This week’s picks are inspired by the cosmetics giant, Max Factor, which recently announced the company is going to start phasing out its line of American products in 2010 due to the changing economic times, and to focus on other more lucrative Proctor and Gamble brands. However, Max Factor will continue to be sold globally.

The historical relevance of Max Factor spans back to an early cosmetics industry dominated by the Elizabeth Ardens and Helena Rubensteins. Max Factor was able to carve his niche in the business by creating camera ready makeup for Hollywood movie actresses like Jean Harlow and Bette Davis. His international acclaim came from his ability to transform the everyday woman into a Hollywood Glamazon, and with endorsements by some of Hollywood’s greatest names such as Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe, he quickly gained success with his line of drugstore beauty products, and the rest is history. This week’s picks: Max Factored - Get These MF Picks Before they are Going, Going, Gone, pay homage to a bygone economy and era, and to the one man who made Hollywood glamour our own: Max Factor.

PICK 1: Max Factor Vivid Impact Lipcolor in Ms. Right Now - $8.97
Ms. Right Now is the prefect blue red, and so the “it” color for Fall/Winter 2009. Its creamy formula glides on easily and is smooth in consistency, and is a real steal for only $8.97!!

TIP: Wear during the day with LIGHT makeup, (LIGHT means VERY LITTLE or NO eye shadow/liner/mascara on the eyes, no heavy foundation, powders, blushes/bronzers on the skin). Heavy makeup with red lipstick during the day looks dated, so for a modern look, think sheer hints of color on the skin complemented by creamy red lipstick, like Grace Kelly; clean, simple, and classy.

PICK 2: Max Factor Vivid Impact Lipcolor in Hipster - $8.97
I had to write about Hipster because I ABSOLUTELY LOVE its deep, purply-red shade. Gothic, grunge, emo, chola, whatever you want to call it, it is a moody color that will bring out the tortured artist/hipster/gansta in those that dare to wear, and is definitely guaranteed to draw a lot of attention.

PICK 3: Max Factor Moody Mint Vivid Impact Eyeshadow Duo - $7.99
Speaking of moody, I especially like the Moody Mint Eyeshadow Duo because its foam tip smudge applicator makes it easy to blend, apply, and layer. You also get two great and very workable shades of green for less than $4.00, which is totally a good deal in my opinion.

TIP: Using dark green shadow is a great new take on the smokey eye. Pair with black liner, lots of mascara, and a red lipstick like Ms. Right Now, and you’ll have that perfect neo-retro eighties look down pat! So haute!!

PICK 4: Max Factor Lash Perfection Waterproof Volume Couture Mascara in Rich Black - $7.99
Max Factor’s Lash Perfection Volume Couture Mascara was chosen as the official mascara of Milan Fashion Week. That marketing statement means very little to me, but what does mean a lot to me is that this WATERPROOF mascara really volumizies and separates lashes without clumping, and that is a super valuable asset, particularly important during the summer months, and for my favorite things, such as a long night of dancing!

REVIEW:
Cost: $4.99 - $9.99
Value: Good
Accessibility and Where to Buy: Drugstores until supplies run out in 2010

I’m obsessed with stage and television makeup techniques and how they can be translated to fit into a person’s regular makeup regimen and lifestyle. I’ve found that essentially, face contouring, which plays on light and shadow, (a.k.a. using bronzer, blush, and a highlighter together), can create a dramatic change in the everyday appearance of the skin, resulting in the optical illusion of a significantly younger looking complexion, weight loss, and improved bone structure. This week’s tips are a How To lesson on face contouring that anyone can easily and quickly do with the right tools.

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Now that it’s almost summer I’ve been super obsessed with that summer glow needed to go with those summer jams, and this week’s beauty post, which I recently found by accident, is a D.I.Y. RECESSION BUSTER tip on how to make a shimmer bronzer for face and body. One night while rushing to get ready to go out, and out of my Lorac Award Show Glow, I decided I needed to step my already faux and real tan combo up a notch, so I did some last minute beauty experimentation with some products I had laying around the bathroom. Bless my lucky stars this impromptu creation worked, and so well apparently that M.I.S.S. Liz, who is very much a true sun worshipper, positively approved. So hell yes you can get a quick and not so dirty faux sho’ tan, and the following steps will show you how.

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Because I’m something of a beauty junkie, well and if you’re gonna be a junkie, I suppose it’s the best kind to be, I end up with A LOT of beauty products and toiletries that aren’t so great, but that I’ve paid for. And I hate wasting anything, especially in this economy, so this week’s post, which are also RECESSION BUSTER Tips: Wasty Pants, Not a Chance - How to Recycle Unwanted/Extra Toiletries, is about finding other uses for extra/unwanted toiletries you can’t bear to throw away.

The Situation: You acquired as a gift a shower gel you don’t want your body to smell like, EVER, and you bought a new brand of shampoo, conditioner, and hairspray to check out, but decided you didn’t like them at all. (This happens to me ALL THE TIME.) What do you do? Toss them all? Um, hell no, that’s potentially $30 worth of products you’d be wasting. The following tips will help you work it out.

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They say variety is the spice of life and I have to agree, especially when it comes to this week’s pick, Agent Provocateur’s Ménage à Trois Massage Oil set. The set includes three 30 mL bottles of rose, tuberose, and ylang ylang massage oils, making it the perfect gift for your wife, girlfriend, mistress, and bachelorettes. I love Agent Provocateur’s massage oils because they are such a nice deviation from your standard herbal massage oils. With flowery notes like rose, tuberose, and ylang ylang these massage oils provide a very sensual massage experience for all to enjoy.

