I first came across IT Cosmetics (Innovative Technology Cosmetics) by Jamie Kern at the QVC Beauty event a few months back. Being that this was a line I wasn’t familiar with I wanted to learn more about the company and their products. I am extremely happy that I took the time out to speak to the IT Cosmetics reps because they are now one of my go to brands for quality makeup that is relatively inexpensive.

 

I have quite a selection of IT Cosmetics products to review but I will start with the items that have been in heavy rotation of my beauty arsenal, and that is the Vitality Cheek Flush. The Vitality Cheek Flush is a hydrating, brightening, anti-aging powder blush stain that lasts ALL DAY, and I am not exaggerating.

It was developed with leading plastic surgeons and is infused with IT Cosmetics’ patent pending Hydra-Luxe Technology which features ingredients such as amino acids, plum oil, cherry oil, pomegranate oil, jojoba,, aloe, seaweed extract and grapeseed. These ingredients work together to give your cheeks a boost of healthy hydration.

The 4-in-1 anti-aging blush stain is waterproof and talk free so it will never cling to fine lines or wrinkles, and it provides the glow of a stain that won’t mess up your foundation.

My Thoughts

I really love this product. I have it in three shades (Pretty in Peony-my favorite for the summer, Radiant in Rose, and Magical in Mauve) and whenever I wear any of them I get tons of compliments. They product is heavily pigmented and so you only need just a little. When they said it will last all day, I didn’t believe it, because nothing lasts all day. I leave my house really early (6:30am) to get to work and so my face is done early as well and throughout the day when I had to blot my nose or forehead or do any touchups, my cheeks were just so vibrant. I also have sensitive skin around my cheeks and so the product did cause any fine bumps to appear which usually happens when I try new products.

For the $24 price tag, it is definitely worth the money because you are getting a great product. You only need a very little so it will definitely last a long time. Here are the product details

  • Pretty in Peony: soft peachy pink shade
  • Radiant in Rose: rosy pink shade
  • Magical in Mauve: spicy rosy plum shade
  • Net weight 0.136 oz
  • Made in USA

Rating: 5/5 I would definitely recommend this product. It does everything it says it does and more. The colors are great and will work with a variety of skintones. You also get great hydrating elements to keep your skin looking smoother. This is definitely a must have.

If interested in purchasing the Vitality Cheek Flush click here and if you want the best application click here to purchase the French Boutique Luxe Blush Brush

Disclosure: This product was sent to me for consideration for review by IT Cosmetics.  My opinion was not influenced by receiving this product. The views expressed in this review are my honest thoughts.

Last week’s heat wave was just crazy. I love the summer just not at 98 degrees plus humidity. I prefer the temperature to be between 85 and 90 with low humidity. I know that is wishful thinking, but hey I have a right to dream. Right before the summer hits I make sure I have my arsenal of must have items. I am a pretty simple girl and low maintenance during the summer. I want to do as little work as possible when it comes to getting dressed, staying cool, and even applying makeup. So here are my must have items for the summer

Beauty

1. Tinted Moisturizer- I rarely wear foundation in the summer. When it is really hot and I am doing a lot of walking it just melts off. Tinted moisturizer is light and gives you and even complexion with minimal coverage. I am using OCC’s tinted moisturizer and I love it.

2. Bronzer- We all want that Beyonce glow so I use bronzer to get just that. I have like 4 or 5 bronzers but my favorites would have to be Milani Baked Bronzer and Young Blood Lunar Dust

3. Sunscreen- I just raved about the Hawaiian Tropic silk hydration sunscreen. It moisturizes and protects. You can’t get any better than that

4. Oil Absorbing Sheets- I use e.l.f.’s absorbing sheets (you can’t beat $1) and they are great. I mainly get oily in my t-zone so I always have them on hand to erase the shine

5. Perfume/Body Splash- I love The Body Shops Love Etc…- I get tons of compliments whenever I wear it and it is so inexpensive. When I tell people what it is they are shocked. I also love Marc Jacob’s Daisy Eau So Fresh.

6. Wen Deep Cleansing Conditioner- My hair never lasts in the summer. I’m always sweating it out and it sucks. I usually do low maintenance hair styles like buns, bantu knot-outs, twist outs, etc. I wash my hair using Wen Deep Cleansing Conditioner and either let it air dry and do one of the styles listed above.

