After some serious reading, analyzing, and debating, a winner was selected for the Fab Freebie Giveaway, commemorating Beauty Chat’s one year anniversary. Congrats to Kristen who left this comment:

“I’m brand new to this site, and all I can say is WOW! I’ve probably just spent…Oh my god! The past 3 hours (at work, mind you) just reading through all the great articles and reviews of products! I have to say that my favorite so far is “Somme Many Skincare Choices, What’s A Girl to Do?” by Denice. The title is so clever, and the way she talks about the skincare system really makes me want to try it, and gets me excited to do so! Thanks for all the great info Beauty Chat!”

Kristen, while we don’t condone blogging on the job, we’d like to say that we greatly appreciate your delinquency =) Don’t tell your boss that we said this, but feel free to read Beauty Chat whenever you have the urge! Each of our staff writers thank you for the warm words and are glad to have you as a reader.

Now, on to the “Plastic Makes Perfect” T-shirt giveaway. Four lucky ladies were awarded this prize, and they are: Laura Lapcheska, Mikki, Dee, and JB. It was no easy task narrowing down the terrific comments that were left for us, but these entries really stood out.

Once again, thank you to everyone who entered both contests. And if you didn’t win this time, that’s okay because there are more fab freebies coming your way. In fact, check back with us next week!

I love visiting my hairdresser June for a good ‘ol flat iron run-through. She has always smoothed it out with the greatest of ease, and never fails to be amused by me afterwards. Hello – don’t you like to flip your hair over your shoulders in slow motion like those Pantene commercials? OK, well maybe that’s just me.

( “Me with rocker hair — wild and without the use of my flat iron!”)

Really though, for years I just couldn’t straighten my hair myself, nor would I even dare try to do so in the Southern California summertime heat. My mom and I have different hair texture (my mother is Caucasian), so using her cute curling iron back then barely did the trick. Had I known that having the right type of flat iron actually matters, I could have saved nearly $2,500!!! That is the amount I spent on my hair for two years wearing long braids, which was basically my way out of not having to truly put time into doing my hair. More »

Having a problem being a chic mom? Feel down, frumpy, unappreciated? Well I suggest you pick up a book called “The Chic Mom’s Guide to Feeling Fabulous” by Nina Sutton. While reading this book, a few friends with children came to mind. So I thought I’d pose a question: As a mom, how do you stay chic on your personal budget?

Here are some of the great answers I received:

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I met Erin at the Total Beauty Summit…I know, how many fabulous people did I meet there? A lot. But Erin, and the company she works for, really stood out amongst the crowd. You see, Erin works for this AMAZING company called Belli. Belli is dedicated to specialty skin care focused on making sure that mom, baby, and unborn baby are safe and healthy.

How, you ask? Well, Belli products are specifically designed for expecting and new mothers. It is geared to help aid them in a time of uncertainty, when their bodies are changing and they are experiencing unique skin care issues — a time when their concern for safety is heightened. The brand supports the expectant mother and provides her with choices in skin care, for both herself and baby.

Belli specialty skin care comes in three lines: More »

Beauty Chat resident foot snob here, with yet another fabulous foot find! I recently tried the best foot scrub ever. You all know I am a huge pedi-snob, and I will do anything to make my feet happier and prettier. So, I found this whipped peppermint foot scrub from Gwendolyn’s Gate.

Whipped peppermint foot scrub, you ask? YES, and it is awesome. With the summer months here, my feet really take a beating between my pedicures. From the beach to the pool, they are subjected to some harsh elements and they show it! My poor feet become so dry and worn out and I needed to find an affordable fix to treat my tootsies. According to her Web site, the foot scrub is: “A delicious delectable blend of cleansers with sea salt and peppermint essential oil. After using this blend, you will want to ‘Dance the Night Away’ as your feet are cooled and refreshed.” More »

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always been fascinated with everything Barbie ®. From dolls, to dresses, to tiaras I always loved to be adorned with the latest Barbie apparel.

