New Products

BY TERRY LIGHT-EXPERT CLICK BRUSH ILLUMINATING FLAWLESS FOUNDATION: NEW & IMPROVED

March 16, 2017 · 8 Comments

By Terry Light-Expert Click Brush Foundation isn’t new, but a recent re-design & formulation tweak gave a smoother consistency & easier application. How does it compare to YSL Touche Eclat now? Does Light-Expert belong in your beauty arsenal? Â

New & improved: By Terry Light-Expert Click Brush Foundation

ABOUT THE BY TERRY BRAND

Some time ago, devoted YSL Touche Eclat fans heard that Terry de Gunzburg, the creative director behind the iconic Touche Eclat, took her creative genius self and developed an improved version of the popular product, under her own haute couture quality line, aptly named By Terry. So of course, we bought it immediately. We liked, but we didn’t love. We did, however, very much like the foundation click pen named Light-Expert. Then Light-Expert got an overhaul that we DO love.

ABOUT BY TERRY LIGHT-EXPERT FOUNDATION

By Terry Light-Expert Click Brush Foundation is intended as an overall foundation but is pigmented enough to work as a concealer for a dark undereye. I selected the shade Apricot Light to warm up my pale skin. It gives a hint of color without making me unnaturally orange or fake looking. Because it blends so well, the extra color looks natural. There are rosy shades, golden shades, and neutral shades.

Swatch of By Terry Click-Expert Foundation in shade Apricot Light

By Terry Click-Expert Foundation Apricot Light swatch

COMPARING PRODUCTS

Of the By Terry line, we evaluated the three products we considered the closest match to the iconic Touche Eclat. We liked the Light-Expert more than the products that are considered counterparts or replacements for the Touche Eclat for two reasons:

Light-Expert is versatile with fuller coverage when applied directly, but it can be buffed and blended to a very sheer, almost undetectable finish.
Light-Expert is a better color match/dupe (see photo above) for the youthifying brightening we get from the iconic YSL Touche Eclat than the smaller click-pen Touch Expert Advanced Multi Corrective Concealer Brush ($47 at Barneys) or the By Terry Touche Veloutee Highlighting Concealer (about $58).

IMPROVEMENT ONE: SUPERIOR INGREDIENTS

If you are a regular StyleChicks reader, you know of our love of Hyaluronic Acid. It pulls moisture from the air into the skin resulting in plumping out wrinkles and fine lines, enlarged pores practically disappear, and skin becomes a smooth surface to apply makeup.

IMPORTANT TIPS FOR WHEN USING FOUNDATIONS CONTAINING HYALURONIC ACID

Make sure to use a good moisturizer underneath the foundation to hydrate/feed the Hyaluronic Acid.
If you’re in a dry-air environment such as an office, library, museum, or other places with dry, forced air, consider misting your face with a water spray, or an infused hydrating product such as MAC Prep & Prime Spray, or just dab your face with a damp Beauty Blender during the day to keep the makeup suppleÂ and dewy. Otherwise, it might be subject to a bit of cracking as the Hyaluronic works to pull more moisture into the skin.

IMPROVEMENT TWO: ABILITY TO SEE HOW MUCH PRODUCT IS LEFT

By Terry Light-Expert is constructed similarly to a refillable ink pen, as seen in the photo below. Â With the new By Terry Light-Expert, one can screw off the top above the brush head and pull out the see-through cartridge see how much product is left so you know if it is time buy a new one. Many of my click pen style cosmetics are a mystery in that regard, and I’ve had times that I do the concealer on one eye and then when I click again, it suddenly ran out of product mid-face. I hate that. It is one of my biggest pet peeves that I have no way of knowing how much product is left in a liquid eyeliner or click pen, but that is not a problem with the By Terry Light-Expert. Â Nice touch, By Terry, classy and sturdy construction to boot.

Not sure how much product is left? The By Terry top unscrews to see the contents

IMPROVEMENT THREE: BETTER BRUSH

The original brush was shaped like a traditional foundation brush, but it was more of a sloppy paint brush head that clumped together; you couldn’t see the product click out until it was over-pumped and overflowing. The new brush is a round flat top cut at an angle, and the product is atop the surface when clicked, so you can see how much product has been dispersed. With the new design, I rarely “overpump” and waste product. The brush also does not clump together like the old version.

