Oscar Blandi Raffinata Straightening Balm = Straight-Up Perfect

($19, Oscar Blandi, Sephora.com)

UPDATE: I'm using this on my curls now, and it actually works AMAZINGLY well as a smoother and defrizzer. I mixed it with my gel and applied (liberally) when my hair was still wet, and seriously, my hair looks better than it has in weeks.

I have had THREE hair cuts in the past month and FOUR blowouts (I have thick, curly hair that frizzes as though it were getting paid to do so) in the past 10 days (there's obviously a story there), and I've tried a handful of straightening products that just didn't deliver. Which is so not the case, however, with Oscar Blandi's Raffinata Straightening Balm. It's designed to minimize blowdrying time, but since, um, I've had my share of the blowdryer, I tried it out to see if it'd maintain and revive my blowout. Oscar Blandi and his unparalelled Straightening Balm instantly annihilated my frizz (and it's about 17,000 degrees in the shade here in New York right now), and smoothed out my layers without weighing them down or making them greasy, sticky, or too slick. My hair looked thick and wavy but polished. You only need a small dab of the cream-based product to achieve near-magical results. And it smells fresh and clean, like shea butter. Sold.

Tarina Tarantino Launches A Beauty Line With Sephora!

Tarina Tarantino, one of my all-time favorite sparkly ladies (PLEASE know her jewelry -- it's loud, proud, sparkly, fluorescent, full of gems and sometimes feathers, and the most fun... not unlike myself, I do believe), just announced her exclusive makeup collabo with Sephora.

I got a chance to stop by Tarina Tarantino's Sephora beauty preview last night and walked into total flouro overdrive mode, with wet-look glosses, silky powders, shimmer dusters, a rainbow palate of 24 eyeshadows (including a golden shade) I'm jonesing for, and PACKAGING! Oh the packaging! Think 1980s Barbie meets Harajuku Lovers meets Rachel Perry meets Perfumeria Gal.

Check out a few Tarina x Sephora photos from Nylon Magazine and the Sephora blog, and stay tuned for Tarina Tarantino's Sephora line, available in February.

Me, geeking out when I met Tarina at the Richie Rich show last year...

PS: On the wedding tip, last night I caught up with Tarina, chatted about my upcoming wedding, and she was like you HAVE to get a videographer -- she just celebrated her 10th wedding anniversary and said it was amazing to look back on the video of her own wedding. Hm. I should add it to the list of shit to do...

Somaly Mam: Bid On Beauty For A Beautiful Cause

Yo. Today is International Women's Day, and many good-hearted beauty professionals have come together and set up an eBay auction to benefit the Somaly Man Foundation -- a nonprofit public charity whose vision is to put an end to sexual slavery.

Some background on Somaly Mam: Somaly is survivor of human trafficking. Somaly was sold into sexual slavery in Cambodia by a man who posed as her grandfather, forced to work in a brothel with other young girls. Beaten, raped and tortured, she finally escaped, and at age 30, became a spokeswoman for women and children tortured in Cambodian brothels. In 2006, Somaly was honored as Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year for her courageous work in fighting sexual slavery, and she has been profiled as a CNN Hero in recognition of her brave fight to save so many young, innocent victims from this horrible silent crime.

The auction starts today, and some of the items up for auction include:

+ Cut & color with celebrity stylist David Evangelista
+ Tickets to the Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2010 Runway show in September 2009
+ Over $1000 in Givenchy Le Makeup, skincare, and fragrance
+ The new Dior L'Or de Vie Skincare Collection
+ Autographed Anya Hindmarch handbag
+ 3-month Equinox Fitness membership
+ VIP tickets to see a live taping of Rachael Ray
+ Lots of beauty products from brands including Fresh, Guerlain. Dior, Sephora, and Frederic Fekkai!!!

I know lots of us don't have a ton of spare cash right now, but if you're looking to pick up a gift for Mother's Day, a bride, someone's birthday, and you want to be able to spend somewhere where your money can give back, this is a great way to do that.