7. Lip Gloss with spf- Last week I raved about Hawaiian Tropic aloha kiss. It gives great shine and it also has spf. I pair the gloss with any lipstick and I am ready to go.

8. Misting spray- Avene Thermal Spring Water provides the perfect relief from those hot summer days. It also moisturizes your skin.

9. Bold and bright nail polish- Summer time is the perfect time to pull out all of the stops with your nails. So I go for neon pinks, oranges, yellows, greens, turquoise and more!

Fashion

1. Sun glasses! I have tons of sun glasses in all shapes and colors. I love large glasses. I feel like Nicole Richie lol. Sun glasses are the perfect summer accessory- the protect you from the sun and the weirdos on the train trying to make eye contact

2. Tote bag/cross body bag- The tote bag is a necessity because I always carry my life around. It is large enough for some flat sandals, my makeup bag, wallet, water bottle, and just about everything else. The cross body bag is perfect for those spontaneous adventures where a large shoulder bag or tote isn’t necessary. It also forces you to pack light.

3. Maxi dress/skirt- These are the easiest things to throw on and they are so chic. I have dresses and skirts in a variety of colors and prints. This is always my go to outfit choice.

4. Denim shorts- when I don’t feel like wearing a dress I throw on some shorts a t-shirt or tank and depending on the occasion flat sandals or a wedge. You can never go wrong with a pair of denim shorts. Dress them up or down- it really doesn’t matter because they are classic.

5. Cute sandals and wedges- I do a lot of walking in the summer so high heels are out of the question in NYC, unless I’m going from car to chair lol. So I need my sandals to by fashionable and functional. I can strut around the city in a wedge because I get the height of a heel and the comfort of a flat so those are necessary as well.

6. Basics- t-shirts and tanks in all colors and prints. You can never have too many t-shirts or tank tops. If I find a style that fits me well I buy at least 3-4 in various colors. T-shirts and tanks are comfortable and can be paired with almost anything- denim shorts, boyfriend jeans, Bermuda shorts, maxi skirts, body con skirts, a-line skirts, harem pants, cropped pants- you get my drift? They can be dressed up with statement jewelry or worn with a simple necklace and earrings. I couldn’t get through the summer without these.

7. Casual sneakers/flats- I like to be adventurous and go to the park a lot during the summer. I may need to climb a few rocks, you never know so I always have a pair of casual sneakers, like converses or Tom’s handy.

This is my list. What are some of your summer must haves?

A few weeks ago, I attended the Makeup Show and Blogger Preview with Kim of Makeup By Kim Porter. As usual we were in for a treat. Makeup Artist and Director of Education for the Makeup Show James Vincent was on hand dishing about his latest must haves and favorite products.

With James on stage and a room full of bloggers you are bound to have a great time. James dished on products like Auraline Beauty, Menaji Beauty, Embryolisse, Graftobian Makeup Co., Glamcor, Birchbox, Bdellium, and more. He talked about the importance of great skincare, which should be a given. Many people neglect to tackle the real problem when it comes to skin care.

He also talked about the importance of supporting independent brands like Ofra, which I am now a huge fan of because of the palette I purchased at the Makeup Show that following Monday. Brands like M.A.C., Stila, and Makeup Forever have gained great notoriety, but we should also support smaller brands with great products as well.

One thing that I purchased multiple packs of was Dead Sea Elements makeup remover cloths. James talked about how great these are for the skin because of the dead sea salts and minerals infused in the cloths. This goes back to great skin care. Not only are you removing your makeup, you are also enriching your skin with great minerals. I have been using them for two weeks now and a review will be coming soon.

We also had a surprise visit from Danessa Myricks. James Vincent, Danessa Myricks, Jon Hennessey, Esterique Aidan, and Orlando Santiago have created a makeup brush line. Each of their collections feature three of their must have brushes. She explained why she chose her brushes and even shared some of her tips on how she uses them.

Take a look at more photos.

Next up The Makeup Show Chicago June 17-18, 2012

I will have a few giveaways happening right before the summer hits and they are all with Milani Cosmetics! The first giveaway will be done on Twitter so check out what you get and what you need to do!