I also like that the brush itself is angled nicely for direct application especially on facial contours, and it is a solid brush with dense bristles comparable or better to many foundation brushes. Â Or you can use your Beauty Blender or other brush.

New round flat head angled Brush for smoother application on facial contours

POSSIBLE DRAWBACK

Some Light-Expert shades were discontinued in this overhaul. If you prefer the original formulation of the By Terry Light-Expert, some one-off vendors (read *not* Barneys, NM, or SpaceNK) have limited quantities of these discontinued colors.

DARK CIRCLE COVERAGE CONCERNS

If you’re searching for the peachy undertone that conceals dark circles so well, YSL has come out with the YSL Touche Eclat Neutralizer in Bisque, and By Terry has the Light-Expert Perfecting Foundation Brush in Apricot Light (peach) and Rosy Light (pink).

WHERE TO FIND IT

By Terry Light-Expert Click Brush Foundation is found at Barneys, DermStore, Nordstrom and SpaceNK for $65 for .65 fluid ounces, well in excess of other foundation and concealer click brush pens

By Terry Light-Expert Click Brush Foundation

Claren Books: Fostering a Creative Community for Writers & Good Books for Readers

March 3, 2017 · 2 Comments

A leisurely soak in the tub or a rainy afternoon spent at a coffee house isn’t complete without a good book. On the lookout for your next literary find? Then check out Claren Books, Independent Publisher & a second-generation book company that fosters a creative community for writers.

Claren Books is not an ordinary publishing house. They are professional and detail-oriented, not cookie-cutter corporate. Friendly, but not folksy. My favorite part of this independent publishing company is that they foster a unique creative environment for authors, resulting in better books for their readers. The Claren Books creative community is open to all writers, not just their own.

As many of you are both avid readers and potential authors, we’d like to tell you about what Claren Books has to offer and give an overview of a few of their latest releases.

ABOUT CLAREN BOOKS

Claren Books publishes a select number of books a year. They are primarily fiction works, but some non-fiction as well. What can Claren Books offer you the reader? Or you the writer? Here’s a brief overview of both.

For Authors

Are you interested in writing novels or novellas? Claren Books is accepting submissions and has three unique benefits for writers. The first two are:

Loads of advice, tantamount to a candid pre-submission how-to guide, to ensure that a manuscript is indeed ready for an editor to read.
Claren Books gives frequent practical and constructive writing tips on the Claren Books FacebookÂ and TwitterÂ direct from their own Editor, Sarah Doebereiner (@SarahDoeberiner). Many lone authors fail without a mentor or peers. Many women have difficulty finding a mentor in their field. But with resources like these, you, aspiring solo authors, have the inspiration and indirect guidance needed to improve your writing.

MORE ABOUT CLAREN BOOKS PRE-SUBMISSION ADVICE

Read their concise, sound advice found within the FAQ and Submission sections of the Claren Books website that is tailored to potential authors who want to submit their work to be published. Â Think your novel is finally ready? Well, maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. It probably isn’t.

The thing is, many enthusiastic writers are, in all likelihood, not ready to submit their work. It doesn’t always have to do with how intriguing a story they are capable of writing. Â Claren Books points out many of the potential pitfalls that can entrap otherwise excellent authors-to-be.

For example:

Are there are basic formatting or technical issues within the document?
Has someone given a true critical proofing to the manuscript, or have only loved ones read the work? Â Before considering an official submission, it must be read by an impartial, Â knowledgeable third party, and then, once again, the author must endure the painful process of implementing edits and rewrites.
Is there a compelling cover page and synopsis?

As Claren Books points out, these are all necessary to the process. Once your work is submitted, it is too late to revise these make or break components, and an author must capture an editor’s interest quickly on that crucial first impression.

The reward for such strenuous pre-submission efforts is a good one. It is the third unique offering Claren Books has for their authors: a highly generous 50% payout on net receipts and a $1000 advance.

