WHAT BEAUTY PRODUCT CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT?

Do you have a beauty product that you can NOT live without? If so, name your product and share all the things that you love about it!

As for me, I can NOT go without my organic Alba Lip Balm! As a makeup junkie, I have tried almost every lip protector to prevent chapped, dry, peeling lips. After trying so many different brands of lip protectors, I was frustrated that so many did not successfully treat & heal chapped lips!

I am very fussy about texture and ingredients. Once I discovered Alba Lip Balm, I tried it, loved it and was instantly hooked! My lips looked and felt 100% smoother and softer! One little beauty trick to prevent dry, chapped lips in the winter is to apply Alba Lip Balm before you go to bed at night and reapply after you brush your teeth in the morning!

My 11 year old daughter has now become hooked on the Alba Lip Balms, too! She carries one in her purse everyday to use at school. Both of us love the delicious selections, ranging from Coconut Cream, Passion Fruit Nectar, Pineapple Quench,Cherry,Tangerine and Vanilla.

The pure ingredients promote intensive moisture and protection for sensitive lips. You could purchase your own Alba Lip Balms at Rite Aid, Whole Foods, Walmart and Vitacost. Another possibility is to check out the newest Health/Beauty/Wellness (HBW)Department at select Giant Eagles. This new HBW Department retails a large selection of organic beauty as well as traditional beauty products.

Now it is your turn.....Please share the beauty product that you can NOT live without!

Copyright © 2009 by Dana Arcuri. All Rights Reserved.

PITTSBURGH GROCERY STORE IS RE-INVENTING BEAUTY!

When you think of shopping for cosmetics, skin care or professional beauty services, what first comes to mind? Perhaps, shopping at a department store, a high end cosmetic shop, such as Sephora or luxurious spa for head to toe pampering? If that is your guess, I have a pleasant surprise for you!

As the Girly Girls Beauty Guide, I am excited to share with you cool news about a Pittsburgh grocery store that has re-invented beauty! Giant Eagle, a 74 year old grocery store located throughout Western Pennsylvania, Central & Northern Ohio, Northern West Virginia & Western Maryland, has recently added a newly remodeled and innovative Health/Beauty/Wellness (HBW) Department to select Giant Eagle Stores.

The HBW Department is twice the size of the average health and beauty section of a typical Giant Eagle store. It is fully stocked with quality beauty products, including traditional, premium, natural & organic beauty lines. Hold onto your hats, Girly Girls, because the new HBW department has something for EVERYONE!

The best news of all is that a professional Licensed Esthetician will be on staff to serve as the skin care and beauty expert in the HBW Department. The Esthetician provides professional beauty consultations, demonstrations, advice and education. In addition, the Esthetician will identify the clients skin type to recommend proper treatment protocols, skin care products and cosmetics best suited for their skin type/coloring.

The HBW Department, located in various Giant Eagle Stores, is a very affordable alternative to the traditional specialty stores, especially during our economic downturn. With the holidays just around the corner, now is the time to consider a unique shopping experience to not only meet your beauty needs, but so much more!

This year, instead of spending a fortune on trendy stocking stuffer's, beautiful fragrance or unique feminine gifts, shop at Giant Eagle's new HBW Department and celebrate the "CHING CHING" that will save you a BUNDLE!

Copyright © 2009 by Dana Arcuri. All Rights Reserved.

UPDATE ON ANEW REVERSALIST DUO

In my last blog, I shared with my readers that my AVON lady was kind enough to offer me the opportunity to try AVON ANEW Reversalist Duo for two weeks with no strings attached. For two weeks, I have been using consistently the AVON ANEW Reversalist Duo on my skin and following directions.

The first week of using the ANEW Reversalist Duo, I had positive results and I was very happy to try the new anti-aging skin care products for FREE! During my first week, I did not experience any negative side effects, such as an acne breakout or sensitive reactions on my skin.

After two weeks of using the ANEW Reversalist Duo, which consists of a velvety serum and a nighttime moisturizer, suddenly I began to break out with acne along my jawline and chin. In all fairness, I personally consider the acne flareup to be rooted to several other health-related conditions, rather than from using the ANEW Reversalist Due.

According to AcneTeam.com, the jaw line acne is not simple mild acne on the jaw line. These are mostly found on the people who are between 25-55 years old. One of the BIGGEST acne triggers for women in their 30's is probably the intense STRESS of daily life. Acute stress triggers oil glands in your body to secret more hormones. An important chemical called Cortisol, is a catalyst that causes the release excess hormones.

In an article posted by AcneSquad.com, I read that one possible cause of jawline acne is regular HORMONAL activity. In addition, some studies link dairy products to acne because they contain hormones. If an individual suspects dairy products are triggering outbreaks, try avoiding them and see what happens.

