Fall Color Series: Spotlight on Acai

As we gear up to say farewell to fall we decided to put the spotlight on a classic darker color: Acai. This color, inspired by the superfood acai berry, is a rich and mysterious shade of purple that makes for a great fall staple.

Acai is bold and dark and works great as a statement color. It compliments lighter shades (think Pantone’s Linden Green and Vivacious) and accent shades (Pantone’s Koi). Here are a few suggestions on how to use Acai in your fall lifestyle:

Home Decor: Try reupholstering an old dining room chair (check out this guide) with a deep purple fabric for a fun pop of color. For smaller accents, color block a shelf with Acai colored vases, books and other knick knacks.

Fashion: Acai is easy to pull off, especially as a top or blouse. If you want to switch it up, try a pair of dark purple skinnies with a clean white top and black blazer for a chic but classic look. Acai goes so well with gold so definitely layer on your favorite gold jewelry. We love this easy DIY bracelet tutorial that combines both Acai and gold!

Makeup: A dark berry lipstick paired with a neutral blush (we recommend our Pink Chocolate blush!) will help to give you a classic fall look. Worried about wearing a darker lipstick? Check out this guide on how to wear dark lipstick like a pro!

This deep purple is such a fun color to play with, especially as we transition into winter (8 days to go!). As we approach the New Year, keep your eyes peeled for our color report on Pantone's color of the year for 2014!

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Be Amazing Holiday Contest

 

Tis the season! The Holidays are all about giving and we are thrilled to announce our Be Amazing Holiday Contest! The contest will be run through our Pinterest account, but we will be announcing the item to repin on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Each day we will be announcing a specific AmazingCosmetics product that you must find and repin. The product you must find will have a pink gift box in the lower right-hand corner and will be hidden on one of our many Pinterest boards. In order to officially enter to win the product, you must find the item and repin it on the day announced (no skirting the rules by repinning products before they’re announced!).

WEEK 1 (Dec. 3-7)

There will be one winner per day who will win the AmazingCosmetics product specified for that day (Make sure you check our Twitter and Facebook daily for what to pin). Pin that product on to one of your boards and you're automatically entered to win! 

 

Weeks 2-3 (Dec. 9-20)

There will be one grand prize winner announced at the end of Week 3 who will win the 10 repinned AmazingCosmetics products! To be eligible to win all 10 products, you simply have to pin the correct 10 products on the specific day we say to pin them (Same rules as above - make sure you check our Twitter and Facebook daily for the product to pin)! 

Still a little confused? Here’s an example of how a contest day will work: At 9am there will be a post on both our Facebook and Twitter accounts that will say something like “Are you ready to win? Find our Amazing Anti-Aging Primer and pin it to win it!”. Now, it is your job to head on over to our Pinterest and search through our boards (the product could be hidden in any of them!) in order to find the Amazing Anti-Aging Primer that will have a small pink gift box in the pin image (as you see pictured above). Once you have found the product simply pin it! During Week 1, we will announce the winner at noon the following day on both our Facebook and Twitter accounts and the winner will receive the item they pinned for that day! For Weeks 2-3 we will announce the grand prize winner of 10 AmazingCosmetics products on December 21st.

We will be updating this calendar every day so you can make sure you pin the right product! 

 

 

*The winners will be announced on our Facebook page and in the comment section of the item pinned on Pinterest. Winners will have 24 hours to message us on Facebook with contact information in order to receive the prize. If no message is received within 24 hours of the winner announcement, a new winner will be chosen. Contest is international. You must be age 13 or older to participate. There will be 5 winners in week one who receive the product they pinned and only one lucky winner in weeks 2-3 who receives all 10 products they pinned. Winner will need to submit shade and address for delivery of their winnings. 

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AmazingCosmetics "Pink" Friday and Cyber Monday Offer!

The season of giving is upon us! The holidays bring the joy of spending time with family, overeating (guilty!) and much needed relaxation. Some like to spend Thanksgiving night digging into those delicious desserts or even going in for a second helping and some spend it in line at the nearest superstore waiting for those great savings. We, on the other hand, prefer to take a different approach.

This year we will be hosting 'Pink’ Friday for AmazingCosmetics. It is the same idea as Black Friday but with less standing outdoors at 11pm in the negative 10 degree weather. Curious as to why we chose pink? We have a whole blog on it! This year we are excited to announce that for Pink Friday we will be giving away a FREE Anti-Aging Face Primer with the purchase of ANY VelvetMineral Powder Foundation*! After all, who doesn’t want their foundation to last all day?

What's even better than offering a FREE Anti-Aging Face Primer with the purchase of ANY VelvetMineral Powder Foundation all day Friday? Extending it through Cyber Monday! That's right, now you can shop until you drop on "Pink" Friday AND Cyber Monday! 

We hope you enjoy your Holiday weekend! To those of you spending the time relaxing inside with family and friends: have fun, and to those of you racing for those Amazing deals: HAPPY SHOPPING! 

*One free primer per order. Offer begins 12:01am Friday, November 29th and expires that evening at 11:59pm. On Monday, December 2nd the offer beings again at 12:01am and expires at 11:59pm. Valid online or in the AmazingCosmetics studio. Online orders: write the words "Free Primer" in the Special Instructions box during the checkout phase. 

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Fall Color Series: Spotlight on Mykonos Blue

As fall rolls on and we're looking to add a bit more color to our wardrobe we have decided to put our Fall Color Series spotlight on Mykonos Blue. This color, inspired by the rich tones and oceans around Greece, is a great way to add a bold and classic pop of color if light and bright accents aren't your thing.