Yet, as I grew older, Barbie apparel and accessories have seemed to become less available and in style for women my age. Of course, there are still the classic Barbie dolls available, which I love to collect, but there wasn’t anything readily available to brighten up my wardrobe the way that Barbie did.

Almost into my mid twenties, I still longed for the Barbie style to come back into fashion, and thanks to Tarina Tarantino ™, it has!

Founded in 1995 by Tarina Tarantino and Alfonso Campos, the Tarina Tarantino jewelry line has breathed life into traditional jewelry design. Looking to make things sparkle in her own way, Tarina, along with then boyfriend and now husband Alfonso, created jewelry that was fun, beautiful, and expressed their creativity.
Starting off in small boutiques, Tarina Tarantino now has her own boutiques in California, New York, and even Italy where her line has flourished.

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June 1st marked the day that Beauty Chat turned a year old [proud teardrop].

You see, this blog originally developed as a social networking project between me and Randy. Our goal at that time was to reach out to the beauty and plastic surgery communities, with our original “Look good, feel good, and speak on it!” philosophy. Turns out this idea not only paved the personality of Beauty Chat; we learned that there are a lot of others out there who feel the same way. You know, the non-judgmental chatterboxes (like us) who love talking about the latest this and that.

Turns out, there are TONS of you – our local, national, and international friends – who have subscribed to Beauty Chat and even have a favorite “Beauty Chatter.” I mean, with 10 writers on staff, including myself, a very productive project editor (Denice) and an eye-for-detail managing editor (Leeann), a fabulous in-house designer (Khevna), and a righteous programmer ( Randy), it only makes sense that you would connect with someone who is just as opinionated as you are!

Really, when it comes down to it, the team that makes up Beauty Chat is, like, the coolest group you could ever meet. (Sorta kidding, but not really.) More »

During the Total Beauty blog summit in May, Leeann and I were introduced to this fabulous cosmetic line: Redpoint. Redpoint comes in sassy red packaging and looks super chic, and since I am a huge fan of packaging, it was love at first sight. But, Redpoint goes way beyond its packaging. In fact, the brand is taking cosmetics in a whole new direction.

Because of Redpoint’s Chromactive Technology, it is able to push the makeup’s performance to a completely new level. Each product contains specialized ingredients that work behind the scenes to help improve the look and feel of your skin. Are you looking for that natural, youthful glow? Well, look no further!

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                                                  (Kat Von D — up close and personal)

Ever since her days on Bravo’s “Miami Ink,” I have found it hard to not be a fan of Kat Von D. Why? Because she is passionate about what she creates and breaks all stereotypes of what most of society may regard a tattoo artist to be like. She’s female, girly, gorgeous, and now – a Reality TV star turned a sought-after Hollywood celebrity.So of course when I heard about the creative merge of Sephora and the famous LA Ink tattoo artist and owner of High Voltage Tattoo – I wanted to scream (in excitement, of course!). I always thought that Kat’s makeup was fabulous and her fashion sense was shockingly cool. And now, I’m proud to say that I have three of pieces of her new collection that add a classic, yet edgy, style to what I already have in my makeup bag.

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I look at several plastic surgeons’ Web sites throughout the day while working for PlasticSurgery.com. I also have a few friends that are interested in getting some kind of cosmetic procedure, whether it’s for a mommy makeover, or something more simple like Botox®.

All of this makes it difficult not to think about getting plastic surgery sometime in the future. But what would I get done? Rhinoplasty? Maybe, but then again, I’ve grown to like my slightly imperfect nose. Tummy tuck? Perhaps after I have kids, since it’s not recommended for women who still plan on having children. What about breast augmentation? Now that’s something every woman ponders at some point.

So, for those of us that are still unsure about what kind of breast enhancement we would like to receive, I have come across a great company that offers results similar to those of almost any breast augmentation surgery. Pure STYLE Girlfriends offers products to help us add a cup size or lift our breasts without the plastic surgeon’s assistance. More »