We respect that Claren Books, as a Publisher, freely offers these online resources toÂ all authors in order help them to write well and they make sure their authors get paid fairly.

Claren Books is a second-generation book company and a member of the Independent Book Publisherâ€™s Association. Publisher Bill Adler (@billadler) is an author himself and a former literary agent who’s represented numerous bestsellers.

WHAT DOES CLARENS BOOKS HAVE FOR READERS?

What about the reader? Claren Books offers fictional novels and novellas ranging from thrillers to a How-to book for telling a fairy tale to kids.

Not much of a reader these days? With all the streaming video content available, it’s easy to get out of the habit. Claren Books had the ingenious idea of “The Binge-Watching Cure”: an upcoming anthology of short stories of increasing length designed to get the reader to fall in love with reading once again.

Want to see specific examples of recent Claren Books offerings? For Read an eBook Week 2017, StyleChicks will be featuring a synopsis of several Claren Books from various genres; you’ll be sure to find your next good read!

BE PART OF THE CLARENS BOOKS CREATIVE COMMUNITY

Find the online creative community for authors cultivated by Claren Books

Style Chicks received compensation for our time and effort for this post. However, our experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% ours.

Spa Day For Your Scalp: Head and Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo

December 12, 2016 · 2 Comments

Who doesn’t want beautiful, soft, bouncy, shiny hair? Count me in.

I’ve used Coconut Oil, Jojoba and Argan Oil on my hair, and numerous mid-level to expensive conditioners. Many leave a residue. Residue inadvertently sabotages the beautiful hair quest in two ways: it leads to lifeless, dull hair, and impairs the health and function of the scalp.

A clarifying shampoo removes product build-up from the length of hair. But what about the scalp? How do you know if product residue negatively impacts your hair goals and if so, what can be done about it?

RESIDUE FROM HAIR GROWTH AND HAIR CONDITIONING REMEDIES
Have you tried any of the Pinterest recommended hair conditioning and hair growth methods of massaging Argan Oil, Aloe Vera, Jojoba Oil or Coconut Oil directly onto the scalp and through the length of the hair? Intended in part as a hydrating scalp treatment, these oils nourish hair follicles and can promote hair growth and leave hair so super-soft. Coconut Oil makes my hair soft, pliable and better-behaved, even my brittle ends feel moisturized! But these topical methods can cause harm if the scalp cannot breathe under that layer of hair moisturizing goodness.

SCALP CARE: WHY THE SCALP MUST BE RESIDUE-FREE TO GROW HAIR
If the scalp is obstructed by oil, sweat, dandruff, environmental pollution, or layer of residue from Coconut Oil or any other product, the scalp can’t grow thick, healthy hair; it suffocates under the residue. If your scalp isn’t healthy, it isn’t receptive to stimulating new hair growth. A dry, flaky scalp blocks the absorption of any nutrients applied to the scalp.

Even worse, residue on the scalp can entrap a hormone product that accumulates near the hair follicles called Dihydrotestosterone or DHT. If DHT is not washed away, it can shrink or even kill hair follicles, meaning thinner brittle hair. Residue on the scalp such as dandruff, styling product, or treating oils can block even a clarifying shampoo from reaching the DHT and removing it. Shampoos with Zinc Pyrithione effectively cut through residue, sweat, oil, or dandruff and remove DHT from the scalp.

What is Zinc Pyrithione? It is antiseborrheic, which means it slows down the production of skin cells that create flakiness. A clarifying shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione is Head & Shoulders.

“YEAH, BUT I DON’T HAVE MUCH DANDRUFF,” YOU SAY
Even if you don’t have apparent dandruff, your scalp is still skin and needs to exfoliate regularly, just like your facial skin. This allows the scalp to be cleaner and healthier, like how your face feels after exfoliating with a facial cleansing brush. And also like after facial exfoliation, treatment products sink in evenly and absorb better when the scalp is flake-free. If you massage any conditioning or treating agent or oil into your scalp, it makes sense to use shampoo that can optimize the treatment surface of your scalp by removing any barrier – dry skin flakes or oil or product or residue – to your hair treatment. Scalp Care is about more than just a wash for oil and sweat removal; proper exfoliation of dry scalp skin is like a spa day for your scalp and follicles.