Mykonos Blue works well as a stand-alone color but also compliments darker grays (such as Pantone's Turbulence) and brighter colors (think Pantone's Emerald and Samba). Here are some fun ways to add Mykonos blue to your fall lifestyle:

Home Decor: If you want a big color accent, try painting an old bookshelf or dresser blue (find out how to paint wood here). For a smaller change, spray paint a few picture frames blue or add golden Dahlias to a Mykonos Blue vase (check out this easy vase DIY!)
Fashion: Mykonos Blue is a great color to play with in your wardrobe because it is a great color for all seasons. Our favorite ways to wear it are as a piece of statement jewelry or on a fun, patterned dress.
Makeup: Add a dark blue matte eyeshadow to the crease with a matte nude eyeshadow all over the lid. Pair it with a rosy cheek and nude lip (we recommend our Cinnamon Spice blush and Sandy lip gloss!) for a fun fall look.

Since blue is always a staple in our wardrobe, it's fun to mix it up and pair it with brighter colors. Stay tuned for more from our Fall Color Series!
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Our Top Six Tips for Healthy Skin

 

Not only does keeping your skin healthy pave way for a flawless makeup look, it also keeps you (as a whole) healthy. Skin is the largest human organ and is usually the first line of defense when it comes to protecting your body. Small cuts and breaks in the skin can lead to viral infection and the growth of bacteria, and to be frank, unhealthy skin doesn’t make us feel too good both physically and mentally. Listing the benefits of healthy skin would take all day, but aside from keeping you feeling good and looking beautiful, the best benefit is that of good health.

 

I’m sure you know the basics (moisturize, don’t smoke, get enough sleep and drink lots of water!) but here are our tried and true favorites:

• Wash your hands first, and your face second. Pretty simple to remember, do you really want whatever last touched your hands to touch our face?

• Smile! Toned muscles always look better than flabby muscles (and believe us, your face has a lot of muscles - 43 to be exact).

• Eat colorfully. Brightly colored foods (think bell peppers, raspberries and blueberries) contain antioxidants which help fight against wrinkles.

• Turn down your shower temp! Hot water feels great (especially in the colder weather!) but prolonged exposure to hot temperatures can strip your skin of moisture

• Oil away! Try adding a few drops of olive oil to your bath for extra skin moisturizing

• Clean those makeup brushes! We suggest cleaning at least every 2-4 weeks to help stop bacteria and dirt from accumulating

That snow may look pretty, but that cold weather is harsh! Remember that protecting your skin not only makes you look good, but keeps your skin healthy!

 

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AmazingCosmetics On Set with PAWS Chicago

Talk about a lot of pups! Our AmazingCosmetics makeup artist, Sarah, was on set for the SPLASH Cover Shoot with PAWS Chicago founder, Paula Fasseas, helping her get primed and fabulous. Check out the video to see Paula looking flawless while handling 5 adorable pooches at once!

Want to see more of AmazingCosmetics on set? Check us out on set with the hunky Blackhawks player, Patrick Sharp! 

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Living it "old school"

 

These days it seems we’ve become obsessed with everyone else’s beauty routine but our own.

I think we’re all hoping that we’ll find out some deep hidden secret as to why “that” girl looks so fantastic. Well sorry to disappoint but that rarely, if ever, happens.

Being in the beauty biz for…well long enough, I’ve learned that new is where it’s at! Products with new names and new ingredients that make new promises are all the rage. Everyone wants the latest and greatest because “new” will surely help us on our quest for smaller pores or firmer skin…or shinier hair…or…..well you get where I’m going with this. But time and time again I’m reminded that “old school” trumps the “newbie.” I’m not saying that there haven’t been breakthrough product innovations over the years in skincare or color cosmetics that have proven themselves winners. What I am saying is the older I get the more I believe that time honored traditions and steadfast beauty rituals are the real deal.

I just read this great article on Refinery 29 How (Exactly) To Look Like A French Girl and just as I suspected it’s not about buying “hope in a jar” but rather finding hope inside of us. Changing our attitude about beauty can literally change the way we look and the way others see us. So listen to your mother and your mother’s mother when you’re searching for beauty rituals that truly work and then… focus on your attitude because what you think is beautiful is.

And if you’re looking to try something “new” * wink wink * try some of my faves…most of which I learned from my European born Mum J.

1 - Oil for your skin and hair - Slather some on and you’ll see what everyone is talking about. Try Caudalie Vinosource Nourishing Concentrate, $44 or Josie Maran Argan Oil, $48

2 - Facial Massage - All those sweet smelling creams, lotions and mists are not the only reason your skin looks radiant after a facial silly! The massaging techniques of a great aesthetician gets the blood pumping on your face, neck and décolletage’ helping to create that “just had a facial” glow.

3 - Don’t wash your hair every day - When I was younger I thought, ”how gross” when my Mom would tell me to skip a day…well not anymore. It helps keep the shine and also prevents breakage. And doesn’t hurt to cut down on getting ready time either!

4 - Petroleum jelly - Dry lips? Dry skin? Dry heels? Dry hands? Should I keep going? Dry anything….good ole Vaseline® not only hydrates the dryness but locks in the moisture too. A good friend of mine who has beautiful skin literally coats her face in it before cold weather outdoor activities like skiing or hiking and I can tell you...it works.

5 - Masks - My mom made one for our hair from mayo and olive oil…and it worked! Masks for the face are gaining ground big time and I just purchased GlamGlow’s exfoliating Mud Mask and after one use I liked what I saw!

~Sandy 

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