Brandi is our lucky winner and will be getting her choice of an FSL Cosmetics lip color! 

You will be contacted via email by FSL Cosmetics on any further details. 

Congratulations and can’t wait for you to #FeelGoodSmellGoodLookGood!!!

Thank you to everyone that participated and stay tuned for more giveaways coming up this week!

xoxo

Hello my beauties!  I am so excited to share with you some information on my new friend’s fabulous lip cosmetic line. Just this past January, I attended the launch party of Kimberly Riley’s long awaited lip line called FSL Cosmetics at Wink Eyelash in NYC.  It was my first formal introduction to Kimberly even though we had become great friends through Twitter long before then.  It’s amazing how social media can bring together complete strangers. Anyway, it was such a pleasure to meet the girl behind the brand and to actually try the lip sticks and lip glosses we had been tweeting about for so long. It seemed that every time we chatted, Kimberly was always working on her baby.  And it was this hard work, dedication, and true love and passion for her dreams that really made me want to know her better.  Kimberly not only attained her bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering, she achieved a double minor in Chemistry and Business Administration as well.  And as a person that cherishes an education, I really grew to respect my new friend on so many different levels.  Plus to top it all off, she’s a beautiful, smart woman too!

So let’s talk about FSL Cosmetics and the amazing launch party Kimberly threw.  As I mentioned, the launch party was held at Wink Eyelash in NYC.  It was so much fun getting to try the entire line of FSL Cosmetics and finding my perfect match.  With the help of Karen aka MakUpDiva, one of the most fabulous makeup artists in the industry, I was able to pick out my faves and learned some great application tips.   The night was truly a blast. It also didn’t hurt that I was sippin on Rose the entire night and nibbling on some cupcakes freshly baked by Tawny Ong.  Check out this pic of Nando from Nandoism, me, and Paul from Beyond Beauty Basics at the party below.

Now what I love most about FSL Cosmetics is that it truly lives up to its acronym.  FSL Cosmetics promises to deliver on the Feel, Smell, and Look of the product.  And it truly does.  From the lip sticks to the lip glosses, the formulas are light, yummy, and vibrant. They FEEL so good on my super sensitive lips, SMELL absolutely delicious, and LOOK great on me (someone that rarely wears anything but lip balm).  And to make them even better (and totally perfect for Big City Beauty), they are 100% free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), nut oil, gluten, and talc. They don’t test on animals and the lip gloss containers are 100% recyclable!  I have to say that not only was I impressed with the woman behind it all, I was definitely impressed by the actual product itself.  Check out some pics I took below of BCB rockin’ my fave lip gloss, Pink Colada.

Well I hope you all enjoyed my many pictures, but now it’s time for the good stuff!  Because I love these lip colors so much… and love my readers even more… I am hosting an FSL Cosmetic Giveaway right here on Big City Beauty! As many of you may know, Twitter is a free social networking service that allows you to send messages in 140 characters or less.  And because Twitter is what introduced me to Kimberly and FSL Cosmetics, I wanted to make this contest coincide.  So to win your choice of one FSL Cosmetics lip stick or lip gloss, you must leave a comment below in 140 characters or less telling me what makes YOU feel, smell, or look good.  You have until Sunday, March 28th at 11:59pm EST to enter your comments.  A winner will be picked at random so to increase your chances of winning and get an extra entry, get onto Twitter now and follow @FSLCosmetics and retweet “#FeelGoodSmellGoodLookGood with @FSLCosmetics!”  The winner will be announced here on BCB on Monday, March 29th and FSL Cosmetics will contact you regarding your prize!

Good luck my beauties and don’t forget that yours truly is also on Twitter @BigCityBeauty…  xoxo

Now without further ado, here are your three winners:

First Place

Debbie C

FEED Projects

Why BCB chose this winner: Not only does FEED Projects make eco-friendly and fair products that raise funds for their organization, it has fed over 100 million starving children in almost 90 countries. With their charity, they have provided food in schools all over the world to stop hunger as well as end the poverty cycle. By providing food to children in these schools that don’t have the necessary funds, they have greatly improved the attendance and performance rates of these young children. It is such an amazing charity that has definitely touched my heart just by doing research on it. And how awesome is it that it was co-founded by a beautiful fashion model!?! I cannot wait to find ways for BCB to contribute to FEED Projects. Thank you, Debbie!

Second Place

Katie C

Keep America Beautiful

Why BCB chose this winner: Just read the following quote from their website and you will understand why a blog like Big City Beauty would love to be affiliated with Keep America Beautiful… “Our organization’s mission revolves around a core belief that beauty is a silent but powerful force that makes communities safer, healthier and more livable. “Beauty” is in our name, it’s the result of everything we do and it’s what our organization is all about – citizens, government and businesses uniting to create better communities and contributing to a more beautiful world. We know that when a community and its residents unite with beautification as a common purpose, transformations occur not only in the physical surroundings, but in the hearts and minds of everyone involved.”

