

“The Basics”, in this case, refer to cosmetics only, not skincare. We’ll assume you have a decent regimen that includes good cleansing and moisturizing, because pointers on those things are a whole post on their own. Well cared for skin really is the first step to great makeup.  For simplicity sake, in this discussion we’re starting at a washed and prepped face. Everyone’s basics are different but similar. Personal preference, skin type, budget…all are factors and I’ll try to be as broad as possible to help you get an idea of what your basics should be. I’ll start with a very general category and then break it down a little to explain. (more…)

Here are my suggestions on gifts for the holidays. It’s a mix of several different brands, but all things that I think a lot of people would like, and of course, things I like!   The prices range from $6.65 to $48, and all can be found online for purchase at UrbanDecay.com, Amazon.com, Aromaleigh.com (25% off coupon code FRIDAY25 until Friday Dec. 5th), Sephora.com, Ulta.com, and SallyBSkinYummies.com (10% off until the rest of ‘08 using the “mythsallyb” coupon code).

1.  Urban Decay 24/7 Travel Size Set of Eyeliners – $29
Available in two sets.
VIP
- Zero (zealous black)
- Lucky (brilliant deep copper)
- Covet (peacock green
- Electric (bright aquamarine)
- Lust (plush purple)

Velvet Rope
- Yeyo (metallic white)
- 1999 (plum with micro gold glitter)
- Zero (zealous black) the #1 best-selling black Eye Pencil
- Bourbon (brown with micro gold glitter)
- Stash (dark green/gold)

2.  Urban Decay Sustainable Shadow Box - $36
- YDK (bronzed mocha with golden microglitter)
- Midnight Cowboy Rides Again (golden beige with bronze, gold, & silver glitter)
- Flipside (electric teal with blue sheen)
- Flash (bright iridescent purple)
- Grifter (sheer lavender with lots of silver microglitter)
- Oil Slick (black with silver glitter)
- Uzi (metallic silver with big iridescent sparkles)
- Kiddie Pool (ocean blue with iridescent glitter)
- Twice Baked (brownie brown with gold glitter)
- Half Baked (subtle, lustrous bronze).

3.  Urban Decay Urban Essentials – $39
- .55 oz Overside bottle of Primer Potion
- Goddess Eyeshadow (midnight blue with lots of electric-blue microglitter)
- Midnight Cowboy Eyeshadow (subtle golden-beige with gold glitter).

4.  Urban Decay Best of Urban Set – $32
- Baked Heavy Metal Glitter Liner (bronze)
- Half Baked Eyeshadow (subtle, lustrous bronze)
- Bourbon 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (brown with teeny gold glitter)
- Eyeshadow Primer Potion (ultra-sheer nude eye base)

5.  Too Faced Mini The Quickie Chronicles – The Life of the Party - $15
- blush in berry mauve shimmer
- black glitter eye shadow
- silver foil eye shadow
- berry sparkle lip gloss
- golden pink lip gloss

6.  Aromaleigh Must Have Holiday 2008 Gift Set – $34.75 (on sale for $26.25)
- butterscotch eye shadow (yellow gold with red iridescence)
- allspide eye shadow (tarnished copper brown with shimmer)
- wintergreen eye shadow (neutral green with smoky undertone and red shimmer)
- mulberry eye shadow (vivid warm holiday purple with rich highlight sparkles)
- amaretto lip creme (mid-toned caramel nude with glints of mauve)

7.  Aromaleigh Create Your Own Custom Gift Set – $37.35 (on sale for $28.00)
- choose a lipstick or lipgloss shade
- choose a blush or rouge shade
- choose 3 eye shadow shades

8.  Aromaleigh Little Gems Gift Set – $28.20 (on sale for $22.56)
Choose from 8 different sets which include 2 eye shadow shades, 1 blush and 1 lip color.

9.  Aromaleigh Make Eye Colors Pop Gift Set – $27.00 (on sale for $24.30)
Choose from Blue, Brown, Green and Hazel eye sets.
Each set includes 3 eye shadows and a liner. (more…)

How many times do you have to say no to a tempting treat?  Once a week, twice a week, oh come on!  If you are like me it’s a constant saying no-to-treats battle.  I generally need a few treats daily to keep me smiling and content!

The remarkably beauty and eco-savvy Sally B created a line to treat our skin and it doesn’t add any calories, carbs, or guilt.  Just pure skin pleasure.

The Mythbuster Beauty Team got to sample several items from the Sally B Skin Yummies line.  Everything I tried, I loved.  Sally B’s skincare line is packed with high quality, skin nourishing ingredients.  No need to read through a mile-long ingredient list from Sally B. 

Body-Eco Lotion in Lavender ($32):  A fabulous lotion for the body, hands and feet this lotion offers just the right amount of moisture, absorbs well into the skin and has a fabulous sweet lavender scent.  Key Ingredients: Organic Tamanu Oil, Kukui Oil, Organic Green Tea, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Aloe.

Sally B’s Organic Sugar Scrub ($16 – 4oz, $30 - 8oz.):  “Most scrubs on the market are simple concoctions—either oil and sugar or oil and salt, and messy! And they must be stirred.  Salt can also be irritating to the skin and will certainly sting if you have any scratches.  Sally B’s Sugar Scrub is full of Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter and there is no need for stirring!”   So if this doesn’t convince you to try it, check out DecoDiva’s review:  Sally b’s Skin Yummies – Lemon Sage Sugar Scrub.  I’ve also heard that the Chamomile Neroli scrub is amazing.