Lastly, during my research about common reasons for jawline breakouts, I had discovered that changing cosmetics may trigger acne breakouts. Ironically, I have recently started using a new foundation and I definitely suspect that it may have caused my acne.

Keeping all of this in mind, I personally believe that I have experienced acne because I am heading into early menopause and my hormones are going haywire! In addition, my stress level has increased because my young daughter had a double ear infection and dental challenges causing three weeks of intense pain.

The end result of my using ANEW Reversalist Duo is that I may not be the perfect candidate for this product, due to my severe hormonal issues. However, I have heard several females praise this product because they are seeing positive results. I do believe that it is worth a try!

Considering my recent hormonal & acne dilemma, I have begun using AVON CLEARSKIN PROFESSIONAL ACNE TREATMENT SYSTEM in my attempt to combat adult acne. It is clinically proven to be as effective as PROACTIV® Solution 3-Step System!

The secret key to combating acne is in the ingredients. The CLEARSKIN PROFESSIONAL ACNE TREATMENT SYSTEM contains three vital ingredients to treat acne, which includes Salicylic Acid,Glycolic Acid and Zinc Hexapeptide-11.

My 14 year old daughter and I are using the Clearskin Professional Acne Treatment System in an attempt to clear up our acne. Stay tuned for an update on our results!


Copyright © 2009 by Dana Arcuri. All Rights Reserved.

BEAUTY REVIEW: AVON ANEW REVERSALIST

Recently, my AVON lady gave me a proposition that I could not refuse......She would provide me with two full-sized bottles of the brand new products by AVON called ANEW Reversalist Renewal Serum and Night Renewal Cream. My AVON lady said that all I need to do is consistently use the two products morning and night for two solid weeks FREE! If I like the products, I may purchase them if I choose, but if I am not satisfied with the products, I may simply return the products, free of any obligations!

Once my AVON lady kindly mentioned the AMAZING benefits of ANEW Reversalist Renewal Serum and Night Renewal Cream, which visibly reduces appearance of micro-aging signs and recreate fresher, newer-looking skin, I could NOT pass up the possibility of minimizing the lines around my eyes, forehead or neck! (Girlfriends, let's have a reality check, I am in my 40's and I will NOT be young forever!)

So for the past week, I have consistently been following the simple directions of applying the ANEW Reversalist Renewal Serum and Night Renewal Cream in tandem. Truly, this is going to be a rather intriguing beauty experiment since my skin has been misbehaving during my entrance into early menopause.

It is challenging enough to be a middle-aged female attempting to age gracefully, but frankly, I find NOTHING graceful about menopause! Why is it that men age gracefully and are considered "distinguished", yet, menopausal women are struggling with short-term memory loss, wild mood swings, chronic insomnia and everyone around you is freezing cold, but you have your personal fan blasting on turbo cool!? (Sorry, Beauty Queens, I must have had an ADHD moment in which I went off on a tangent!)

As I have mentioned, my skin has been drastically misbehaving. What makes my skin so confusing is that my face is so oily and breaking out worse than when I was 16 years old, while at the exact same time, new lines are suddenly appearing around my eyes, on my forehead and on my neck!

On the first day that I began using ANEW Reversalist Renewal Serum and Night Renewal Cream, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the soft, velvety texture. Since my skin has been going haywire, I was a bit concerned about the new products causing me to breakout or have an allergic reaction, but the good news is that my skin is starting to clear up and look better!

A little product goes a long way, it goes on light and velvety and it does NOT leave your face feeling greasy! I am really enjoying these new products! I still have about one week left so I will post an update about how my skin is looking and feeling with the ANEW Reversalist Renewal Serum and Night Renewal Cream!

Beauty Queens, so far, I am giving this beauty review a THUMBS UP! But do not take my word for it, try it yourself!!!!


Copyright © 2009 by Dana Arcuri. All Rights Reserved.

FREELANCING IS PICKING UP!

Hello Beauty Queens! I wanted to share with you some cool news that I have been offered a freelance writing position to write for the Pittsburgh Examiner about makeup artistry and beauty. Once I begin submitting my articles, I will share with you the link so you could check out my latest articles. I am excited about this new adventure!

In addition to this news, I have started freelancing as a professional Makeup Artist for Benefit Cosmetics. If you are not familiar with this cosmetic line, you could check it out at www.benefit.com, at some department stores, at some Ulta Cosmetics, at Sephora and www.sephora.com. My top picks for Benefit products that I love are listed below:

~HELLO FLAWLESS: This silky powder cover-up glides on naturally sheer and layers beautifully for customized coverage with SPF protection. Complete with brush and sponge and dual application lesson.