Third Place

Courtney

Environmental Working Group

Why BCB chose this winner: EWG is an organization that uses the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. Through their research they have developed Skin Deep, a useful tool that consumers like myself use often, to provide a safety guide for cosmetics and personal care products. In addition to Skin Deep, they have created the Shopper’s Guide to Safe Cosmetics all while continually campaigning for national policy changes that will end the damage done to our environment and natural resources. It’s an organization with lots of information that any beauty buyer should take advantage of.

And there they are! Thank you again to everyone that participated and stay tuned for another giveaway coming up soon on BCB!!!

Until next time everybody… xoxo

During my recent trainings with Caudalie, I fell even more in love with the company and their philosophy.  In 1993, a young, beautiful couple was giving a tour of their vineyard to Professor Vercauteren, a professor of the Pharmacy Faculty of Bordeaux.  On this tour, the professor had asked the couple what they did with the unused grape seeds from their harvest and proceeded to explain to them how these seeds contained polyphenols, the most powerful antioxidant in the plant world.  With the professor’s anti-aging research, and Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas’ passion for skin care and their vineyard, Caudalie was born.

What most people don’t know about Caudalie is that they were the first company to discover and use stabilized polyphenols in cosmetics.  In addition to this groundbreaking patent, Caudalie also has patents on Resveratrol (which stimulates cellular renewal) and Viniferine (which promotes radiance and treats dark spots).  Another fascinating fact about the company is that they were at the forefront of eco-beauty before it became what it is today.  Their products are free of parabens, phenoxyethanol, mineral oil, artificial colorings or sodium laureth sulfate.  In addition, no ingredients of animal origin are used, products are not tested on animals and a maximum of natural active ingredients can be found in all of their products.

With their devotion to skin care research and the environment, Caudalie has not only grown to be my favorite eco-beauty line, but a part of my life now as well. 

So without further ado, I would love to present to you the THREE prizes I have to offer for Big City Beauty’s End of the Year Giveaway:

First Place

Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa in a Box

Second Place

Caudalie Fleur de Vigne Fresh Energizing Fragrance

Third Place

Caudalie Beauty from the Vine Sample Pack

For a chance to win one of these fabulous prizes, pay close attention to the following:

Big City Beauty is in search of a green charity to partner with.  So I am leaving it up to you guys to help me find the perfect match.  Submit your ideas by clicking here by December 25^th at 11:59pm EST and the top three charities I think will be just right for BCB will be considered for these three prizes.  After I do my own research on these submissions, the winners will be announced on January 1^st, 2010.  And like all contest held here, you must be either a Fan on Facebook or a Follower on Twitter to qualify.  So don’t forget to give me your Facebook or Twitter name with your entry.

The best of luck to you all!  And thank you again for being such wonderful and supportive readers.

Until next time my pretties…  xoxo

P.S. – To book a facial with yours truly in the new year and experience the magic of a Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa Treatment, call 212.265.3182 and request a facial with Lia!

With way more entries than I had anticipated, I enlisted the help of my mom who is visiting me for the holidays.  She too had a difficult time picking the best answers but we have finally narrowed it down to our TOP 3 WINNERS!  And just because there were so many wonderful answers, I wanted to list a few runners up so that you can benefit from their wonderful tips as well.

We had so many entries on the following topics that I wanted to share them with you too as they seemed to be a trend among a lot of readers:

• Keeping lips hydrated and exfoliated
• Applying moisturizer right out of the shower while skin is still damp
• Using a tinted moisturizer when skin is less sun-kissed
• Changing your makeup look from fall to winter colors

I really wish I could post all of the answers on here for you guys because they were all so good.  But a contest is a contest and there can only be three!  So without further ado, here are Big City Beauty’s Thanksgiving Giveaway winners:

FIRST PLACE

Meg F.

Fan on Facebook

Hello radiant glow! Goodbye flakey, dry skin!  My skincare tip for the winter is that less is more with moisturizer! Let me explain; often people think they need to load up on their moisturizer when their skin is drier, however, this usually just leaves skin with too much residue. Halfway through the day, you touch your face and off comes your moisturizer and makeup. Instead, start using a serum. Buy a hydrating serum and apply it first so it penetrates deep into your skin. Then apply your regular amt of moisturizer. Your skin will reap the benefits of the extra moisture without your face feeling too heavy, or worse, wasting product!

Why BCB chose this answer:  Applying a treatment serum is probably the most important skin care step in your regimen.  Because serums are highly concentrated and targeted to fight specific needs and concerns, they are easily absorbed by the skin and are amazingly more effective.  Try adding on a hydrating serum (preferably one with hyaluronic acid) to your daily routine during the winter and your skin will never feel better!

SECOND PLACE

Chantal C.

Fan on Facebook and Follower on Twitter

My favorite skincare tip for the winter is to make sure that you are exfoliating your face and body.  With winter weather comes dry skin.  Any products that you apply over dead skin cells will just sit on top of them.  By sloughing off any dead skin cells that have built up on the skin’s surface, you allow your products and moisturizers to become more effective, as they are more readily absorbed into the skin.  For your face, make sure you use an exfoliant that is more gentle than for your body, as the skin is thinner and more delicate.