+ Bid here! Bid high! Bid often! Good luck!

Urban Decay's Lipstick: Packaging To DIE For... Or By

($22, Urban Decay, Sephora)

Aside from the heavy-like-a-roll-of-quarters bulk, ferociously scary/ awesome dagger detail, fun fun fun brand embossing that says "Urban Decay" right on the erm, shaft of the lipstick itself, purple metal tube, and the caramel scent of Midnight Cowboy (a shimmery beige), I kinda love the fact that you could totally put someone's eye out with any of Urban Decay's lipsticks as clearly they double as weapons.


And if you really like Urban Decay's lipstick, you can vote for it at the Golden Compact awards! Some of my FAVORITE beauty bloggers are judges!

The Scoop On Barbie Loves Stila!

Barbie Loves Stila is the holy trinity of cute packaging, nostalgic licensing, and a good deal on beauty products. JACKPOTx3! The limited-edition collection launches in February at Sephora in honor of Babs' 50th birthday.

The collection includes four $40 "Decades of Beauty" paint cans, which come with a compact with two eyeshadows and a cheek color, mascara, lipgloss, and a lookbook, and feature four different dolls --- Ponytail Doll, for the very first Barbie in 1959; Malibu Barbie, from 1971 (my favorite because she looks a little like "Dazed & Confused" Barbie); Foxy Doll, in honor of the first Black doll released in 1980 (little late to the party there, Mattel? I'm pretty sure Black people were around a little before 1980); and 2000's Jewel Doll, who looks like old-school Britney.

Also part of the collection: a Barbie talking eye palette style. The Barbie for Stila products will also be used to Barbie-fy the models in the Barbie fashion show happening at New York Fashion Week in Febs.


+ Preorder Barbie Loves Stila products here.
Malibu Doll (1971): Malibu Lip Glaze (a pale pink), Lash Visor Mascara in Black, a compact with two eye shadows and a bronzer, Look Book.



Ponytail Doll (1959): Ponytail Lip Color (a red shade), Liquid Eye Liner, a compact with two eye shadows and a cheek color, Look Book.


Foxy Doll (1980): Foxy Lip Glaze, Lash Visor Mascara, a compact with two eyeshadows and a cheek color, Look Book.

Jewel Doll (2000): Jewel Lip Glaze (a bright pink), Multi-Effect Mascara, a compact with two eye shadows and a cheek color, Look Book.

Binge Beauty Buy: Ways To Cash In Your Sephora Gift Cards: Givenchy Pop Gloss!

($23, Givenchy, Sephora)

Of the 15 bajillion glosses in my bag, the one I dig around for the most -- and receive by far the most questions and compliments on -- is Givenchy's Pop Gloss (#444). It's a shiny, sparkly, glittery, festive (the fireworks-y packaging! so fun!), clump-free magenta, and it smells like pureed raspberries. It's like a berry party for your lips and you're totally invited. Actually, you're hosting the damn thing. It's perfect for what I like to refer to as "mullet makeup" -- toned-down, it's-oh-so-quiet eyes, big, crazy wow-pow-holy-cow lips. You know, party in the back, business in the front.

Another great Givenchy gloss is Crazy Beige #406:

($23.50, Givenchy, Amazon.com)

This one looks and tastes like honey and goes on smooth and, fortunately, does not attract bees.

Björk - New Music - More Music Videos

More Sephora gift card suggestions:

+ Philosophy Celebrate Set

+ Hourglass Concealer

+ Smashbox's Rapture Gloss Set

Binge Beauty Buy: Ways To Cash In Your Sephora Gift Cards: Philosophy Celebrate! Set

($30, Philosophy, Sephora)

Kicked your coke habit this year? Or just switched to crack (it's cheaper!) Got a big promotion because your boss died? Didn't get pregnant or arrested? Only got a little pregnant? CELEBRATE with Philosophy's Celebrate set -- three deeeeeeerisheshry scented bottles of Lavender, Pink Bubbly, and Pomegranate 3-in-1 washes. They do a body good!