But ideally, in addition to being confident that your scalp is flake-free, a scalp cleansing shampoo should be gentle to the length of the hair. A concern I had about using a dandruff shampoo for scalp care and as my clarifying shampoo, is would it strip or dull my hair color, or dry or damage my hair that is already dry from coloring and processing?

PUTTING THE NEW HEAD & SHOULDERS SHAMPOO TO THE TEST

TEST: For a few days before coloring, I use a clarifying shampoo for to remove styling gunk and any conditioning treatment residue off my hair and scalp. I want my hair as clean as possible without stripping out the moisture from hair or scalp. This way the hair dye can adhere without making my scalp sensitive.

TEST METHOD: I washed half of my head with my regular salon-brand clarifying shampoo and the other half of my head with the new Head & Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo.

USE: Head & Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo lathered readily. It had a light, very pleasant apple scent. I massaged my hair with the lather, focusing on my scalp for about 4 1/2 minutes and then I left it on my hair for another minute before rinsing. The recommended length of time to lather is 3 1/2 to 6 minutes, depending on your hair length and thickness. It felt cool on the scalp.

I rinsed my hair. It rinsed away easily and cleanly, even though I have hard water. I didn’t feel any residue in my hair while wet, and it left no residue afterward.

RESULTS: My hair felt clean without being stripped of natural oils and the body of my hair was shiny but not dry or brittle. My hair is long, and the brittle ends did not feel “crunchy” after using the Head & Shoulders. They were soft and smooth. Daily use has not dried out my hair or damaged it. It feels strong.

An unexpected side benefit was that my scalp feels good. Most hair clarifiers leave my scalp feeling tight and dry. The side of my head that I used my regular clarifying shampoo feels and looked drier.

NO RESIDUE!!!
I was surprised this left no residue because (confession time!) I had stopped using Head & Shoulders years ago because it left a residue on my hair after washing. I am happy to report: this is not your Grandma’s Head & Shoulder’s because I had no residue left whatsoever. It also smells of green apple; there is not any medicinal smell.

INGREDIENTS
In addition to the pyrithione zinc technology, the ingredients include tea tree essence and peppermint oil, which leave the scalp feeling fresh, itch-free, and is invigorating for a daily shampoo to get your day going.

PRODUCT BENEFITS
Head & Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo fights dandruff with the great scent of green apple, leaving hair smelling great AND Head & Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo is a pH balanced, gentle shampoo for daily use on all hair types, including colored or chemically treated hair. It removes up to 94 percent of dandruff irritants!

CONCLUSION
If you are growing your hair out for an event such as a wedding or just want longer, stronger hair, what products go on your scalp is key. Many clarifying shampoos can treat product build up from styling products, but few address scalp care without causing undue drying or damage to the hair itself. Head & Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo made my hair look healthy and shiny and made my scalp flake-free, clean and hydrated. It did not dry out my hair, and it did not strip the vibrant color out of my freshly colored hair.

Get Head and Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo on Amazon.

This content was sponsored by Head & Shoulders, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I hope you enjoy following along!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Head & Shoulders. The opinions and text are all mine.

Hair: Pure Glam Volume Root Powder

December 9, 2016 · 2 Comments

We’re mad about Pure Glam Dry Shampoo for getting our hair clean and our scalps feeling great with its’ organic formulation, so you can imagine how excited we are to try Pure Glam Volume Root Powder to get major volume!

Pure Glam Volume Root Powder

This hair product is a powder, much like magic Fairy Dust, and it performs as well as the highest quality Fairy Dust. The stuff you get straight from your Fairy Godmother that she made herself, not mass marketed Fairy Dust. We’re talking instant, major volume, and only where you want volume.

It is a small container at .21 oz, but it will last you a long time because you need so little of it to work. My first test was simple: sprinkle it along my middle part. I didn’t expect a lot of volume from the middle. It sprinkled from the container slowly and gently, so it was easy to control where it landed. This is also a nice feature because it negates clumps of product landing in one spot, which is a problem I have had with other volume powders.