Prizes- Complete Milani Cosmetics Goody Bag

  • Milani Baked Bronzer 05 Soleil
  • Milani Liquif’Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in 03 Gold
  • Milani Nail Lacquer in 12 Winter Wine
  • Milani Crystal Gloss for Lips in 05A Summer Baby
  • Milani Baked Eyeshadow in 607 Rich Java
  • Milani Lipstick 06 in Sexy Rose

Here’s How To Enter

  1. Follow Her Goody Bag on Twitter: @hergoodybag (Remember if your page is private I can’t see your tweet)
  2. Tweet the Following: I want to win the @MilaniCosmetics Goody Bag from @HerGoodyBag http://bit.ly/J5ntJU

That’s it! Simple Right? The giveaway will end on May 22, 2012 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be announced on Thursday May 24, 2012 via Twitter!

You can enter as many times a day as you would like to increase your chances.

Good Luck and look out for our next Giveaway on Facebook!

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the QVC Beauty Event which was held at Cedar Lake Studios. This was my first time at a QVC Beauty event and it was simply amazing. I remember bloggers last year tweeting about an event similar to this so when I saw this opportunity I just knew I couldn’t miss it. Very rarely do you have brands like Bliss, Makeup Forever, Tarte, Wen, Philosophy, Algenist, and more all in the same room talking about their best selling products and what will be new to QVC. It was also great to have the owners and creators of the company there to give you first hand information about the products as well.

We’ll first start off with Sephora

Sephora by OPI for QVC

Sephora will be launching quite a few new products with QVC. One of my favorites would have to be the Sephora by OPI 15-piece nail colour collection which will retail for approximately $44. The signature color for this collection would have to be “QVC What I Mean,” which is a rich mauve tone.

Bliss

Next I headed over to Bliss and was introduced to an interesting product called Incredi-‘peel.’ These are convenient, no-rinse peel pads that create an overnight facial effect in a single step which will retail for approximately $74. They also have these no heat waxing strips as well.

Wen Hair Care by Chaz Dean

One of my favorite stations had to be Wen Hair and Body Care by Chaz Dean. Chaz really changed my life that day and I am not exaggerating. I have been so indecisive about what I wanted to do with my hair for the past few months now. When I attended the event my hair was combed back and I rocked a head band. Well when I left the Wen station, I felt like a new woman. I’ve heard great reviews about the products, but never purchased any. Chaz introduced the ne Six Thirteen Replenishing Treatment Mist. He sprayed the mist on one side of my hair so I can see the difference. On the side that he sprayed my hair was softer, had more shine, and it had body. The Six Thirteen Replenishing Treatment Mist has a unique blend of amino acids, restorative extracts, and botanicals to give instant rejuvenation to the hair, face, and body. It will retail for approximately $26 and I highly recommend this product along with the Summer Mango Coconut Cleansing Conditioner.

Lipstick Queen

Lipstick Queen by Poppy King is a very innovative brand. Her newest creation is called “Liptropolis” which is a lipstick collection based off of the Metropolis New York City. I have to say I was in love with the packaging. There are three lipsticks that come in a little book with information about each lipstick. For this collection she chose to focus on three New York City neighborhoods. Soho is a fashionable red hue, Central Park is a refined peach hue, and last but not least Upper East is an elegant nude hue.

Laura Geller

I was also in love with Laura Geller’s Dream Creams Concealer and Highlighter. It includes four customizable pigments. The highlighter enhances your skin tone and creates a luminous look. It is available in two shades porcelain/fair and regular/tan and retails for $30

There were also companies there like Go Smile, Perricone MD, Fresh and Algenist that focused on achieving a bright smile and healthy skin.

tarte Cosmetics

With the summer right around the corner tarte cosmetics has introduced the Rainforest Glow Full Coverage Liquid Body Bronzer. It is not a self-tanning lotion so you do not have to worry about turning orange. The nourishing body bronzer gives a healthy looking faux glow and it moisturizes the skin at the same time. The Rainforest glow uses pure maracuja oil which is a staple in many of tarte’s products. It is used to help nourish and hydrate the skin.

philosophy

Philosophy was there with fragrances that were to die for. My favorites would have to be all of them. One fragrance that is exclusively for QVC is amazing grace.

Other brands in attendance included Make Up For Ever, Sarah Potempa, Josie Maran, Mally, Nuface, Alterna, Clarisonic, Hairdo by Ken Paves, Hairmax, PaloVia, Space NK, IT Cosmetics, LightStim and Tria Beauty.

Sarah Potempa Beach Waver, Mally Beauty, Josie Maran, IT Cosmetics, Make Up For Ever, and more

Make sure you visit QVC Beauty for all of these great products and more.