Happy new year, everyone, from all (two) of us at FashionBinge to all (three to four!) of you out there!

And stay tuned for some SUPER suhweeeeeeet giveaways comin' up this monf!

More Sephora gift card suggestions:
+ Hourglass Concealer
+ Smashbox's Rapture Gloss Set!

Binge Beauty Buy: Ways To Cash In Your Sephora Gift Cards: Hourglass Concealer

($32, Hourglass, Sephora)

Hands -- and brushes -- down, this is one of the best concealers I've used in decades of hiding my shiners. Seriously, you could have a cat stuck to on one side of your face and a pepperoni pizza on the other side and after a few strokes of Hourglass, NO ONE except you would ever know. That's how good this shiz iz. I'd recommend applying with a brush since it's a thick concealer. That way you won't be tugging your precious, tender little undereyes down to your chin. No one looks good like that. Anyway, $32 ain't cheap, but you know what IS cheap? Looking like you haven't slept in a week. Get it, girls.

More Sephora suggestions: Smashbox's Rapture Gloss Set!

Binge Beauty Buy: Ways To Cash In Your Sephora Gift Cards: Smashbox Lip Gloss Collection!

If you're a lucky lady, you got a Sephora gift card or two this ho-ho-holiday. I didn't get one, but BOY OH BOYEEEEE could I rack up some goods... or, um, suggest ways for YOU to spend your hard-earned gift bucks. So, consider me your personal shopper! Like one of those annoying pop-up thingies that pop up in your shit when you're browsing stuff online. Except not as annoying!

Anyway, I HIGHLY, INSANELY, EXTREMELY recommend Smashbox's Rapture Lip Gloss set:

($29, Smashbox, Sephora)

Unlike some gloss sets, these aren't too-too mini -- none of that annoying two-uses-and-they're-gone business -- I've been milking mine for weeks upon weeks -- the formula is excellent, and there's zero gross gooiness! THREE WINS! My favorites are Ravishing (second from left), which doesn't end up looking quite as dark on, and Candid (third from left), which leaves a nice berry glow.

DO IT!
And, stay tuned for more FashionBinge Beauty Buys, featuring WAYS TO SPEND your Sephora gift cards!

Harajuku Lovers Coffret Set Winner!

Shout huZZAH to Christine from Minneapolis, for she won the Harajuku Lovers coffret set!

The rest of you losers should definitely check out my favorite of the five scents -- Love:

($25, Harajuku Lovers, Sephora)

It's a bright, sweet floral without too much electric-youthed candy-assedness. And the .33oz size is just $25!

FashionBinge Beauty Dupe: MAC's Manish Arora Eyeshadow Versus Pop Beauty's Lid Neon

Every piece of MAC's new truly, truly, truly outrageously, brilliantly bright new Manish Arora collection sold out in a hot siggity second. A shame, sure, but most everything looked pretty much like Fafi and Heatherette ('specially the lipsticks and glosses) anyway, which just means they'll parlay these colors into a future collection faster than you can say "Layin' Low."

($38, MAC)

BUT, if you're tippin' toxic for the sold-out eyeshadow six-some, which is quite pretty, take a looksie daisy at Pop Beauty's Lid Neon palette:

($22, Pop Beauty, Sephora)

You don't get the bejeweled packaging or the muted yellow that MAC packs, but you do save $16. Which doesn't go far these days but doesn't mean you shouldn't still save! Even if it's just for Pop Beauty's amazing nail polish, whenever the hell it finally launches in the States!

Coolin' Out: Korres Yoghurt Cooling Gel

($23.50, Korres, Sephora)

If you know anything about ayurvedic doshas, mine's pitta, which basically means that I operate at about 7000 degrees Fahrenheit at most times, except for the winter, when my body does me the personal fucking favor of dipping into the cool 4000s. Anyway, I'm constantly steaming, boiling, and overheating in general. And I have rosacea, which I'm sure is linked to the constant Sucks, brah.

So I was DEEEEEELIGHTED to discover Korres' Yoghurt Cooling Gel.