B Glossy Organic Lip Gloss ($10) – I sampled this gloss in “Every Blond’s Pink,” a protecting lip gloss, with just a hint of pink tint that gives my lips subtle color and shine.  Sally B adds a bit of peppermint, which is perfect not overpowering, and this gloss can be used alone or layered with your favorite lip color.  Mo sampled “Copper Penny,” and DecoDiva loved her gloss in “Ruby’s Red.” (more…)

Is there anything prettier for fall than a shiny copper lipstick accompanied by a deep plum eye shadow? Together they are simply beautiful autumn hues.

Because of my very cool pink skin undertones, I generally wouldn’t wear a copper shade lip color because it would look orangey. So I was somewhat surprised and very pleased when I used the “Pretty Penny” lipstick from LooseLipsNY. It has a bit of burgundy combined with the copper, and really looked great. The formula is very smooth and moisturizing lipstick. To add some shine and dimension to this color, LooseLipsNY Lumi-Shine lip gloss in FATE goes very well on top of the Pretty Penny lipstick, a coppery sheer shine with pink sparkles.

LooseLips Indelible Creme Eye Shadow in Plumkin looks very dark in the container, but goes on smoothly and adds a deep brownish plum shade with a bit of pink sparkle. This is a waterproof and long wearing creme-to-powder eye shadow that is a drop dead gorgeous! I love it.

LooseLipsNY is generously giving away this Copper and Plum Trio to one lucky Mythbuster Beauty reader! The Copper and Plum Trio consists of: a LooseLipsNY Lipstick in Pretty Penny ($12), a LooseLipsNY Lumi-Shine Lip Gloss in FATE ($15), and a LooseLips Indelible Creme Eye Shadow in Plumkin ($16). Combined these items would retail for $43. (more…)

While discussing the dark blood burgundy lip look in a recent post, “Dark Lips:  Va-va-Voom or Vampiress?” almost all agreed.  They love the color, but feel that not all can wear a dark matte liptick successfully.  I would classify myself as an example of one that “cannot.” 

I love the idea of the dark lip shade; love the deep beautiful Bing cherry color.  This weekend I was able to visit a local beauty boutique in Park City called the Splendor Beauty Emporium, and perused the counters for a shade that could satisfy my desire for the dark lip look.  I opted for the NARS lip gloss in Rose Birman, a sheer cranberry (worn in this picture by Amanda).  I almost went for the next darker shade, Rose Gitane, which is classified as a sheer sangria. 

My friend Bionic Beauty has fallen in love with NARS Lipstick shade in Captiva, which offers a sheer tint of currant, and would be perfect for those who are looking for a more sheer dark lip option.   If you are fan of Clinque, the immensely popular “Almost Lipstick” in Black Honey is a deeper sheer color that I would recommend trying.

Now, that I have found a happy medium on the dark lip look I would like to find a gorgeous gray eye shadow palette.   I have been looking at Stila’s Backstage Beauty Eye Shadow Palette- The Red Carpet Look.  The three pan grey palette along with a Smokey Quartz Kajal eyeliner looks ideal.   

What beautiful fall trends are captivating your interest?

Want an instant pop of brilliant red color on those lips, but a little leery of wearing a full colored red lipstick shade?  I highly recommend trying a sheer red lip gloss.  My favorite fun look for summer has been to wear Becca’s Glossy Lip Tint in Cherrybomb.   It adds a bright, pure shade of red to my lips and lots of long lasting shine, and I don’t feel like this gloss is overpowering and screams to everyone, “Hey look, I am wearing my Mom’s red lipstick!”

For you who can boldly wear the bright red lipstick, I envy you!  But for those like myself who are feeling timid about wearing red lipstick, but are still craving the ”little red corvette” color to your lip palette, Becca’s sheer bright red Cherrybomb lip gloss is a great alternative.  I usually think of a red lipstick as a winter shade, but picture this, how nice a red lip compliments a tan (or sunless tan) complexion?  

I gave Becca’s Glossy Lip Tint a “9 out of 10″ stars on the Total Beauty site.  I gave this product a “9″ simply because of its price.  $23 is a little steep for even a fabulous lip gloss.

Stila has a deep red lip and cheek stain called “Cherry Crush” which I have heard wonderful things about.  You can also try Stila’s limited edition “Rock the vote Red” lipstick.  Wearing red lipstick to the polls seems like a very patriotic thing to do.  

Check out my friend Kate’s picks for fabulous fall red lip color at her post, “That time of year again:  Saturdays at Sephora,” at Megsmakeup.com.

Which ever way you choose; have fun with some red!

Summer days are here, and the kids are home 24/7 from school.  Who has time for a complicated morning makeup routine?   Most days, I generally have 5 minutes to get my makeup on before a disaster strikes.  Like my two year old discovering a permanent marker, or deciding to change her own messy diaper (those are actual examples of events that have happened at my home in the last week).   

This is my bare minimum lickity-split makeup plan: 

Clinique’s Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss has become my new favorite go to lipbalm.   A slightly thick gel gloss, melts on and leaves my lips super moisturized and shiny, without the annoying stickiness of some lip glosses.  The Raspberry tint is perfect for me,  just a touch of sheer color with lots of shine.  You could easily layer this on top of your favorite lipstick. 

I carry my Superbalm around with me in my purse, and use it throughout the day.  Clinique’s Superbalm comes in several beautiful shades like Raspberry, Lilac,  Mango, Grapefruit, and Rootbeer, and retails for $13.50.