TIP: You can also wear any of these oils as perfume. Dab (on wrists and neck) alone or mix with each other for a beautifully light, lingering scent.

REVIEW:
Cost: $60 (for 3 30 mL bottles)
Value: Moderate
Accessibility: Moderate
Where to Buy: AgentProvocateur.com

I have very thin, sparse eyelashes, so naturally I am obsessed with making them look bigger, fuller; better. And after years of research, trial and error, I have come to realize it is all about the wand. This week’s pick: Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, Sephora’s Atomic Volume Mascara Will do Wonders for You!, has a very cleverly designed mascara wand that creates pretty, natural looking lashes like Chanel Iman’s seen here. What makes this mascara wand so magical is that it combines two different types of bristles: Short and stubby on one side to add volume and fullness at the base (roots) of lashes, the other side is comb-like to add length, thickness, and separation. This is a great mascara because you get TWO DIFFERENT MASCARA FEATURES in ONE PRODUCT. I prefer Ultra Black, but it is offered in basic Black as well, and although the formula is not waterproof, it does last all day and doesn’t smudge. Yes, this mascara is….Atomic. Your lashes are beautiful, ohhhhhh ohhhhh tonight…;)

TIP: For best results, after you curl your lashes, apply to the base of the lashes (roots) using a wiggling motion (3-4 times to cover the lash area of one eye). Then sweep the mascara through all the lashes (about 3 times). Let the mascara dry for about 10 minutes, then curl lashes one final time.

REVIEW:
Cost: $16
Value: Moderate
Accessibility: Moderate
Where to Buy: Sephora.com, Sephora Stores

I don’t know about y’all, but the warmer weather signals fun bright colors and the start of Spring parties and outings, which are bound to get the young ones into some interesting situations. And this week’s beauty post, Drama Mamas and Gossip Girls – Keep ‘em Talking with these Poppin’ Picks, includes bold spring colors that make the prefect transition into summer. Hell, like I say, if you’re gonna get caught up in the drama, you better look your best little mama. And this week’s picks and tips will help you do exactly that.
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Michelle Kwan says she’s a “relatively normal girl” just trying to do her thing like everybody else but this lady is next level! Every Tuesday, Michelle comes at the world with new beauty picks and tips in her column M.I.S.S. Michelle’s Beauty Picks and Tips of the Week. She is always on point, puts in the time and does the research to bring our readers the latest and greatest in beauty products and we are more than proud to have her as our first Women Making History 2009 feature!

Get to know a little more about Michelle:

I love all aspects of fashion and publishing, and until recently, I worked for Time Warner in advertising, getting my start as an intern at Surface and Intersection magazines. I’ve also worked in fashion design and marketing, with clients like Chanel and Jurlique as well. For M.I.S.S., I write a weekly beauty blog called M.I.S.S. Michelle’s Beauty Picks and Tips of the Week.

I love the artistic mediums of style and fashion, culture and writing; through which, my goal is to creatively help people enjoy beautiful and healthy lifestyles. I feel inner beauty, outer beauty, self-esteem, and self confidence are all very tightly and complexly interwoven, and play a critical role in the well being of women today. The beauty blog is intended to assist women in their beauty options and purchases as there are such an overwhelming amount of competitive products in the cosmetics market. My reviews are based on my personal experiences with each product, and I carefully consider all the following when I make my assessments: Quality, value, accessibility, and pricing. I like to use a variety of products ranging in price point and accessibility, for I think beauty is attainable at all income levels, and bearing in mind the troubled state of our economy, I recently started to integrate RECESSION BUSTER Tips and Picks to represent the more discerning consumer akin to myself. I particularly like the research involved in my D.I.Y. Beauty Tips, cause if you can make it yourself and make it naturally, AND for less money, you definitely should give it a go, plus it’s fun.

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I LOVE painting my nails. The act of applying lacquer to my tender talons, dressing them up like pretty daggers or embellishing them like little Mondrian paintings is perversely empowering and wickedly fun – however, the price of reality really sets in, especially when the average cost of a designer nail polish is around $20 – and is essentially what pays for well thought out color palettes, clever naming, glamorous packaging, and arduous marketing campaigns. In this weakened economy, $20 has to stretch further than it’s ever had to for most of us, so this week’s picks and tip: Recession Claws I - I Got Zoya for Ya, are some ways you can nail down your beauty dollars.

RECESSION BUSTER TIP: My homegirl at D-Cupcake, who is one hell of a nail polish guru, tipped me off about a nail polish exchange Zoya is doing through their website. Zoya has a HUGE line of relatively inexpensive, long-lasting, eco-friendly nail polishes (they do not use Toluene, Formaldehyde and DBP – chemicals linked to cancer, organ damage, and birth defects), and come in a variety of colors and finishes. So basically, when you spend $3 to ship an old nail polish to Zoya, they will send you a Zoya nail polish of your choice (a $6.50 value). You can sign up for their nail polish exchange here.

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This week’s picks and tip: Glitter and Gold - Make Up Forever’s Star Powders are a Jem! are inspired by my favorite childhood cartoon character, Jem, and my ladies, Sophie (color selection) and M.I.S.S. Reina (look). Rock n’ roll, romance, rival girl bands, secret identities, eighties excess, awesome outfits, and a non-profit, Jem was the It cartoon for young girls in the late 1980s, and is my muse for this year’s New Year’s Eve look.

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