It seemed to disappear into my dark hair immediately, unlike powders that stay a chalky, dusty white. I started lightly massaging the area, and the powder felt almost like a styling paste consistency without the gunky feeling. It quickly “dried down” and didn’t feel like I had product in at all.

The result? It is like I had the hair of my teens, in 20 seconds flat (no pun intended. My hair was the opposite of flat.) The Root Powder gave me gorgeous volume with incredible loft. And it MOVED! Usually, it takes a lot of stiff product to get this much volume, which isn’t a good look. My hair kept its’ natural swing, which is fantastic.

As with all Pure Glam products, Volume Root Powder contains certified organic ingredients, is cruelty-free, and is gluten-free!

How does Volume Root Powder accomplish all of this without having harsh chemicals in it? With a potent blend of ingredients, including silica silylate, kaolin clay, organic potato starch, organic tapioca starch, organic corn starch, and organic aloe barbedensis leaf juice, you can attain incredible volume in seconds, like you spent hours in a top stylist’s chair!

So why haven’t you heard of this amazing product yet? It’s brand new! It’s just been launched for the holiday season, so get yours now in time for upcoming parties! It is absolutely fantastic for getting the proper volume needed for an updo, especially a French Twist. We love this stuff!

We’re going to do some style tutorials on Youtube with this product soon, so be sure to watch for that. In the meantime, you’ll be able to find me standing in front of my vanity mirror tossing my head around, admiring the incredible volume in my hair…

Find Pure Glam Volume Root Powder at http://www.organicbeautynow.com/volume-root-powder.html

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EYFwj97UTY[/embedyt]

I was provided with a product sample and compensated for my time and effort. However, all opinions are mine.

Men’s Fashion: The Garwood 360 Watch

November 25, 2016 · Leave a Comment

You know that guy that just seems to have everything…together? Always has an easy-going smile on his face. Always affable. Always has a great story about how he went kayaking last Saturday morning, spent the afternoon in a used bookstore, and then went to a charity event at his Alma Mater…where he graduated top of his class before he started his successful tech firm? And he’s actually…humble about all of it?

That Guy is a rare breed. It is impossible to buy a gift for That Guy, because, well, he has everything already.

Fortunately, The Garwood has solved the gift-giving issue for the That Guy in your life with The Garwood 360 Watch.

The Garwood 360 Watch

I’m not entirely sure when wrist watches fell out of favor with men. It makes sense to check the time on your phone, of course, but I, for one, still find pulling out a phone in the middle of a conversation, even to check the time, to be a bit rude. A quick glance at one’s wrist is forgivable. Even if we are taking function out of the equation, a quality watch adds incredible polish to any outfit, from jeans and a tee shirt to a tux.

So, let’s get your That Guy polished and polite with a 360 from The Garwood.

The 360 is a well-crafted but affordable investment watch. The frame is made of 100% Natural American Maple Wood, crafted to ultra smooth perfection in a classic shape. The face is a 45 mm modern carbon fiber design, making it sleek and lightweight. The Quartz Miyota movement (the same movement as used in Bulova watches) is fluid, and the Crystal Sapphire Glass is scratch-resistant and quite luxurious.

The Garwood 360 Watch

The 9.5″ band is impressive. The feedback I get from a lot of men who don’t like wearing watches is that they don’t like ill-fitting bands. This isn’t a problem with the 360. The face lays flat against the top of the wrist, and the band conforms perfectly to the wrist. The band has a felt exterior over a butter soft leather strap. It feels luxurious on the wrist.

The Garwood 360 Watch

The box is perfect for gift giving: a plain brown cardboard box opens to reveal the watch on a custom-sized watch pillow. If your guy doesn’t already have a watch case, this pillow is far better than the standard generic watch pillow available and will keep the watch safe when stored.

So let’s get every That Guy the distinctive 360 from The Garwood: it’s the one thing we can get him that he doesn’t already have, making you That Girl – the one who knows what he needs, even before he does.

Find The Garwood 360 at http://thegarwood.com/home/360. Now through Cyber Monday, get $30 off the price with code CYBER.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qds0sR9KYgM[/embedyt]

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.