~MATERIAL GIRL: Mattify your complexion and set your makeup with this silky, matte-finish loose powder. Dust over face, focusing on nose, forehead and any shiny areas and POOF! You look FABULOUS!

~ERASE PASTE: This concentrated, creamy concealer brightens and camouflages in one easy step! Targets dark circles, discoloration and imperfections.

~SOMETHING ABOUT SOFIA: Fragrance that is oriental floral - A dream of oriental blossoms, mango & vanilla. Very soft and pretty!

* top notes: mango, freesia
* middle notes: sheer lily, jasmine sambac, peony petal
* bottom notes: musk, white caramel, vanilla bean
* 30.00 ml / 1.00 US fl oz



Copyright © 2009 by Dana Arcuri. All Rights Reserved.

BIG BEAUTIFUL LASHES ON A BUDGET!

For girly girls that demand BIG, BEAUTIFUL, THICK and FULL LASHES, but do not want to break the bank, I have the perfect alternative to the #1 bestseller, Dior Show Mascara. Instead of $24, spare yourself the extra expense by shopping at your local drugstore for the COLOSSAL VOLUM' EXPRESS MASCARA by Maybelline!

As the true makeup junkie that I am, at first, I was skeptical about a drugstore brand having the ability and superb quality to provide big, beautiful, long and luscious lashes that are thick, but do NOT clump, smudge, flake or cause allergic reactions. I am excited to share with all you beauty queens that the Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara met my match to truly outdo Dior Show Mascara! Here is my beauty review on Colossal Volum' Express Mascara:

PRICE: For ONLY $5.99 at Rite Aid Online Store or $7.49 at CVS Pharmacy Online Store, you can NOT beat the price! Compared to the whopping $24 Dior Show Mascara, this fabulous beauty steal will save you from $16.51 to $18.01!!! AWESOME!

PACKAGING (Brush & Wand): Although, I am not fussy about the packaging on the outside of a tube of mascara, I am extremely particular about the style of the brush and wand. I like the unique metallic yellow color tube because it stands out from the crowd of other cosmetics, but what matters the most to me is that the wand does NOT promote any clumping and the wand is very sturdy.

WHAT IT CLAIMS: Creates 9X the volume, instantly.
* Patented MegaBrush + Collagen Formula plump lashes one by one
* Dramatic Volume with no clumps
* Washable

THE TRUE FACTS: The first time that I used the Colossal Volum' Express on my own lashes, I was shocked that it literally provided such a dramatic, thick, full and beautiful lashes that created stunning volume! Most importantly, there was NO clumping, NO smudging, NO flaking, NO black spots under or above my lashes and NO irritation or allergic reactions with my sensitive eyes.

WHAT I LOVED ABOUT IT: I was thrilled to see my sparse lashes appear so much fuller, thicker, longer and well-defined! (My teenage daughter even inquired how I got my lashes so full!!!)

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT IT: Honestly, I have discovered that there is NOTHING to complain about with this product! For the makeup junkie that I am, very picky about my mascara, this is truly AMAZING! However, in all fairness, I want to mention that I read other beauty reviews regarding this mascara and was surprised that the scent of the mascara bothered some individuals. Just between you and me, I NEVER smelled any scent, while applying the Colossal Volum' Express, I NEVER noticed a scent while wearing this mascara and I have a nose that picks up nasty odors like a hunting dog!!!

OVERALL OPINION: The Colossal Volum' Express has become my FAVORITE mascara that I use every single day! My blue eyes are standing out beautifully, I love that this product does NOT smudge even in the sticky, humid heat of Pittsburgh and this mascara is very easy to remove WITHOUT any eye irritations! This mascara advertises that it removes easily with soap and water, but as a skin care expert, I professionally do NOT use soap and water on my eyes or skin. Professionally, I recommend removing this mascara with a gentle eye make up remover. NEVER, in my entire 22 years of specializing in makeup artistry, would I have imagined a drugstore brand to outmatch a department store brand!!!

Beauty queens, I HIGHLY recommend that you grab yourself the Colossal Volum' Express immediately to discover for yourself that you can have BIG, BEAUTIFUL LASHES ON A BUDGET!!!

Copyright © 2009 by Dana Arcuri. All Rights Reserved.

FREE BEAUTY REVIEWS!

Do you have a fantastic beauty product that you sell or love? What a better way to spread the word: Girly Girls Beauty Guide at your service!

I will provide FREE beauty reviews for cosmetic and skin care companies. As a Licensed Hairstylist/Makeup Artist/Esthetician, I will personally use your beauty products and share a beauty review on Girly Girls Beauty Guide describing my own experience.

For details on having your product reviewed, please contact me here by leaving a message or by emailing me at dana122163@comcast.net. Please provide the company that you represent, the product of choice that you would like to have me review and any pertinent information. I look forward to hearing from you!