Why BCB chose this answer:  Exfoliating during the winter months is definitely a must!  And there is no sense is buying the best, most effective products if it is just going to sit on top of your skin and not penetrate.  Taking away the top, dead layer of skin will not only make your skin more radiant, but it will also increase the effectiveness of your products as well.  And as mentioned in this answer, never use something that is too abrasive for the skin on your face.  Sometimes less is more!

THIRD PLACE

Ingrid V.

Fan on Facebook and Follower on Twitter

My best tip for winter beauty is giving your feet some love.  Whether it’s a pedicure, or just a lotion/sock combo, I like to treat my feet in the winter.  Of course, I live in California, so I can still wear my flip flops for most of the year!

Why BCB chose this answer:  Often at times during the winter we tend to forget about our tootsies.  And although this might not happen as much in places like California, it certainly happens in the much colder climates like New York.  Just because your feet aren’t looking cute in sandals during the winter doesn’t mean they don’t need some TLC.  Definitely keep up with your pedis (whether you go to a salon or DIY) and certainly keep those heels moisturized as walking around in socks and boots all day can definitely dry them out.

RUNNERS UP (no prize this time but definitely worthy of some recognition)

Jeanette H.

Fan on Facebook and Follower on Twitter

I use plain yogurt as a mask. It makes my skin look younger. It replinishes it. It also feels so wonderful and soft. Also leaving conditioner in you hair for 20 minutes once a month will help dry hair look healthier, It can be any conditioner.

Why BCB chose this answer:  Yogurt masks are one of my favorite home remedies.  It is rich in vitamins, high in Zinc (for fighting blemishes) and high in lactic acid (a natural exfoliating peel).  Some great yogurt secrets that I have tried can be found in one of my favorite skin care books Passport To Beauty.  And of course keeping your hair conditioned during cold and windy weather is another great tip.  I like to use a hydrating mask every other week on my hair by my favorite hair care company (and from reading many of your entries, your favorite too) MoroccanOil.

Katie B.

Fan on Facebook

My all time favorite and best skin care product for winter is Bag Balm. It has saved my lips and sensitive skin from becoming dry and cracked in the winter months. Bag Balm is an all-purpose beauty product for me. I use it on my lips, on my hands, and on my face when no amount of moisturizer seems to help. I even use it on my eyebrows to tame any stray hairs and it’s the perfect glossy finish over any lip color. Best of all, Bag Balm is so inexpensive and lasts for years. I recommend it to all of my friends and it’s the perfect beauty staple for any Big City Beauty fan!

Why BCB chose this answer:  As someone who has gone skiing many a times since I was younger, Bag Balm has been a staple at ski resorts for as long as I can remember.  Originally intended for use on animals, Bag Balm has actually become a preferred treatment for chapped and irritated skin on humans.  And with an antiseptic as an active ingredient, it is sure to effectively heal chapped skin.  I just love the different uses Katie has found in this one product as well.  It is always helpful knowing ways to get more for your money.

Shiela B.

Fan on Facebook and Follower on Twitter

My best beauty tip was handed down to me by my beloved grandmother who had the softest skin when she passed away at 86. Every night before going to bed she cleaned her face with Ponds Cold Cream. Then after patting it dry she would apply just a teeny, tiny bit and leave it on til morning. Most newborns don’t even have skin as soft as her was.

Why BCB chose this answer:  I just has to post this answer as it really hit home because my grandmother uses Ponds Cold Cream as well.  And her skin is softer than a baby’s too!  I personally have never used this product but it looks like there may be something to it.  I might just have to pick some up on my next visit to the drug store.

Thank you again to all of you who entered and stay tuned in the next few weeks as BCB will be having another giveaway to start off the new year!  You never know…  You might just be a Big City Beauty winner next time! 

Xoxo for all your support and Happy 4 month Anniversary to BCB!

All you have to do is submit an email by clicking here, or sending one directly to bigcitybeauty@gmail.com, telling me in 100 words or less what your best skin care tip/product for the winter is and why.  You have until Thanksgiving, November 26th, at 11:59pm EST to submit your answer and the winners will be chosen and announced on Black Friday, November 27th right here on BigCityBeauty.com.

*** IMPORTANT CONTEST RULE: In order to qualify, you must be either a Fan on Facebook or a Follower on Twitter.  So for those of you who are both, you get TWO entries!  Be sure to submit your Facebook and Twitter name along with your entry so I can confirm your status.  ***

Once the winners are announced, I will be contacting you directly to confirm your win.  If no response is received after 5 days, another winner will be chosen so make sure to check in on Black Friday to see if your name has been posted!  Good luck and thank you again for being the best readers a beauty blogging girl could ever have!  xoxo

Take a look at the three prizes Big City Beauty has to offer:

FIRST PLACE – Over $250 Value

SECOND PLACE – Over $150 Value

THIRD PLACE – Samples Galore