So. Know that: it's considered an after-sun product, but I used it as a moisturizer at night, and I've read about lots of other redfaced-folks like myself doing the same. Why? Because this ish is the jumpoff right here. It's got the consistency of a thick but smooth gel, it's instantly refreshing, there's zero gooey stickiness, and the tinglies last for way longer that I'd expected. Oh yeah, and I've read lots of complaints about the odor, and while it's distinct (I truly can't I.D. it) but to me, the product has a nice, refreshing smell, albeit a sort of plasticky fragrance as opposed to an overly organic smell. But the haters must be used to like some horbs Bath & Body Works sun-ripened raspberry nonsense, because I think the Korres Yoghurt Cooling Gel smells great.

For added effect, I will probably refrigerate as I've done with other cooling gels, but there will be no OTHER cooling gels. Just Korres, okay?

And I'm going on a cruise next week (eee! and no judgements, okay? It's a family vacation), and this will be coming with. Currently I just own the $8.50 smaller bottle (it's 1.69 fl oz), but I'm gonna have to upgrade to the biggun up there.

Also, there's a Korres in Brooklyn! Who knew? (Clearly not me. I need to go above Atlantic Avenue more often.)

Two cool-related videos -- the always-gorge Gwen Stefani's "Cool," and "Cool" from West Side Story, which looks just as cool almost half a decade later:

• Gwen Stefani
• New Music

Beauty Wishlist: Laura Geller's Lip-Shaped "Must Haves" Pouch + My Own Private Home Shopping Network!

($35, Laura Geller, Sephora)

Inspired by my Lindsay Lohan Lips belt post (yes, I realize how OBnXs that sounds -- inspired by "my awesome self!") -- oh yeah, and THANK you to the anon commenter who clued me in to the fact that that lips belt is probably Fornarina -- I now REALLY want this Laura Geller "Must Haves" kit because it comes in a presh lips pouch. Actually, I'd really rather just have the pouch, but that ain't the way the world works, is it?

The $35 kit comes with Spackle Under Makeup Primer, Lip Spackle, and Bronze-N-Brighten baked powder, again, in the cuters red, lip-shaped pouch. But like I said, I mainly just want the lips pouch.

And speaking of Laura Geller, I tried out her Eyeshadow Duo in Caramel Latte, and I weeeeealllly want. Must say, it looked gorgeous on my pasty-ass self. But I restrained myself so I could pay for more important stuff, like rent! But it's on my beauty wishlist:

($15, Laura Geller, Dermstore.com)

You can't really tell from the photo, but this duo is full of beautiful, glimmering speckles and sparkles. But not in the candy raver way, which is good.

Okay, so just like I try to save money by going "Windows" shopping -- my version of window shopping -- I've been trying to rediscover stuff I forgot I owned. In this case, I was looking through my Etsy jewelry shop (ahem!) and realized that for some UNGODLY reason, no one had bought my awesome vintage lips necklace. Sucks for everyone else! I reclaimed it and have been happily wearing it for the low, low price of ZERO!
Hooray for "Home Shopping!" Though of course, if anyone wants to do some REAL jewelry shopping for cute repurposed vintage jewelry made BY me, well then you feel free, and I'll be buying that Laura Geller eyeshadow duo, I sure will you betcha, geegarsh, by golly, can I call ya Joe!? Winky dinky!

Kat Von D's Lolita Lipstick: I Don Bought It

Honestly, I know little about Kat Von D -- never seen her show, I have no tattoos nor do I particularly care about them, and I don't usually go out of my way to embrace celebrity beauty lines just because they're celeb beauty lines. And truthfully, I need a new lipstick like Sarah Palin needs another kid. But I popped into Sephora last night (after seeing the cutest musical (13 -- think Breakfast Club meets Mean Girls with a Jewish Neil Patrick Harris-y Jr. lead), and I tried on Kat Von D's Painted Love lipstick in "Lolita." $18 later, my lips are a gorgeous dusty rose (not the color shown above -- couldn't find a pic of "Lolita").

