I Bought This, Affiliate Links I was late to the party in learning about the Grande Lash Class Action lawsuit (here). In fact, I bought a mini-tube of Grande Lash just before news hit about the hormones in the Grande Lash and other lash and brow growth formulas like RapidLash, a longtime favorite of mine. The controversial ingredient at the heart of the suit is ICP or Isopropyl Chloprostenate, defined in the cosmetics dictionary as a “hair conditioner”. ICP is a “prostaglandin analogue” or a synthetic version of prostaglandin that encourages hair growth by extending the length of the hair cycl ..read more

Before I get into Beauty Spotlight Team’s weekly roundup, I wanted to let those of you who are fans of Artis makeup brushes that there’s a sample sale going on now. And the discounts are big! Although I had recently bought some faux-Artis brushes on Amazon, I couldn’t pass by this sale. The sale is only happening either till or through Monday, May 6, so act fast. But the sale isn’t on the regular website artis.com, instead go to 260 Sample Sale. The makeup brushes I bought were 70% off! They would make great Mother’s Day gifts! Happy shopping and happy weekend! Adirondack Fragrance Farm Bals ..read more

I Bought This, Affiliate Links Aceology appears to be an Australian cruelty-free skincare brand known for its treatment masks (for acne, hydration, lifting, firming, detoxifying, anti-aging etc.) In the past, I’ve written about their Lifting Treatment Mask (here) that I like a lot. Aceology Berry Glaze Overnight Lip Mask What Does It Do? In my March Ipsy/Boxycharm box, I received Aceology Berry Glaze Overnight Lip Mask. I can’t remember if I chose it (I probably did) or if they just sent it. At any rate, it’s another wonderful and effective mask from Aceology, but this time it’s for treatin ..read more

PR Sample, Affiliate Links Meet A New Skincare Brand & Its Flagship Product Everything about Strawberry Moon says lovely! The cruelty-free and vegan skincare brand, Strawberry Moon Beauty, is brand new. Their cute logo, a strawberry over a crescent moon, is pictured on its shipping packaging and the exterior box. In fact, the co-founders of Strawberry Moon Beauty, Morgan and Megan, launched the brand in 2023 with their first product, Velvet Moon Moisturizer. I’ve been using it for the past few weeks, and I love it. Velvet Moon Moisturizer was created for sensitive skin, but even those ..read more

I Bought This, Affiliate Links Today I went to Town Hall to pay my property taxes, and then I stopped on the next block in our teeny, tiny downtown to go to the Post Office. One of the earrings that I bought from Chan Luu a year ago (reviewed here) broke when I cleaned the tarnish off with a cloth. Boo! I’m not sure how long the warranty is/was, but the earrings are not quite a year old. Chan Luu will repair it for free, but I had to send the pair back to them in LA. Fortunately, the earrings don’t weigh much, and it didn’t cost much to mail them back. I noticed that there appeared to be a ne ..read more

PR Samples, Affiliate Links In spring, I have roses on the brain. I’m trying to clean out the leaves that have gathered since last fall around my rose plants so I can fertilize them. This past weekend, Jeff planted my new rose plants for me. Although I don’t always have the best luck with roses, I still adore them. I love the scent of roses, the velvet feeling of the petals, and the variety of colors and patterns they come in. So when it comes to skincare products, I always like to have some products that contain rose ingredients or a rose scent or both! Here are a couple of my current fa ..read more

It’s almost the end of April already! Gee, one-third of 2024 is just about finished. Yikes. As I write this post on Friday afternoon, Jeff and I will be going to a play, a comedy about aliens and saving the planet, at Gloucester Stage. This weekend, all of the plays they are performing are for Earth Week about climate change. I’m psyched. What are you up to this weekend? Hopefully, something fun or relaxing! But in addition, please check out BST’s weekly roundup. Barbie from Barbie’s Beauty Bits has launched an addition blog, Beauty After Forty. Gosh, I barely manage to get my posts for NSDB w ..read more

Retail Gifts, Affiliate Links Last week, I went to the mall to pick up my birthday gifts from Ulta and Sephora. I like the fact that you get a choice among a few options these days instead of the one gift, take it or leave it! I don’t know if Ulta still changes up the options with each quarter, or whether they have a new scheme. Same with Sephora, unsure if the gifts will change. Nevertheless, here’s what I chose. Ulta Gift I wish I could remember what the other options were at Ulta, but I forgot. I know it was an easy choice for me because I am already using the product in one of its full si ..read more

I Bought This, Affiliate Links I’ve been on the hunt for what I thought was a clear, mineral sunscreen from Dr. Brandt. I wanted to try it before I bought it. I tried Ulta, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Sephora. Macy’s carries Dr. Brandt’s products online but not in the store. Not helpful. In the meantime, I learned that the dropper used in Dr. Brandt’s Liquid Mineral Shield is terrible, inadequate for the thick liquid. Also, the thick-ish white liquid doesn’t sound very appealing after all. Like with foundation (although I am very happy with Cover FX Total Coverage Cream Foundation), I am constantl ..read more

I Bought This, Affiliate Links A Little History Founded in 1999 by Lee Graf, medical and beauty strategist, Toronto-based Cover FX started as a clinic for sensitive skin and other skincare issues. A while later, it expanded and began selling its own makeup line. I knew Cover FX as a manufacturer of innovative drops that could be used to treat skin issues, as a skin tint, to add or change the color of liquid foundations. Cover FX was sold at Sephora for a number of years, but the brand disappeared from Sephora over the past couple of years. In February 2022, Cover FX was acquired by AS Beauty ..read more