Even though it's a light rose/ mauve shade, the lipstick itself is a very noticable, very thick, warm, full-coverage, matte. Think industrial-strength stay-on coverage. Perfect for winter and downplaying glamma drama eyes. Also, the packaging is phenomzorz -- a beautiful Lucite base and a rubberized cap with rose imagery.

Kat Von D's Painted Love lipsticks only come in four total shades, and Lolita's the lightest. Based on their thickness, I couldn't imagine wearing any of the darker shades without my lips looking like a stop light, but more power to you if you can pull it off. These are the thickness, and I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a strong, sturdy, stay-put lipstick. Available only at Sephora, which, at this point, I visit more frequently than my local supermarket.

Napoleon Perdis Peep Show Madame Curl Curl: No Other Mascara Will Ever Touch My Lashes Again

($25, Napoleon Perdis)

Run, don't walk, put your money where you mouse is, and buy this Australian mascara THIS INSTANT. Right this VERY instant. No. Not when you're done reading this post or through checking Jezebel. NOW. This instant. This is, wands down, the best mascara I've ever used, and I've tried a LOT of them, my friends. It goes on very wet and thick, and it's instantly visible. For reals, I've gotten compliments on my lashes, without even fishing for them. It's like it KNOWS me. You need this stuff. Worlds better than Benefit's Bad Gal or the tons of other junk-ass mascara I've blogged about, though I do still love Cover Girl's Lash Blash and would use it again in a pinch. But why, when I've got my Madame Curl Curl! Yay, me, and yay you if you get this stuff!

More on Napoleon Perdis -- he's a celebrity make-up artist dude, and he has a ton of stores in Australia, which does me little good. But, there are also 63 US locations that sell his miracle drugs (plus some concept stores in California but NONE in NYC! Booo!), and some Target and HSN collabos are slated to launch soon as well as a reality show on TLC, though I can't confirm that. You can also stock up at Sephora and Dermstore.com. Tell 'em Tamron sent ya!

** UPDATE: Grayburn, you're right -- I basically just shot my load all over this product without explaining WHY it's awesome. It basically goes on like a cross between Sharpie and Sherwin Williams, which is to say it's got the drama of permanent black marker with the wetness of paint. The curved brush also gets it all up in all your lashes (I do have to do the turn-and-edge thing, which is fine), and just a coat or two gits r done. MIRACLE OF MIRACLES! Seriously, this is the REAL DEAL EVANDER HOLYFIELD of mascaras. The ONLY issue I have is that it can be a little messy -- I definitely need to call upon my friend, Signor Q-Tip, to clean up a little on my upper lids when I'm done, but that could be the overzealousness with which I am applying. Like, seriously, remember when you were little and your mom bought sugar cereal and you were SO excited to go to sleep because when you woke up you knew you were gonna get to eat it? THAT's how I feel now about my mornings and putting on this mascara. (Unless I'm hung ovah.)

ALSO, apparently the products are no longer gonna be available at Sephora and are instead going to be at Ulta, and the Target NP SET is going to launch later this month. Yay!

Beauty Binge: Natural Products Worldwide Lipgloss Pots, Cargo Plant Love & Jane Iredale

Packaging Whore. That should be the name of my next blog. Because I am one. A packaging whore.

Just take a second to consider whether you can even deal with the cuteness of Natural Products Worldwide's (a British gift and design firm) Naughty But Nice little pastried-up lipgloss pots. Just TRY to see if you can handle. Moving right along...

(Apprx $3.80 USD, npw.co.uk)

(Apprx $15 USD, npw.co.uk)

My awesomely thoughtful friend Elinor brought me this little four-pack from her trip to London earlier this year. While usually, novelty beauty products are heavier on the novelty, lighter on the beauty, these l'il guys -- the cream tart in particular, actually moisturize like champs. Sweet!

($20, Cargo, Sephora)

These super cuters Cargo "Plant Love" lipsticks aren't exactly new to market, but they -- and they're irresistible packaging -- are new to me. They're made from all sorts of... green... stuff (green is the new black!) like corn. Six of the shades were designed by celebritayze -- I like Mariska Hargitay's and Evagenline Lily's -- though I like the non-celeb shades best. (And the celebs are super random -- Kim Raver, Denise Richards, Sarah Chalke and Lindsay Lohan... um, probably at least three of them have slept with Charlie Sheen, but at least they've all got fame in common?) Best of all, $2 from each shade goes to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.


Finally...

($24, Jane Iredale)

See, I'm not JUST into the kiddie packaging -- Jane Iredale's Sugar & Butter Lip Exfoliator is totally sophisticado in its dual-sided ingenuity and pretty gold patina, and the product is superb. The brown sugar exfoliator works well, but the ginger and mint plumper is light, lush and lovely and leaves your lips unbelievably soft and smooth. Huzzah! And if you're not into the exfoliator (it does leave a few trace grains of sugar, but that was also because I was practically chewing it off its stick with sugary excitement), check out the regular lip plumper. It tingles but doesn't sting. Huzzah!

Pop Beauty Nail Polish Coming to the States!

($13, Asos.com)

Yes, $13 is, to me at least, an absurd amount of money to pay for one bottle of nail polish, and that's what I thought too when I paid almost exactly that while at the Oxford Circus Top Shop over the holidays. But $20 is a lot to pay for nail polish too, and laydeez be plunkin' that down for Chanel nail polish like it's their Goddamn vocation!

So after spending 13 bones on UK line Pop Beauty's nail polish in turquoise, shown above, and trying it out, I did a little happy dance of superficiality and beauty products around my hotel room, because this is, (hands and nails) down, the best nail polish I've ever used. It's strong, thick (in the good way), absolutely opaque and barely chips even after days. It ends up looking more like paint than polish -- zero streaks, lumps, bubbles or squeaks.

And while you can buy Pop Beauty cosmetics at Sephora here in the States, they don't have their nail polish here - BOOO - however, I recently read that they're about to bring the polishes here too -- YAY! Step on it, Pop! I've got more superficial nail polish dances to do!


Want:

And...

Also want:

($42, Pop Beauty, Sephora)

A treasure trove of 24 eye shadows in a cute silver palette!

Happy Hooker Heels For Valentine's Day

I know they've got a touch of the hook to them, but Valentine's Day, like Halloween = embrace your inner tramp. Accordingly, these candy-pink heels are fun. And hi, they're only $26. Plus, Lulu's has a 15% off coupon code, y'awl: VDAY.

($26.50, Lulu's)

Parfait con...

($9, Bourjois, Sephora)

And speaking of polish(ed):

($52, Pink, Lulu's)

A lovely alternative to "FM" hooker heels, for those of you more Rive Gauche than Paris Hilton.

Penney's Takes Manhattan

JC Penney's, a store I haven't stepped foot in in possibly 20+ years, is dropping anchor in MAN.HA.TTAN. Seriously. In one of the sorriest shopping spots in the city, the Manhattan Mall, no less. I say sorry, but I'm not above it. Especially now that it'll probably have a Sephora (news byte TWO for those keeping track), since many Penneys now rock their very own cosmetics nirvana! (Wha??) I had no clue. A department store I expected to either get swallowed up in a McMerger or go down the tubes completely is actually swinging in the opposite direction and thriving against all odds. And they teamed up with Sephora last year (who knew!? Not me!) Again, while I haven't seen the inside of one a Penney's since I could fit into Buster Browns (which my mom probably bought me from a Penneys sometime during the early Reagan admin), apparently they've gotten cute and have some Nicole Miller specialty lines and stuff. Is this not totally cute?

($90, Nicole Miller fer JCP, Reported by InStyle.com)
Regardless of the above evidence, The Budget Fashionista is NOT feeling the Nicole Miller.


Anyway, I'm not above much -- (hell, I've bought shoes in that scary Square 1 establishment) certainly not checking out the JC to the P when its doors swing open. I just hope there's a photo studio.